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Random Thoughts - Oilers, Flames, Capitals, Avalanche |
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There is a legitimate chance that the game tonight of the Edmonton Oilers taking on the Colorado Avalanche is a preview of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Right now the Edmonton Oilers sit first in the Pacific but the Jets are the top team in the West. The Avalanche are the higher seeded Wild Card team with a healthy 5 point lead on the Canucks and a 7 point lead over the Flames. The Oilers reward for finishing first could mean a match up against one of the more lethal offensive teams in the NHL... gotta love parity.
Not Your Dad's Avs
While the Avalanche are still a dangerous team, they certainly do not have the same dominant deep team of years past. MacKinnon and Makar still lead the way but they no longer have Rantanen as the third player in that elite grouping (though Necas has meshed well). The current second line for the Avalanche is Mittelstadt centring Drouin and Parssinen. Ross Colton has 13 goals on the season but only 3 assists. Nichuskin is still injured. This is still a very good team but maybe not the elite one of years past.
What Are The Flames
Moving around the NHL and looking at some other teams, the Calgary Flames still have a legitimate shot at being a Wild Card team, mostly off the back of the phenomenal play of Dustin Wolf. While Flames fans should be happy that they are in the mix, I do still question what the "plan" is in Calgary. Things this season have essentially gone perfectly for the Flames with Wolf being amazing, a 31 year old Huberdeau and 34 year old Kadri playing above expectations... but with everything going nearly perfect for this team they are still barely in the mix for the bottom Wild Card position. Looking ahead to next season, and the one after that, what does the Flames organization think is going to elevate this team?
I think the Flames did an excellent job with the acquisitions of Frost and Farabee but like much of the Flames roster, these are solid complimentary players that lack the ability to regularly take over games like many of the top teams in the NHL have. This isn't a dig at Flames fans but I am genuinely intrigued to know what management is thinking now. Maybe if they decide to offer the bank to Rantanen or Marner in the offseason they can turn their fortunes.
Ovechkin Needs to Break The Record this Season For Me to Care
Alex Ovechkin is having an extraordinary season and is now only 16 goals shy of breaking Gretzky's goal record. With 26 goals in 38 games and missing a month due to a serious injury, it has been a phenomenal season for #8 and the Capitals as a whole. At this stage though I will say it is going to be anticlimactic if he doesn't break the record this year.
What is the better headline... Ovi cracking the record this season in a year where the Caps have been amazing and he overcame the adversity of a tough injury... or scoring 14 more goals this season and breaking the record some time in October next year.
Back to the Oilers
It looks like Jeff Skinner is earning some faith from his coach and will continue to see minutes next to Leon Draisaitl. I have been vocal about my disdain for how Knoblauch has utilized Skinner but maybe there was something to it. In addition to producing a bit more, over the past few games we have seen Skinner forechecking like a fiend and being the first forward back to make strong defensive plays. If Knoblauch has been able to get Skinner to play a more mindful two way game while still letting him do what he does in the offensive end, the Oilers might have a better version of the top six player they were hoping for.
On the other hand, Viktor Arvidsson just feels like he is still a step behind on most plays. There are flashes of the gritty game and volume shooting that he was known for with the Kings but that typically ends abruptly with him falling down of his own accord.
I like Arvidsson getting some time with McDavid and Hyman to see if something can click there. I hope we see more of these lines after the 4 Nations Faceoff break.
Thanks for reading!
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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