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Game 2 Wrap Up: The Home Opener We Wanted One Game Late

January 15, 2021, 1:14 AM ET [39 Comments]
Sean Maloughney
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
It's a good thing that Edmonton got that one pre-season game out of the way yesterday and showed up ready to play in their home opener!

Yes, Edmonton struggled big in game one with some ready to jump back on the "Oilers are bad" wagon. The number of defensive gaffs and issues in the last game were far worse than anything I have come to expect from this team. Last season Edmonton was 7-1 on the second of back to back games and tonight the Oilers were able to put together a very convincing win.

Final Score: 5-2 Edmonton

GOOD STUFF

- McDavid and RNH both had a rough first game and both needed to rebound. The two players combined for all 5 Oilers goals including McDavid posting his 8th career hat-trick.

- Let's talk more about McDavid for a moment because he was flying tonight. His first goal was a buzzer beater, taking in a Yamamoto shot to beat Demko glove high. His second goal was the best of the three, speeding past Nate Schmidt and Tanner Pearson before breaking Edler's kneecaps on a beautiful snipe. His third came on an accurate backhand pass by Draisaitl which left Connor wide open in front of Demko.

- In the first game Tippett gave the McDavid line the job of shutting down the Horvat line to no avail while the Draisaitl line took Pettersson (to some success). Today Tippett swapped the assignments and the Draisaitl line did a brilliant job of shutting down Horvat while McDavid dominated Pettersson. It was a smart move by Tippett which paid off big.

- Mikko Koskinen started tonight because something is going on with Smith (something I hope to have an update on soon) and the big man rebounded. Again I don't put the fault on Koskinen for yesterdays debacle and in front of a defensive group that remembered how to play hockey, Mikko stood tall. Koskinen finished with 38 saves on 40 shots, including going perfect on the PK.

- Puljujarvi continues to look like a far more developed player. JP once again was attacking the puck all night, threw a couple hits, was credited with a takeaway and registered 5 shots on net, the third most on the team behind McDavid and RNH. Eventually I think JP will get a shot on the top line but right now he is providing something arguably more important for the Oilers; generating chances away from Edmonton's top players.

- Starting to see Kyle Turris and Puljujarvi develop some chemistry. Turris looked more settled in tonight and made some good plays. Turris also finished at 55% in the circle.

- The Nurse/Bear duo was far more dialed in tonight and was the best on the backend at moving the puck up for the forwards.

- Slater Koekkoek continues to earn spots in the lineup. Some people think I hate blocking shots; I don't. I hate blocking shots and putting yourself out of position to do so (Kris Russell) Koekkoek blocks shots but immediately is in the fray and ready to make a pass to a player on his team instead of throwing it down the ice, a novel idea.

- Draisaitl had one of the quietest 4 point nights you will ever see. As mentioned above the Draisaitl line did a great job of shutting down the Horvat line. The Hart Trophy winner from last season picked up right where he left off by being a powerplay wiz and the best backhand passer in the league, no contest.

- Every opponent this season should be treated like a playoff series. Edmonton plays Vancouver 10 times this season. They lost the first game, meaning they need to win 6 of the remaining 9 to come out on top. Winning tonight and tying the series is always much better than being down 0-2.

BAD STUFF

Okay you know this one is going to be bad when I forgo the point form template. It may only be two games but Tippett needs to change up his 4th line immediately. Khaira is bringing absolutely nothing right now and despite having the advantage of home ice line changes, his line was absolutely caved in for scoring chances. Chiasson also remained invisible and I honestly forgot that Devin Shore dressed today.

Tippett should give both Chiasson and Khaira the boot for the next game and slot in Ryan McLeod and Tyler Benson. At the very least those two are going to play in a way that shows they want to fight for a spot in the lineup.

On that note, I understand what Tippett is going for by having Archibald on the third line and Ennis on the fourth but right now it isn't working. Drop Archibald back onto an energy fourth line and let Ennis play with some skill options in Turris and Puljujarvi.

- A small gripe because the defense as a whole played well tonight but the Koekkoek and Barrie pairing were the only defensive pairing that allowed more scoring chances than they took. A shuffle might need to happen eventually with that duo.

- It has worked well in the Oilers favor in the past but I really dislike how Tippett has the team play when they are up in the third period. It isn't fair to say they sit on the lead, far from it, the Oilers last season were great at holding a lead (8th in the NHL when leading after 2). Edmonton keeps shots to the outside and doesn't give up much. It's a taxing style of play and I do worry that with a more grueling schedule this fatiguing style of play could end up being problematic.

Edmonton has a day off and can take a breather after this exciting start before hosting the Montreal Canadiens for two games.

Thanks for reading!
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