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Injury Woes Continue + Rodrigue Starts |
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The format of the regular season is pretty straight forward. Play a bunch of games from October to February to get yourself into the playoff conversation. Then, make your moves to add at the deadline. From March until the middle of April, teams make their final pushes, build chemistry and hopefully enter the playoffs playing at their absolute best.
This year the Edmonton Oilers haven't been able to follow that format as injuries continue to devastate the top half of this team. The Oilers are currently without their top two centres in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. There isn't a team in the NHL that can look like a dominant threat for a long period without both of their centres, let alone two of the best players in the NHL. While there can be flashes like the game against the Golden Knights where the rest of the team can pull together for a win, you also get games like the one against the Kings; not a bad overall showing but simply not enough in the tank to match a healthy Kings roster.
Just being without McDavid and Draisaitl is one thing but add to that no Mattias Ekholm who has been sick/injured since the 4 Nations Faceoff, Stuart Skinner who has struggled for stretches this season but is the starting netminder, and Trent Frederic who was acquired at the deadline still dealing with an injury, played his first game against the Kings, made a hit on his first shift and seemed to tweak something once again, ending the game with 7 minutes of time on ice. He is not playing today.
This Oilers team is looking a whole lot like the 21/22 Vegas Golden Knights, a strong team that was hampered by injuries that simply ran out of gas to even make the playoffs. While this Oilers team will make the playoffs, as of today it is highly unlikely that they will be doing so with home ice advantage.
Edmonton currently sits third in the division with 93 points, with the Flames at 85 points and the Blues and Wild seemingly having the Wild Card spots locked up, Edmonton will finish 3rd in the Pacific. The only question remains who they will play in Round 1. Likely we are seeing another Kings/Oilers matchup but LA sits 5 points back of the Golden Knights with a game in hand. There remains a possibility that LA could finish first in the division leaving the Golden Knights to face Edmonton in Round 1.
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On a more positive note, tonight will be the first NHL start for Oilers goalie prospect Oliver Rodrigue. Drafted in the 2nd round in 2018, the 24 year old netminder has posted solid numbers in the AHL. A 0.912SV% in 22/23, a 0.916SV% in 23/24 and a 0.899SV% this year on a struggling Condors team. Rodrigue won't have the best Oilers team in front of him tonight. It will be a good test to see how the rookie handles himself.
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The best hope for the Oilers over these final six games of the season is simply to weather the storm and hope that their ailing players are rested and ready when the playoffs begin.
Thanks for reading.
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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