Last night certainly did not go the way the Oilers had planned or the way Oilers fans hoped it would go. They finished the night with an ugly 8-1 loss to their Pacific Division Canadian rival, the Vancouver Canucks. Is it time to hit the panic button on the Oilers? Absolutely not. It’s just one game, a stinker where all the bounces seemed to go the wrong way. That’s how it goes sometimes. Should we be happy or complacent with the result? No, the Oilers have to go back to work, regroup, and get ready for the rematch on Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada.
The Oilers are bound to be a contender for the Stanley Cup. One game at the start of the season, missing arguably your best defensemen in Mattias Ekholm, is no way to judge how the season is going to play out. There is always a lot of negativity any time the Oilers lose, and often even when the Oilers win. I have to admit that the day after an Oilers loss, I don’t usually scroll Twitter because of the negativity, and I don’t have time for it. I’m hoping as this season rolls along for the Oilers, I can use this blog to spread some positivity every weekday with my articles, even after a loss. I’ll try to recap games with a positive take, trying to find the bright spots in a sometimes very dull, dark game.
Recap
Deciding to be a positive voice in the Oilers world is a little tougher on days like these when the Oilers lose 8-1 but let’s dive in.
The game looked promising from the start of the game. In nearly the first minute, McDavid laid a huge hit on a Canucks defensemen, which was awesome to see. The Oilers went up 4-0 in shots off the get-go, and fans were just waiting for something good to happen. As the game went on and things started to slip from the Oilers’ grasp, there was one line that really stood out for the Oilers. The line of Holloway-McLeod-Foegele seemed to be grinding the Canucks in the offensive zone for most of the night; they looked very dangerous. Holloway had two fantastic opportunities in front of the net, where he forced himself into a good spot to get a good shot off. That line cycled well and was typically the most exciting line for the Oilers. Holloway himself may have been the best Oiler on the ice until he left in the third with a hand injury after blocking a shot. He had 3 shots on goal and looked dangerous.
Typically, in 5v5 situations, Leon Draisaitl’s lines have struggled. However, last night he posted a 70% Corsi for percentage (CF%) and a 69.95 expected goals for percentage (xGF%). His line dominated in possession stats, and Draisaitl was not on the ice for a single goal against. It would have been nice to see his line score a goal or two, maybe swing the tide early in the game and settle things down, but he did a great job last night.
Face-offs were also a strong point for the Oilers as they went 55% in the circles, which is a good mark. Hopefully, going forward, the Oilers can carry this into the rest of the season. It may lead to more scoring chances and improved defense/zone clearances as the season progresses.
On the bright side, the Oilers will have a chance at revenge immediately. They won’t have to stew in this loss for very long. The Oilers will have their home opener on Saturday against the Canucks. The team should be fired up and they’ll have a sold-out Rogers Place providing them with energy to go out and seek their retribution. This will be their first win on their long, slow march towards the Stanley Cup this coming summer!
Rig City Sports 