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Edmonton Oilers hit 30 wins Saturday night, with a 4-1 triumph over Calgary.
The victory all but clinched a playoff spot (the next win or Vancouver loss will do it) and Edmonton is also sneaking up on sealing 2nd place and home ice in the postseason. The Jets are faltering, Montreal making things interesting.
Lots to cover and most of it good from the perspective of the home team. So, lets get after it in this edition of…
9 Things
9. The Edmonton Oilers organization has handled the pandemic so well, in terms of keeping its players safe. That’ll be doubly vital in the playoffs, where a club outbreak could lead to a forfeit.
8. Slater Koekkoek is about a week away from game action. Don’t be surprised if the draws in on the LHS against Montreal May 10th. Koekkoek could be a handy, 6’2 193-pound option come playoff time.
7. Alex Chiasson is such a smart player, so solid along the D-zone walls and in front on the PP. In this COVID economy chances are the Oilers would not have to match Chiasson’s present $2.15m salary in order to keep the expiring UFA, even with the glut of RW’s already on the roster.
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6. Tyson Barrie had been playing a little nicked up. If the Oilers clinch and maintain their 5-point lead on 3rd place, I’d give him a night off and play Evan Bouchard. That way Barrie heals up. And if Bouchard does need to draw in during the playoffs then his last NHL game wasn’t March 1st.
5. Mike Smith’s SV% now sits at .924 on the season. That places Smith tied for 5th among NHL goaltenders that have started at least 25 games. By the same measure he is 6th in Goals Against at 2.30. He’s tied for 8th in Wins at 18 but everyone ahead of him has played at least 30 games. Smith deserves Vezina consideration. But I suspect Andrei Vasilevskiy will win it.
4. In Connor McDavid’s 400th career NHL game Saturday night he equaled and then passed Sidney Crosby’s 554 points in Sid’s first 400. McDavid has 57 more even-strength points in the same span. And with McDavid’s 2nd Hart trophy all but in the bank, he would tie #87 in that category. Crosby has the team success on his resume, though, and that’s what truly great players are ultimately measured by.
3. We shouldn’t be surprised if some pending European and American UFA’s factor Canada’s COVID situation into their decision making. And right now, Alberta and Ontario are behind. Alberta hit a record high number of new COVID cases on Saturday and has the highest rate per 100,000 of any Province or State in North America. But: Canada is also vaccinating at the 2nd highest rate of any G20 country. In 30 days, we expect to have enough vaccine for all 1st shots and will be poised to pass the U.S. in that measure weeks later. Canada is then forecast to hit 50% of all 2nd shots by the end of June. So, there’s time for that free agent conversation to change.
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2. The evolution of Ryan McLeod is certainly good news for the Oilers and McLeod, but it may not be for Gaetan Haas. Haas has attributes I value: Speed, smarts and a defensive conscience. But he got drilled Saturday in chances for & against. Thus far in his career Haas hasn’t produced near enough to be a 3C (3 points in 33 GP this season). And he doesn’t win enough faceoffs (45%) to be a 4C. McLeod (on an ELC and with a much higher ceiling) has a real chance to claim that 3C role. And either a re-signed RFA Jujhar Khaira (yes, I expect him back) or an acquired veteran such as Derek Ryan or Brandon Sutter (I prefer the former) is likely to slot in at 4C. Speaking of Centers…Leon Draisaitl is now tied for the NHL lead in +/- at +28 and is 56% on the dot. Should get Selke votes.
1.The Oilers lines had a new look on Saturday night. I didn’t mind Leon Draisaitl on one line and Jesse Puljujarvi on the other in the Top 6. I don’t see it as a demotion in any way for Puljujarvi and I don’t imagine the coaching staff does either. The advantages of this configuration: The McDavid-Draisaitl duo is damn tough to defend against to begin with. And with 29 and 13 on different units it gives you some substantial size (Leon and Jesse) on both for when the going gets heavy in the post-season. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with McDavid and Kailer Yamamoto is surely skilled but undersized. What they ran with Saturday had better balance.
But I also don’t think we should read too much into these combinations. Dave Tippett is seeing what he has for the playoffs. We’re witnessing things such as a high-level audition for Ryan McLeod who played 2C Saturday and was vert good yet again (CF 14-10, 58%, 2nd best on the club). McLeod even took a D-zone draw with under 2 minutes left in what was then a 2-1 game. Tippett, post-game: “I’ve got no problem playing him in any part of the game”. High praise.
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Things like these combo’s may or may not happen come the postseason. But after so many years of fans being left on the outside looking in, we’ve rarely been in the position of being able to tinker like this with little or no risk. And too damn often, that audition has been for next year…and not this. Big difference.
So, I don’t know about you but I’m going to enjoy it. Thoroughly.
Find me on Twitter @KurtLeavins
Recently, at The Cult…
McCURDY: Game Grades from a 4-1 Oilers triumph over Calgary
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2021-05-02 14:06:26Z
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