The Oilers dropped 2 games in a row to the Arizona Coyotes, picking up just a single point out of a possible 4. That’s not good enough and the Department of Magic will have a lot to say about Dave Tippett’s enchantment of the Oil, but the team has to move on.

Games against the Leafs are easy to be excited about. There’s always a lot of buzz, the guys from Ontario know their family and friends are watching, and since the last game was so tightly contested there are a lot of emotions still accessible from the short term memory. The home crowd also generally gets split in half as Leafs fans take over the available seats. It’s a good time.

The Leafs are such an interesting team because they have talent, but it really seems like their inexperience sabotages them in critical moments. That’s not a knock on the character of the team, it’s just to be expected. What might not have been expected to some people is that the Leafs rookies are performing so well all at the same time.

The NHL is a hard league to score in and Marner, Matthews, and Nylander are 2nd, 3rd, and 5th in rookie scoring. They are getting a lot of offense from kids. We knew Matthews would be pretty good as the reigning 1st overall pick. For Nylander and Marner we had indications that these two could be effective scorers, but they really ought to be commended for their production.

When the Leafs got Marner I thought they were getting the 2nd best player in the Draft. My order was McDavid, Marner, Eichel. That they got him 4th was not surprising, but it was fortuitous. All he did was pick up 242 points in his final 120 OHL games. He’s a special young player. He’s a small man, but boy does he have talent.

The Leafs have the talent up front you rarely find outside the early 1st round. They have quality coaching and systems. Once this team matures I think they could be very exciting. Of course, like a lot of teams, they will need to find ways to upgrade their defense. Still, they are out of the playoffs right now, but only a handful of points off the mark.

As a team they’re sort of lower-middle of the pack for shot metrics and their goaltending has been so-so. If they can start getting some stronger netminding then they might be able to pick up enough points to make the season interesting. If they cant, then that’s just one other area they will need to improve in down the road.

Still, this is a team on the rise and no team, especially the Oilers, should take them lightly at all. They have the talent to make teams pay. It’s just a matter of putting it all together. I don’t think, no matter how much I want them to, that the Leafs will spend as long as wandering the desert as the Oilers did. It’s a shame, really.

LINEUP

This morning Pitlick took practice on the McDavid line and Lucic was not on the ice. The expectation is that he will play and so I will assume it’s Pitlick coming out.

Lucic McDavid Puljujarvi
Maroon RNH Eberle
Pouliot Draisaitl Caggiula
Kassian Letestu Kassian

Klefbom Larsson
Sekera Russell
Nurse Benning

Talbot
Gustavsson

OILERS KEYS TO THE GAME

1) So we meet again, Mr Kadri. The last time McDavid played the Leafs, Mike Babcock glued Nazem Kadri to Connor’s backside. The Leaf center figured out, correctly, that NHL referees will only call holding or hooking so many times and the rest they will let go. It’s the only surefire way to stop McDavid. Kadri played a fantastic game, kept McDavid off the scoreboard, and won the game in OT. Give credit where it’s due, that was a great performance. Since that game, McDavid has picked up 17 points in 13 games, including 10 points in his last 5 games. The challenge is once again laid at the feet of Kadri. Can he do it again?

2) Pick Yourself Up. Edmonton out-shot and out-chanced the Coyotes in the last game against Arizona. After the game McLellan held a press conference in which he noted those things and gave credit to Arizona’s goaltending. Sometimes that feels like a copout, but I happen to agree with McLellan’s assessment. Sometimes the goalie just has your number. The Oilers have a brutal record shooting more than 40 on the opposition, I don’t think that’s because they’re shooting from the fringes. I think if they trust the process that they will win more games than they lose. Goals will come.

3) Sharper Shooting. Despite what I said above about the goals coming, certain Oilers also cant let themselves off the hook for their performances. I’m not worried about shots that the goaltender saved. However, I am quite done with the consistently missed shots that are killing the chances McDavid is creating. Lucic and Eberle in particular need to step it up. There are too many shots hitting the wrong kind of netting or going well wide of the net. Every player who gets a chance with McDavid is going to have to start cashing in. McDavid is getting these guys the puck on their sticks, in high danger areas of the ice, and with the goaltender moving side to side. Hit the net.

Puck drops tonight at 7PM on Sportsnet West. Game On!

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