The Oilers played Sunday like they were in the Stanley Cup franchise era. They scored five goals in the first period and three more in the second and crushed the last Senators 8-5 in Edmonton.
Some of the current Oilers even mentioned their names along with Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier along with their performances:
– Leon Draisaitl had six assists, one short of the NHL record Gretzky shares with Billy Taylor. (Gretzky had seven assistants three times).
– Dominik Kahun broke Gretzky’s franchise record by scoring eight seconds in the contest.
– Connor McDavid had five points (goal, four assists), his second night in a row with more than three points. Messier, in 1990, was the last Edmonton player to accomplish this feat, according to the NHL.
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Most important for today’s squad: The victory tied it for fourth in the North with the Jets, who have played three games less. He will begin his February lineup with another home game against the Senators on Tuesday.
Three other takeaways from victory:
The power play finds a spark
Edmonton (5-6-0) came in on average with just three goals per game, so eight was more than enough to make people happy. Better yet for the Oilers, half of the eight goals came with the man advantage. The 4 of 5 effort was a huge boost for a special teams unit that was in the middle of the group in the league before Sunday at 21.6%.
After the game, Draisaitl and coach Dave Tippett were asked about the unit that needs to accommodate new playmaker Tyson Barrie, a right-back who replaced left-hander D Oscar Klefbom, who is out of season with a problem. At the shoulder. .
“It’s a different look, isn’t it?” Draisaitl said. “We’ve had this power play unit together for so long, for so many years, and you’ve got a new guy coming in, he brings different things to the table, a different player, so sometimes it just takes a little bit. “
“I think Tyse did a great job adjusting and understanding how we want to play the power play,” Draisaitl added later. “Yes, that has been of great help to us.”
“When you put a right-hander in there, he changes his appearance. It took a while, but Tyson’s game, the last two games, I think, are the best games he’s ever played, ”Tippett said. “He’s starting to move in the right direction, the dynamic player we expected. So he played better, our power play becomes more comfortable and we have found results. ”
Porous defense puts the brakes on the night
The five goals against also reminded the Oilers champion teams, and it’s something the 21-year-old will try to clean up before Tuesday.
“Obviously, giving up five isn’t going to be enough most nights,” Draisaitl said. Good start, then we ended up scoring enough to win it. But obviously we’re looking to be a lot closer in the next game. “
Welcome to the NHL, Stuart Skinner
Skinner faced defensive lapses while making his NHL debut with his hometown team and playing a game for the first time in over 11 months. The 22-year-old Edmonton player made 33 saves on 38 shots. He allowed three goals in the first and two more in the third, but the attack gave him plenty of room to breathe.
“It really helps when you’re over five or what we were then,” he said. “It kind of allows you to put your feet under your feet, take a few deep breaths, and settle down.”
Skinner’s last game before Sunday was March 6, 2020 for the Oilers’ AHL branch in Bakersfield, Calif. The AHL interrupted its season a few days later amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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