Things have been quiet in Kraken land lately.
It makes sense why. Seattle hasn’t played since the Oilers shut them out 4-0 on home ice on Saturday.
Their power play went 0-6 on the day, and they were shut out for the second time in their last three games. That same PP is 0/14 in their last four games.
Head coach Lane Lambert has focused on special teams in practice lately, as the Kraken look to improve during this four-day break from games.
Lambert added that the penalty kill allowing 24 goals this year is a “problem” and that the PK has to be better.
One element that may not carry over is the nastiness, because prime instigator Mason Marchment will not be on the flight to Edmonton. Lambert didn’t delve deeply into the nature of the injury, but he could be back in the Kraken lineup on Saturday.
This is a one-off road game for Seattle, before they begin a three-game homestand against Detroit on Saturday.
Jared McCann
Jared McCann is still getting revved up after a long injury layoff.
The de facto franchise leader, McCann has led the Kraken in all four seasons of the Kraken’s existence. Playing just seven games so far this year for an offence-starved group, a healthy McCann is hoped to help this ailing squad.
Again, without leading point man Jaden Schwartz in the lineup, they are trying to find ways to score goals. But this is as much as scoring-by-committee as an NHL team gets.
Schwartz, Eberle, Beniers, Montour, Dunn, Stephenson, Marchment, Wright, and Tolvanen are all significant parts of the team’s payroll and have double-digit points, but no one has more than 15.
There’s so much emphasis on the power play, yet 5-on-5, no team in the league has scored fewer times than Seattle. Their 36 goals 5v5 is six fewer than the 31st-best, Los Angeles.
If their special teams don’t create, they don’t score all too often.
With all of this said, the Kraken are 11-7-6 and on the fringe of a playoff spot. It’s not doom and gloom in the near future if they can find some goals. But long-term, what is Seattle’s ceiling?
The ceiling doesn’t matter in the context of Thursday’s game specifically, one you have to expect the Kraken are going to come out with a dogged, determined effort.
Notes:
- The Oilers will be starved to score too, of course, after being shut out by the Wild, and the Kraken boast an impressive team save percentage.
- SEA’s team save percentage 5-on-5 is second in the NHL, right behind the Wild, at .933. The Oilers will have to work themselves to get goals.
- Off a regulation loss, the Kraken are 3-2-1 this season. The Oilers are 2-4-2 off a regulation loss.
- Both the Oilers and Kraken have been past regulation 10 times this year. SEA is 4-6 past regulation, EDM is 5-5.
- The Oilers are 13-4 vs the Kraken all-time, and 6-1 at home lifetime.
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The Edmonton Oilers are back.
On Thursday evening, the Oilers smashed the Seattle Kraken 9-4 in a much-needed win. The Oilers are now 12-11-5 this season with three more games on this five-game home stand.
Just over seven minutes into the game, the Oilers took a 1-0 lead thanks to a short-side shot by Connor McDavid at the faceoff dot. As that goal announcement was happening, the Oilers made it 2-0 as Leon Draisaitl found Vasily Podkolzin down low, who one-timed it past Joey Daccord. Usually, it’s Draisaitl scoring from that angle.
And just like that Podkolzin extends the lead to 2-0 for the Oilers!
: Sportsnet | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/yY8w1AiKwF
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) December 5, 2025
Midway through the first, the Oilers had a power play. It took just seven seconds for the Oilers to take a 3-0 lead, as Leon Draisaitl received a cross-ice pass in his spot, beating Daccord. The Kraken showed life toward the end of the second period, scoring twice to make it 3-2 heading into the first intermission.
Leon Draisaitl on the powerplay extends the Oilers lead to 3-0!
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) December 5, 2025
It was all the Oilers from there. Shortly before the Kraken’s second goal, Matthew Savoie was robbed on a breakaway. Early in the second period, he got a second chance on the penalty kill, making a nice move to lift it over Daccord’s pad.
Matt Savoie with the shorthanded goal!
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) December 5, 2025
McDavid scored his second of the game just over six minutes into the second period, as the Oilers’ captain caught Daccord sleeping, passing it off his pads and into the back of the net. That chased Daccord from the game, but the Oilers weren’t done, as Zach Hyman scored midway through the second period with a nifty backhander on a semi-breakaway.
SHAQ HYMAN EXTENDS THE LEAD TO 6-2!
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) December 5, 2025
The Kraken scored; it didn’t matter. Early in the third period, the Oilers forced a turnover with their forecheck, with Mattias Janmark beating the Kraken netminder to give the Oilers a 7-3 lead. McDavid scored his hat trick with his second power play goal of the game, while Savoie scored his second of the game for his fifth of the season. The Kraken scored one with five seconds left, giving us a final score of 9-4.
Matt Savoie with his 2nd of the night!
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) December 5, 2025
Takeaways…
As good as this game was (more on that soon), it didn’t come without some unfortunate news as Connor Clattenburg left the game with what appeared to be an eye injury. He was high-sticked in the third, and it didn’t look great. Hopefully, he’s okay.
Last Saturday, the Oilers defeated the Kraken 4-0, thanks in large part to their special teams. The Oilers killed off all six penalties they took, while scoring on the two power plays they received. On Thursday, they scored on their first four power plays, unfortunately failing to score on their fifth. The Kraken were 0/3, but scored their opening just after an opportunity ended.
With that win, the Oilers have played some pretty darn good games over the last two weeks, even if their record doesn’t reflect that. It all started with that 7-4 loss in Washington, as they played well on the second game of a back-to-back against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Then, they beat the Florida Panthers to force Game 8. Ignoring the 8-3 loss to the Stars, the Oilers then beat the Kraken 4-0, were goalie’d in their 1-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild, and then smashed the Kraken again.
It’s nice to be on the winning side of a blowout. In November, the Oilers fell 9-1 to the Colorado Avalanche and 8-3 to the Dallas Stars. They needed a game like this. It’s the third time since the 2004-05 lockout that the Oilers have scored nine goals. However, they still haven’t scored 10 since 1996.
Only three Oiler forwards didn’t register a point in this game: Trent Frederic, Curtis Lazar, and Clattenburg. Both Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid had four-point nights, with the latter scoring the hat trick. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ return cannot be understated, as he picked up three assists. Adam Henrique and Matthew Savoie each had two points, the latter scoring the first multi-goal game of his NHL career.
On defence, only the top pairing picked up points. Evan Bouchard had three assists and was a +2, while Mattias Ekholm had two assists. Darnell Nurse and Brett Kulak were both held pointless, as were Ty Emberson and Alec Regula, with the two right-shot defencemen finishing as a -1.
Calvin Pickard finished with a sub-900 save percentage, but that’s only due to the goal with five seconds left in the game. His stops went largely unnoticed because of the score, but he faced 32 shots and saved 28 of them. Solid game for the Oilers’ backup netminder.
The homestand continues on Saturday, as the Oilers host the Winnipeg Jets in the nightcap of Hockey Night in Canada. That game has a start time of 8:00 PM MT.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
After suffering a 9-1 loss earlier this season, the Edmonton Oilers finally got to enjoy the other side of a 9-something beatdown, defeating the Seattle Kraken 9-4 in their most recent outing.
They battled their way through a tough start to the season with lengthy road trips, and now, with some time to settle in at home and get in some practice time, it seems like the team is finally starting to click, with Evan Bouchard saying after the last game against the Kraken, “We’re all on the same page.”
That said, while the team is playing better, a few Oilers are starting to stand out individually, with their play trending upward in recent games, and we take a look at five of them below.
Vasily Podkolzin
If I were to summarize Vasily Podkolzin’s play in one word in his native Russian, Google Translate helped me translate the word I had in mind —‘Твёрдый,’ which simply means ‘solid.’
The 24-year-old forechecks hard, hits, and blocks shots, and on the recent road trip, he started to show leadership qualities by saying he’d have his leaders’ backs no matter what, after a tussle with Peyton Krebs on Nov. 17. And now, a new pattern is emerging — he’s starting to score goals from tough angles.
And just like that Podkolzin extends the lead to 2-0 for the Oilers!
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) December 5, 2025
Last game against the Kraken, Podkolzin and his centerman, Leon Draisaitl, pulled off a bit of a role reversal. This time, it was Draisaitl who rented out his office around the net to Podkolzin. He found the rugged winger near the goal line, made the pass, and Podkolzin didn’t dust it off, he let it rip and snuck one past Joey Daccord.
Moreover, just five games ago, the Moscow, Russia, native sniped another one from a near-impossible angle, barreling down on Florida Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky and ripped one high over him, with his skills coach Ned Lukacevic noting that Podkolzin “saw a spot and took the opportunity, and maybe a year ago, he might not even have shot that puck.”
Podkolzin ends Bobrovsky’s night with this absolute SNIPEpic.twitter.com/4EmJOJDXNV
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) November 23, 2025
That said, Podkolzin is feeling it, and while he’s currently on a 32-point pace, I’d guess that with the confidence that has him feeling good to shoot from any angle, ‘Pods’ will see an uptick in points soon — with Santa likely gifting him even more goals this holiday season.
Zach Hyman
Zach Hyman missed the first 19 games of the season, and while that hard work and effort seem built into his genetic makeup, his scoring is now on the rise.
Hyman scored his first goal of the season against the Kraken on Nov. 29, when Draisaitl’s pass redirected off Hyman’s skate on the power play and in. That tally seemed to give him some jump because after that play, the 33-year-old got on his horse, won a race, and found his captain, who buried a goal, earning Hyman an assist, finishing the night with two points.
In the rematch against the Kraken on Dec. 4, Hyman once again got his wheels moving, chasing down a loose puck, creating separation, and roofed a wicked backhand over Phillip Grubauer, who was in net in relief after the Oilers chased Joey Daccord following the fifth goal.
SHAQ HYMAN EXTENDS THE LEAD TO 6-2!
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) December 5, 2025
On Hyman’s two most recent plays that led to goals — one being the assist to his captain and the other his roofed goal — the standout trait was his wheels were moving fast, and after nine games to shake off the rust, the former 50-goal man looks like he’s found that extra gear.
Alec Regula
Alec Regula missed time after taking a heavy hit from Evander Kane in early October, and when he returned on Nov. 4, it seemed to take him a while to regain the momentum he had heading into the season. At first, he looked a step behind, and his plays and passes weren’t as sharp as they were in the preseason; however, over the last few games, his play has noticeably taken a step forward.
Now Alec Regula and Tye Kartye go at itpic.twitter.com/oM9u1wyAeo
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 29, 2025
He dropped the mitts with the Kraken’s Tye Kartye three games ago, and I feel his game has been sharper ever since. In the rematch against Seattle last game, a common theme I had scribbled all over my notes was, ‘Regula makes a nice pass.’ The D-man threaded crisp passes all night, a few coming out of his own zone to kickstart the Oilers’ rush, and he also landed two hits, including a big one on Berkley Catton.
Additionally, the advanced metrics, according to Natural Stat Trick, over the last three games show that Regula has helped push the pace for the Oilers at 5v5, posting the following:
• 60.97 xGF% (3rd on the team)
• 60.98 SF% (5th best on the team)
• 55.26 SCF% (5th on the team)
• 56.41 CF% (7th best on the team)
He’s skated primarily with Darnell Nurse over the last three games, and with Nurse not giving up a goal at 5v5 during that span, they’ve been a surprisingly steady pairing. That said, when Jake Walman returns to the lineup from injury, the coaching staff will have some decisions to make about their blue line. But if Regula can keep the momentum going, we could be looking at a new candidate to slap the “Nurse Whisperer” tag on.
Matt Savoie
Matt Savoie has played steady hockey all season, and now it seems the points are starting to come for the Oilers winger, who’s second among the team’s forwards in PK minutes.
On the recent seven-game road trip, he picked up four points in seven games, and he buried two beauty goals last game against the Kraken. That said, earlier in that same game, he had a breakaway and chose not to get fancy, opting for a simple five-hole shot that didn’t go in.
Matt Savoie with the shorthanded goal!
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) December 5, 2025
On that note, he mentioned in the postgame interview that he spent the entire intermission thinking about missing his golden first-period chance to bury. However, credit goes to Stuart Skinner, as Savoie said the netminder gave him advice to try a backhand on the next attempt, and wouldn’t you know it, he seized the next opportunity, adjusting the next period with a slick forehand-to-backhand deke to score the Oilers’ second shorthanded goal of the season. Moreover, he scored another goal on the power play later in the game, becoming the third youngest player in franchise history to record a SHG and PPG in the same game, behind only Glenn Anderson and Paul Coffey.
With the 21-year-old’s recent tallies — true goal-scorer-type finishes — I can’t help but wonder if we’re on the cusp of a major Savoie breakout. Nevertheless, he has a fantastic opportunity in front of him to play alongside Draisaitl on the second line, a spot he’ll likely hold for the rest of the homestand. He needs to keep that confidence rolling, keep filling the net, and leave the coaching staff with a real dilemma about taking him out of the top six when Jack Roslovic is set to return to the lineup.
Connor McDavid
No one on this planet is really in a position to tell Connor McDavid what to do on the ice. But if there’s one thing fans at Rogers Place have yelled louder than at a Dave Chappelle show in Edmonton, it’s ‘shooooot!’ Against the Kraken last game, he didn’t disappoint.
The captain led the way with seven shots on net last game against the Kraken, firing from any angle. No matter how near-impossible the shot, he took it and, as a result, recorded his 13th career hat trick — with the third goal coming from so far out he could’ve extended his hand and grabbed a handful of popcorn from the person in row 2, seat 3, in section 105 at Rogers Place.
McDavid Hat Trick!
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) December 5, 2025
This comes after he didn’t register a shot on net against the Minnesota Wild in a 1-0 loss. After scoring a hat trick against the Kraken, the former Rocket Richard winner explained, “I felt I passed a couple away the other night; it ultimately cost us, losing a 1-0 game.” He added, “I definitely thought about shooting a little more.” That said, it feels a little funny to say Connor McDavid’s play is trending upward, because he’s almost always playing at a ridiculous level much higher than his peers. But from last game’s sample, it seems he’s finally following through on his preseason plan to shoot more.
All in all, the Oilers as a whole seem to be on the rise. They’re playing better defensively, working as a unit, and with the best player on the planet remembering he can torch goaltenders at will, Oilers fans might just find a few extra wins tucked in their stockings this holiday season.
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That’s two in a row.
On Saturday evening, the Edmonton Oilers played their third game on the five-game homestand, defeating the Winnipeg Jets 6-2. This came just two days after they smashed the Seattle Kraken 9-4. Safe to say they are officially back, so let’s take a look at what happened in this one!
The Oilers picked up where they left off immediately, as it took just three minutes to get on the board. Zach Hyman got hit at the blue line, but was able to get the puck over to Connor McDavid. The Oilers’ captain’s shot was stopped, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was able to bang in the rebound.
Ryan on the rebound
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) December 7, 2025
It took just 67 seconds to get their second goal of the game, as Leon Draisaitl went backhand on a breakaway for his team-leading 17th goal of the season. Nice pass by Evan Bouchard to set up the goal.
Savvy strikes again#LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/EmOLh3KhCv
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) December 7, 2025
The game-winning goal was scored about seven and a half minutes into the first period. Draisaitl found Vasily Podkolzin in the slot, with the Russian winger passing it over to Mattias Ekhom. Once again, the initial shot was stopped, but an Oiler was able to bang in the rebound to make it 3-0; this time it was Matthew Savoie.
Savvy strikes again
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) December 7, 2025
With six and a half minutes left in the first period, the Oilers made it a 4-0 game. On a power play, Bouchard was able to blast it past the Jets’ netminder for his fifth of the season.
Buried by Bouch#LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/2rPtdwSYMa
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) December 7, 2025
The Oilers didn’t score again in the first period, but were back at it three minutes into the second period. Mattias Janmark made a nice button hook, finding Curtis Lazar all alone in the slot. Lazar made no mistake in scoring his second of the season.
Lazar beam#LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/6RM1eVL4w1
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) December 7, 2025
In the third period, the Jets were able to score twice to ruin Stuart Skinner’s shutout bid. Thankfully, they were able to score one of their own to keep the pressure off, as Trent Frederic found David Tomášek all alone in the slot for his third in the National Hockey League.
Takeaways…
The emergence of Matt Savoie in the past few games has been huge for the Oilers. After scoring twice against the Kraken on Thursday, he was able to score his sixth of the season, the game-winning goal. He’s found chemistry with Vasily Podkolzin and Leon Draisaitl.
Trent Frederic picked up his first regular season assist as an Oiler. He was one of just three Oilers forwards not to pick up a point on Thursday. Only two Oiler forwards were held pointless in Saturday’s game, Adam Henrique and Andrew Mangiapane; the latter got the third assist on Curtis Lazar’s goal.
Getting the primary assist on Lazar’s goal was Mattias Janmark. He’s had an okay start to his season, picking up a goal and five points in 13 games. Janmark’s speed and penalty killing ability make him valuable, especially in the playoffs.
Draisaitl and Connor McDavid each had two points, giving them six points each in their last two games. The only other player with a multi-point game was Evan Bouchard, who scored a goal and picked up an assist. Darnell Nurse and Alec Regula were the two defencemen without a point, while the Brett Kulak and Ty Emberson pairing had a strong bounce-back game.
Regula was in the midst of a few scrums in the third period once the game was out of hand. It’s nice to see the Oilers stick up for themselves, something they were lacking early in the 2025-26 season.
Stuart Skinner had a shutout entering the third period, but it was broken up just four minutes into the final frame. That said, he stopped 19 of 21 shots for a .905 save percentage. His strong play in recent times has helped the Oilers turn their season around.
Next up for the Oilers is a home game against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday at 7:00 PM MT. It’ll be their fourth game in their five-game homestand.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
It’s not often that when you attend an Edmonton Oilers game, the organization does a cross-promotion with a video game. In the past, the Oilers have had advertising for the latest Call of Duty or NHL title.
On Saturday night, however, it was World of Warcraft that was centre stage, with the game’s next expansion, Midnight, advertised throughout the Oilers vs. Jets matchup at Rogers Place. Hours before puck drop, it was announced on the game’s social media channels that fans should tune into the game for a lot of hockey and maybe a little Warcraft.
It's time for some PvP on ice!
Tune in to the @EdmontonOilers game tonight for a lot of hockey, and maybe a little Warcraftpic.twitter.com/r9V0gg6Yak
— World of Warcraft (@Warcraft) December 6, 2025
This sparked curiosity among fans of both the game and Oilers fans, mainly because it was the first time World of Warcraft had been promoted at such a scale at an NHL game. If you do a simple Google search, there is zero connection between the game and the NHL, and the Oilers in this case, ever. If you’re a fan of both, you’d think this was some fever dream.
To get a better understanding, I asked Edmonton-based Warcraft streamer and partner, Kesslive, what this all meant.
And what makes this so unique is that it has people talking?!
Usually, one wouldn’t tie hockey and a video game set in a fantasy world together, but the Oilers and WoW found a way. Now, let’s walk through exactly what unfolded at Rogers Place.
Before fans entered the gates towards the rink, Ford Hall had a banner advertising World of Warcraft: Midnight. Once inside, fans who picked up the game program would notice another advertisement, saying how this Oilers game is presented by World of Warcraft: Midnight.
During a TV timeout in the first period, the Oilers gave away a small item to fans in the lower bowl. It was one of those activations where they look for the loudest fans and give them a prize, this prize being a game code for World of Warcraft.
Throughout the game and intermissions, there would be more advertising on the scoreboard for the upcoming expansion, with the call to action being “Pre-Purchase Now.”
Specifically, during the first intermission, there was a more extended promo on the Jumbotron, a trailer showcasing the game’s new prominent feature, player housing, which, for Blizzard Entertainment, is one of the main selling points of this expansion.
Another activation that happened was in the third period, where two people were cosplaying as Blood Elves, a playable race in the game, who will have a prominent role in World of Warcraft: Midnight. They were sitting in the lower bowl, near the glass, holding a sign that said ‘Glory to the Oilers’—a reference to the game.
As someone who was in attendance and has played the game over the past 20 years, I can’t remember the last time a video game was advertised like this at an Oilers game. It’s most likely when Connor McDavid was on the cover of NHL 18, but that made sense.
But in this instance, we have high fantasy and hockey. Of course, money talks, and whoever came to the Oilers to ask about a marketing opportunity got down to business.
When World of Warcraft reached its peak subscriber count in 2010, the game was more heavily marketed in mainstream media, with commercials featuring Mr. T, Ozzy Osbourne, and William Shatner. The game was even were featured episode of South Park called ‘Make Love not Warcraft’ about the game in 2006.
Now, nearly 20 years later, the game has been promoted at an Oilers game.
As Kesslive mentioned, the next cross-promotional event between the Oilers and Warcraft is scheduled for March 6th, 2026, when the Oilers face the Carolina Hurricanes.
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It appears at least one Edmonton Oilers’ prospect will participate in the 2026 World Juniors.
Toward the end of November, Team Germany released their preliminary roster for the coming tournament. Oilers’ fourth-round pick, David Lewandowski, was on the roster and is expected to make the team.
The 18-year-old has had a strong start to his 2025-26 season with the Western Hockey League’s Saskatoon Blades, scoring eight goals and 28 points in 27 games, with 20 penalty minutes. Lewandowski leads the team in goals as the Blades currently sit fifth in the WHL’s Eastern Conference thanks to a 14-13-2 record.
This isn’t Lewandowski’s first rodeo at the U20 tournament. Last season in Ottawa, the winger scored two goals in five games in the tournament, as Team Germany defeated Team Kazakhstan to stave off relegation.
That said, it’s going to be tough sledding for Team Germany at the 2026 World Juniors in Minneapolis-Saint Paul. They’re in Group A, which also features Team USA, Team Sweden, Team Slovakia, and Team Switzerland. This will be Team Germany’s seventh consecutive WJC.
Speaking of Team USA, another Oilers prospect, Asher Barnett, was named to their preliminary roster. Barnett was selected in the fifth round in the 2025 draft, and he has eight assists in 19 games with the University of Michigan as a freshman. The left-shot defenceman is much less of a lock to make the roster than Lewandowski.
If these two players make their respective rosters, it’ll be the second consecutive tournament that the Oilers have had two prospects attend, having Paul Fischer represent Team USA and Beau Akey represent Team Canada in the 2025 tournament. The Oilers didn’t have a representative at the 2024 tournament.
Moreover, former Oilers prospect Sam O’Reilly is heading to Team Canada’s camp, with their preliminary roster being announced on Monday morning. He was traded for Ike Howard during the summer and has put together a solid season for the London Knights, scoring 12 goals and 27 points in 27 games.
The tournament begins Dec. 26, and the gold medal will be awarded on Jan. 5. Team USA has won the last two gold medals and is looking for its first three-peat in tournament history. Since 2013, either Team Canada, Team USA, or Team Finland has won the gold medal. The last time one of those three teams didn’t win gold was in 2012, when Team Sweden won, preceded by Team Russia the season before.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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The last time the Buffalo Sabres made the NHL playoffs, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was playing with the Red Deer Rebels in the Western Hockey League and would be drafted first overall two months later. The year was 2011.
There isn’t a fan base in the salary cap era that relates more to the current struggles of the Sabres than Edmonton Oilers fans. But the Decade of Darkness (2007-2016), when Edmonton missed the playoffs for 10 consecutive seasons, pales in comparison to Sabres fans’ heartache as they’ve watched their team miss the playoffs the past 14 seasons, and today they are in last place in the Eastern Conference and well on their way to a 15th consecutive playoff-less campaign.
Of the 793 active players in the NHL (minimum five GP this season), 57 of them were in the NHL the last time the Sabres made the playoffs. Which means 92.82 percent of active NHL players haven’t played when the Sabres made the postseason. Here are some other things that happened in 2011.
Corey Perry led the NHL with 50 goals and 98 points in 2011.
Alex Ovechkin finished the 2011 season with 301 career goals. He now has 911.
Vancouver won the President’s Trophy with 117 points, 10 more than any other team, and lost in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
The Oilers finished 30th with 62 points. New Jersey won the draft lottery and moved up from 8th to 4th, while Edmonton retained the #1 pick.
The terms LOL and OMG were officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
The top song was We Found Love by Rihanna.
Minecraft was released.
Steve Jobs, Amy Winehouse and Elizabeth Taylor passed away.
Osama bin Laden was killed.
The final episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show aired.
Game of Thrones premiered on HBO.
Fast forward to today and the Sabres will play their 1,105th game (and counting) without making the playoffs. RNH will skate in his 980th regular season game. He’s also played 96 playoff games. Gilbert Perrault holds the Sabres’ record for most playoff games played with 90. RNH is tied with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for 11th most playoff games played in Oilers history.
Historically and recently Oilers fans have enjoyed much more success than Sabres fans. Oilersnation gets upset when the team has a slow start (which is understandable), but since the Decade of Darkness ended, Oilers fans have witnessed McDavid and Draisaitl produce the most regular season points, and most playoff points, as they rank first and second in both. Edmonton has played the fourth most playoff games the last nine seasons with 96 behind only Dallas (103), Vegas (106) and Tampa Bay (108) and will add to that total in April.
As you sit down to watch the Oilers and Sabres play tonight, be thankful your team managed to pull themselves out of the ditch after a decade of losing, while the Sabres continue digging themselves a deeper hole.
SNAPSHOTS…
— Buffalo ranks 18th in GF/GP (2.97) and 30th in goals against at 3.55. They’ve lost the first three games of this road trip by scores of 5-2 in Philadelphia, 4-1 in Winnipeg and 7-4 last night in Calgary. Colten Ellis started in Philly, while Ukko-Pekka Luukonen started the last two games. Alex Lyon was the backup in all three and he played the third period of last night’s game after Luukonen allowed five goals on 22 shots in the first 40 minutes. Lyon has only started one of the Sabres past 12 games, even though he started 12 of their first 17 games. He got pulled in his 12th start after allowing two goals on the first three shots. He’s only started once since and allowed five goals on 23 shots. Will the Sabres start him or Ellis tonight? Ellis has seven NHL appearances on his resume. He’s made two starts since November 20th. Lyon leads the Sabres trio with zero goals saved above expected. Ellis is -1.5 while Luukonen is -2.4. The Sabres aren’t very good defensively.
— Alex Tuch leads the Sabres with 25 points and his second with 10 goals. If he decides not to re-sign, he’d be one of the most sought-after trade deadline acquisitions. If the Sabres retain 50 percent of his salary, he’d be a $2.375m cap hit in the playoffs. His cap hit will be very manageable for teams, including the Oilers, who would be looking to acquire him.
— The Sabres have given the Oilers problems during the McDavid-Draisaitl era. The Oilers have only won eight of 19 games going 8-7-4. McDavid has 19 points in 17 games, while Draisaitl has 18 points in 20 career games. They’ve had one dominant game, when McDavid had four assists and Draisaitl scored 1-2-3 and the Oilers won 8-3 in Edmonton on March 21st, 2024.
— The Oilers are 4-1-1 on home ice in their last six games against the Sabres and outscored them 28-15. However, they’ve only won once in Buffalo in their last six games. This is a game Edmonton should win, and needs to win, as starting this Saturday, they have a stretch of six games in nine nights in six different cities.
— Adam Henrique made his NHL debut the last time the Sabres made the playoffs in 2010-11. Henrique played one game on April 10th. He did score 25-25-50 in 73 AHL games that season.
— McDavid needs one even strength point to move ahead of Jari Kurri (724) for second most in Oilers history. Kurri had 724 EV points in 754 games. Tonight is McDavid’s 742nd game. He’s still got work to do to catch Wayne Gretzky’s 1,122.
— Kevin Woodley was on my show yesterday and brought up a talking point that was made last week, but Stephen Valiquette, regarding Jordan Binnington and Stuart Skinner.
— My take on Binnington is that he’d be a huge risk at this point. If you had him and Skinner, I could see it, but trading him for Skinner today makes little sense for the Oilers. Now, if Binnington goes to the Olympics, and plays —which is far from a guarantee the way Logan Thompson is playing — and plays well, then Edmonton would have to reconsider acquiring him. Analysis on players is always evolving and moving. Binnington had a great final game at the 4-Nations. His first three games he didn’t have a save percentage above .900. And this regular season he has not played very well at all. He’s near the bottom in goals saved above expected as well as save percentage. And he makes $6-million compared to Skinner’s $2.6-million. Until Binnington has a stretch of solid games, I see no reason why the Oilers would look at him. There are other goalies playing better, who have a lower AAV.
— I still think the more prudent move would be to add a goalie to push/challenge/complement Skinner, so they have two options in the playoffs. I’ve yet to see a goalie in trade rumours who is a guaranteed upgrade. Tristan Jarry has played very well this season, but he’s only started 12 games. I’d want to see more before I acquire him straight across for Skinner. Jarry has won two playoff games in his career. If you had Skinner and Jarry, that could work out well, but I’d need to see another 20 solid starts from Jarry before I’d even consider a swap of Skinner. Skinner has had ups and downs, no question, but he’s also had stretches where he’s played quite well in the playoffs.
LINEUPS…
Oilers…
RNH – McDavid – Hyman
Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Savoie
Janmark – Henrique – Mangiapane
Frederic – Lazar – Tomasek
Ekholm – Bouchard
Nurse – Regula
Kulak – Emberson
Skinner
No lineup changes for the Oilers. They are starting to get some bottom six contributions, while their top lines are producing much more. And the power play has been outstanding the past four games clicking at 63.6 percent with seven goals on 11 chances. Meanwhile the Sabres’ penalty kill is 69.2 percent in their last four games allowing four goals on 13 kills.
Sabres…
Greenway-Thompson-Tuch
Benson- Norris-Doan
Malenstyn-McLeod-Quinn
Kozak-Krebs-Dunne
Samuelsson-Dahlin
Power-Bryson
Byram-Timmins
Lyon
Sabres didn’t skate this morning, but Jason Zucker was injured in Calgary last night, so Joshua Dunne will draw in and the Sabres will have to adjust their bottom six. The goalie is just a projection based on last night’s lineup and the fact Lyon hasn’t started in many games and today is his 33rd birthday.
TONIGHT…
Photoshop by Tom Kostiuk
GAME DAY PREDICTION: Edmonton wins three consecutive games for the first time this season and picks up a 6-2 victory.
OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: Oilers score two power play goals.
NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: Andrew Mangiapane scores his first goal in 16 games.
MONTH OF GIVING…
Thanks to Jim for his awesome bid on the A-1 Heating package yesterday.
DAY SEVEN: The Brick Fan Package
You can bid via text between 2-6 p.m. on Sports 1440 by texting 833.401.1440 (can call the same number) and include your name and donation amount. All money raised will go Santas Anonymous.
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Well, at least the Edmonton Oilers got a point.
On Tuesday evening, the Oilers played the fourth of five games on this homestand, falling 4-3 in overtime to the Buffalo Sabres. Let’s take a look at what happened in this one.
Late in the first period, the Oilers found themselves on the penalty kill. No one was covering the net front presence, Josh Doan, as he was able to deflect the puck downward and past Stuart Skinner for the 1-0 lead.
The Sabres open the scoring, 1-0.
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) December 10, 2025
The Oilers got the benefit of a missed call, as Alex Tuch passed it with his hand to Tage Thompson, who banged it in. That may not have counted, but the second one did midway through the second period. It was a classic Evan Bouchard gaffe, as Thompson stole the puck from the Oilers’ defender and deposited it into the back of the net.
Evan Bouchard is going to want that one back
2-0 Sabres.
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) December 10, 2025
A short time later, the Sabres made it 3-0 with Zach Hyman in the box. Doan was down low in front of Skinner and received the puck. Instead of passing it, Doan put it between his legs and shot it past Skinner.
Josh Doan sneaks one between the legs, and it's 3-0 Sabres.
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) December 10, 2025
Down 3-0 heading into the third period, the Oilers found that next level. Just 10 seconds into the final frame, the Oilers got the benefit of a whistle on what should’ve been an icing. Zach Hyman got to the loose puck, passed it to Connor McDavid, and the Oilers out waited the Sabres’ netminder for their first goal of the game.
CONNOR MCDAVID 10 SECONDS INTO THE THIRD!
The Oilers have gained some momentum!
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) December 10, 2025
It didn’t take long for the Oilers to make it a one goal game, doing so just a minute and 46 seconds later. Vasily Podkolzin had a few whacks at the puck, and eventually beat Alex Lyon to the glove side for his sixth of the season.
PODZ GOAL! And the Edmonton Oilers make it a one-goal game!
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) December 10, 2025
A whole bunch of penalties came in the second half of the third period, grinding the Oilers’ momentum to a halt. In the dying seconds, a loose scramble ensued, with the puck finding its way to the weak side. The Oilers were first on the puck, and it was none other than McDavid to tie the game with 1.9 seconds left in the game.
WITH ONE SECOND REMAINING THE EDMONTON OILERS TIE THE GAME AND SEND IT TO OVERTIME!
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) December 10, 2025
Wouldn’t it be lovely if I wrote that the Oilers completed the overtime in comeback? Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be as the Oilers won the opening draw too clean, and the Sabres were able to capitalize on the Oilers’ poor defending. Former Oiler Ryan McLeod picked up the primary assist on the OT winner.
well that's an underwhelming finish, the oilers lose in ot.
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) December 10, 2025
Takeaways…
The good news is that at least the Oilers don’t get the distinction of being the first team to lose to the Sabres on home in regulation this season? They played a full 20 minutes and forgot how to defend in overtime. At least they got a point, I guess.
Thankfully, we still got an exciting finish to regulation, but some of those penalty calls in the second half of the third period were horrendous. In particular, the Alex Tuch “hooking” call and the Ryan Nugent-Hopkins “hooking” call. The officials really liked calling hooking penalties, as four of the 10 calls were hooks.
Vasily Podkolzin is burgeoning into a true top six player. On top of scoring his sixth goal of the season, he showed confidence in carrying the puck, something missing from his game last season. As it stands, Podkolzin is on pace for 16 goals and 35 points, which would blow by his eight goals and 24 points last season and be more inline with his rookie campaign.
Connor McDavid remembered that he can shoot and he now has 16 goals for the season. He’s now just 10 goals shy of matching what he did last season in 37 fewer games. Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were the other two forwards to pick up an assist.
Evan Bouchard picked up an assist, but that was a brutal giveaway on the Sabres’ second goal. Those gaffs happen a little bit too often, but his postseason production is absolutely worth it. Mattias Ekholm and Ty Emberson also picked up assists.
It was another sub-.900 save percentage game for Skinner, allowing four goals on 28 shots for an .857 save percentage. He didn’t really have much of a chance on any of the goals, the Oilers had a horrendous defensive game, but they needed a save.
The Oilers’ finish their five game homestand with a matchup against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday at 7:00 PM MT.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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When Evan Bouchard coughed up a puck behind the Edmonton Oilers halfway through the second period of their 4-3 OT loss to the Buffalo Sabres, the reaction was swift.
Tage Thompson had all the time in the world to beat Stuart Skinner, and the pitchforks were out. The Bouchard haters surfaced. Everybody was ready to declare his chances of making the Canadian Olympic roster Dead On Arrival.
“Evan Bouchard’s Team Canada chances were on life support and this giveaway might be the final blow,” opined one popular X account.
You can imagine what the response to it was, as those who haven’t been paying attention to his game took aim. But this was just Side One, and when you Flip it and look at his recent body of work, you’ll see it’s the fan Favourite Record it’s always been.
In fact, if you look at his numbers in Edmonton’s 18 games since the start of November, you’ll see Bouchard’s back to his usual dominant ways. With him on the ice at five-on-five, the Oilers have outscored the opposition 22-15 for a 59.5 percent goal share and a +7 mark that’s tied for ninth-best among 187 defencemen with over 157 minutes — half of what Bouchard has played — over that stretch.
Those 22 goals are tied for the fourth-most among 25 different goal numbers for the defencemen,, while the 15 goals against are the 13th-fewest among 21 different goal numbers. On a per hour rate among the same defencemen, his 4.18 goals for per hour rank fourth among 139 different goal numbers, while his 2.85 goals against per hour are tied for 98th among 136 different goal numbers.
That paints a picture of how impactful Bouchard has been compared to other blue liners around the league, but how do those goal numbers shape up with the rest of the Oilers roster? I’m glad you asked.
In nearly every major underlying statistical category (shot share, goal share, expected goal share, scoring chance share, high-danger scoring chance share and high-danger goal share), the Oilers’ numbers are significant better with him on the ice than off, and defensively, are at worst, slightly below league average.
To put it simply, the Oilers are among the best teams in the league over this stretch with Bouchard on the ice, and among the worst with him off the ice. And before you ask, these aren’t just boosted by him playing with Connor McDavid. While it helps, since November 1st his shot rates and goal rates are as strong with McDavid, playing 9:29 per night at five-on-five, as they are without him in 8:02 per night.
So how does a coach handle a blunder like that?
“Mostly a conversation the next day about what had happened on the play,” said Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch after the game. “You know, to tear a strip off him in between periods or on the bench, I don’t think is productive.
“He knows he made a mistake. He knows that that’s not the right play. It’d be a different if Evan didn’t care, if Evan didn’t feel that he… a mistake. But he (has) pretty good self awareness that he understands what happened on the play.”
Bouchard isn’t solely to blame for the Oilers getting down 3-0 to the lowly Sabres, as Edmonton’s apathetic play through two periods cost them. Even on the aforementioned goal against, the three closest skaters to Bouchard were within feet, and all three were Buffalo Sabres. Talk about being hung out to dry.
The Oilers were able to battle back, at the very least, securing one point in thanks to McDavid scoring two beauties and Vasily Podkolzin banging one in, but third period penalties and another defensive miscue in overtime cost them.
“You’d like to play full 60, especially with the way that we’ve been trending — it’s been in the right direction,” said Zach Hyman. “First 40 wasn’t great, but I really like the group’s pushback.
“It’s easy (when) you’re down through nothing to just go away and write the game off. But we didn’t do that. We scored on the first shift and then another one in the next two minutes and you’re right back in the game. And you crawl yourself a point out of a game where you put yourself in a hole, so I think that’s a positive.”
The Oilers wrap their five-game homestand Thursday night against the Detroit Red Wings where a win ahead of a five-game road trip will be key.
Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the Daily Faceoff DFS Hockey Report. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at [email protected].
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After laying an egg for 40 minutes against Buffalo and costing themselves the chance at a second point, the Edmonton Oilers were back in action for a rematch against the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings took the first game 4-2 back in October, and there was no better time than a frosty Thursday night in Edmonton for the Oilers to repay the favour. And with Detroit rolling into Rogers Place for the second half of a back-to-back set, our boys controlled the pace of the game right from the opening draw, muscling their way to a 4-1 win. Unlike what we got against the Sabres, Edmonton didn’t need an invitation to take control of the game this time.
HYMAN’S HAT TRICK A LONG TIME COMING
Don’t you think the mood around here is a little bit lighter when Zach Hyman is scoring goals? I do. If there’s one thing this city loves, it’s a guy who busts his ass on a nightly basis, and effort is something you never have to worry about when ZMH is on the ice. That’s why you love to see him starting to get rewarded with some goals after needing time to get back up to speed following six months off the ice. Over the last few weeks, Zach Hyman has started to look a lot more like Zach Hyman, and there’s no better proof than the five goals he’s scored in his last six games. That’s more like the pace we’re used to seeing from the best free-agent signing of all time. That’s our man being our man again.
Sometimes the Hockey Gods reward perseverance, and Thursday’s hat trick was a great example. Even though we’re only talking about goals three through five on the season, it felt like Hyman popping three and having the hats rain down was a long time coming. The guy battled for months to get back into a position to score his sixth career hat trick, and that made for a special result, even if it was “only” a Thursday game in December. After getting bumped out of the Western Conference Final, undergoing wrist surgery, and missing the first month of the season, a night like that must have felt incredible. Hyman has given everything he has to this team since the day he signed, and if the Oilers are going to keep climbing out of the hole they dug for themselves, they’re going to need him to keep on giving.
CONNOR McDAVID IS GOING SUPERNOVA
With the four assists he picked up against the Red Wings, Connor McDavid has amassed an incredible 18 points (7G, 11A) in his last 10 games. That’s ridiculous, and we should all take a moment to remember it. Right now, we’re waist-deep in a McDavid heater that has him putting up points at a cheat code level, and it’s almost unbelievable how unstoppable he is when he gets into these zones. It’s like time slows down for him or something. I can only imagine he’s seeing the ice like the scene in The Matrix, when Neo sees the world in code and stops bullets with his mind. And when McDavid is rolling like this, it’s almost hilarious to think that there are ever moments we question what he’s doing out there.
The scary part for everyone else is that this still doesn’t feel like the ceiling. We talk about McDavid like we’ve already seen every trick he has in his bag, but casual four-point nights like this suggest we’re on the road to even bigger numbers, and more nights when the game seems to bend completely to his will. When he’s truly unlocked Game Genie mode, it feels less like he’s reacting to what’s happening and more like he’s directing it, pulling defenders into bad decisions before they even realize they’ve made one. If scoring 18 points in 10 games is what happens when he’s just getting hot, then it won’t be long until we’re watching games when he starts feeling inevitable. It may have taken Connor a little bit longer to get going than he’d probably like, but now that he’s here, I’m very much looking forward to watching him make grown men look ridiculous in the coming days, weeks, and months.
MATTIAS EKHOLM IS SO BACK
Can I ask a question? Is this a safe space? I can’t be the only one who was worried about Mattias Ekholm early in the season, can I? Even though I know we all love our Big Viking Daddy, he didn’t look like the same guy who stabilized the blue line after being brought over from Nashville in the Tyson Barrie trade. He didn’t look like it in the Stanley Cup Final, and he didn’t look like it early this season. That’s not to say I was nervous about his ability to turn things around, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about whether Father Time had started to catch up with him. Not the best thoughts to have rolling around in your mind in the weeks following his contract extension, you know?
The good news is that Mattias Ekholm has really started to turn things around. While we heard about the significance of his groin injury, it’s hard to know precisely how hurt he was, given that the organization isn’t exactly forthcoming or accurate with its injury updates. But from my side of the TV screen, it sure looks like he was far more banged up than we realized. Either that, or he didn’t get much time to recover this summer, or there was some other factor keeping him from looking like the player we’re seeing now. With the goal he scored at the 2:46 mark of the second period, Ekholm has sneakily put up nine points (2G, 7A) in his last eight games while hovering around his usual 20 minutes a night. Not too shabby for a guy some folks thought was washed, amirite?
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have steadied themselves a bit, but do they have another gear to get in the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference?
That’s the question, as the team has relied upon… checks notes… Dennis Hildeby between the pipes to win four of their last six games, and get points in their two losses.
The record? Almost identical to the Edmonton Oilers at this moment, with a 14-11-5 season approaching Christmas. Maybe the Oilers can look to the Leafs for goaltending inspiration as they expect Tristan Jarry to start.
Toronto has dug itself out of the cellar, and Hildeby is rocking a .958 save percentage and a shutout in his last three starts to keep the Buds afloat.
Injuries
The injury bug is biting.
The former fourth-round pick in 2022, Hildeby has yet to surpass 100 professional games in North America, but he’s been thrust into the role after Anthony Stolarz is expected to be out long-term and Joseph Woll is hurt again.
Defencemen Brandon Carlo, Chris Tanev, and Dakota Mermis have been on the shelf for weeks, and another blueliner in Oliver Ekman-Larsson left Thursday’s game against the San Jose Sharks.
OEL projects to be a Saturday decision, said head coach Craig Berube, but Carlo and Tanev could be out for months yet. Meanwhile in the bottom-six, Scott Laughton didn’t start his season till November. He’s slowly coming on.
Auston Matthews missed time in November but has returned. Glimmers of the older, goal-scoring machine are starting to twinkle, with three goals in his last four games.
Our boy Troy
Troy Stecher has seized the opportunity since being picked up on waivers. He has played no fewer than 22:12 in the past six games, and has 1-3–4 in his 11 appearances in Toronto.
Stecher made headlines when he said, “I just left the fire,” in response to a question about pressure in Toronto.
I think I speak for OilersNation when I say that fans are rooting for Stecher. He endears himself to a fanbase with the honest way he plays the game.
Marner’s absence
Something has looked to be missed from this Leafs lineup this year…is it too easy to say Mitch Marner?
Toronto finished last season with the fourth highest goal share in the league at 5-on-5 at 55.4 per cent, according to Moneypuck. That has dipped to 9th. The expected goal share 5-on-5 has fallen from 16th to 25th. Their Corsi percentage was already bottom-5 a year ago, but fell even lower from 29th to 30th.
What about the powerplay? It’s putrid right now at 14.5 per cent, almost ten per cent worse. Only the Los Angeles Kings have a worse power play.
Marner provided 33 points on the power play alone a year ago, 11th best in the NHL. That has been a big hole to fill in the Leafs offence.
Oilers matchup
Toronto succumbed 3-2 to the Sharks in overtime on home ice on Thursday. This will be the fourth game of the Leafs five-game homestand, before a four-game road trip to wind into Christmas.
If it wasn’t for their home ice efforts, they could very well sit last in the east. With that said, they only have a three point cushion.
The Leafs home record of 9-4-5 displays the fewest regulation losses at home in the Eastern Conference. They are collecting points at Scotiabank Arena.
Berube spoke about the Oilers during his media avail on Friday:
Notes:
- Bobby McMann is able to return after a one-game suspension after high-sticking Oliver Bjorkstand against the Tampa Bay Lightning this week.
- McMann continues to elevate his game. The undrafted product out of Wainwright, Alberta had a career high 34 points last season. This year, he’s on pace to break it, scoring 8-6–14 in 29 games.
- Willy Styles aka Nylander leads the Leafs in scoring with 11-23–34. That’s 19th best in the NHL. He was dropped to the third line during the Sharks game, amidst a four-game pointless slump, but collected two assists.
- John Tavares took a paycut to stay with his hometown team, and the move is working for both sides. His 13 goals are tied for first on the club. It’s easy to forget that he scored 38 a season ago, his second highest total of his career.
- Embolden by a big raise in the off-season, Matthew Knies looks like the real deal. He’s hard to play against and is cruising into tonight’s game just above a point-per-game.
- Rookie Easton Cowan has stuck with the big club this year and has gone through his ups and down. But nine points in 22 games is a starting point.
- Matias Maccelli and the Leafs just haven’t fit. After spending a 3rd round pick to acquire him from Utah in the off-season, he can’t stay out of the pressbox. Elliotte Friedman suggested he may be traded. Maccelli had 58 points two seasons ago, but his numbers cratered hard in 24-25.
- All the eyeballs will be on this game as it’s the primetime Hockey Night in Canada offering. And overall, these matchups have not gone Edmonton’s way.
- The Oil have won just three of the last 10 vs the Leafs, and lost four in a row in Toronto. Their last win in Toronto was March 29, 2021.
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After wrapping up their home stand with a big win over Detroit, the Edmonton Oilers are back on the road for the next five games, with their first stop happening in Toronto for a matchup against the Leafs. And while Saturday’s matchup was listed as a battle of the stars with McDavid and Draisaitl squaring off against Auston Matthews and William Nylander, it was Edmonton’s dynamic duo that completely ran the show. Final score: 6-3 Oilers
WELCOME TO EDMONTON, TRISTAN JARRY
I think it goes without saying that the reaction to Friday’s Stuart Skinner (and Brett Kulak) for Tristan Jarry trade was pretty split. Some people were fired up that Skinner was finally shipped out of town, while others were nervous that the Oilers made a lateral move for a goalie who is only marginally better. But with the Oilers squaring off against the Leafs and Jarry scheduled to start, there wasn’t much time to argue about who did what or how Edmonton could have handled the situation better. Just 30 hours after the news broke, Jarry was manning the crease for the Oilers in his first start with his new team. A start that, to me, featured a whole lot more good than bad, especially when you consider the tight turnaround.
You’d have to think Jarry was at least a little nervous heading into his first start with a new team, and I thought he delivered a solid performance. If we ignore the .893 save percentage for a minute — I’m not ragging on the guy in his first game as an Oiler — I thought Jarry made some massive saves on a few different occasions that either kept the game close or kept it tied. I’m thinking of the breakaway stop, the saves on the Toronto power play in the second period when the game was knotted up, and a handful of calm glove saves that had me starting to understand what Stan Bowman must see in him. Of course, no one is going to write home about a game that ends below .900 — he stopped 25 of 28 shots — but I do hope Oilers fans give the guy a chance to settle in before making a judgement. Jarry is going to be our guy for the next 2.5 years, and as much as we need wins right now, we also need to give him a minute to get used to his new surroundings. Either way, we’re undefeated in the Jarry era.
YOU INTRIGUE ME, SPENCER STASTNEY
He may have only played 16:22, but Spencer Stastney did enough in his Oilers debut to have me feeling intrigued. Yes, he finished with a minus-one on the night and had four giveaways beside his name, but I also saw a guy with some wheels that I did not expect. Like everyone else, I’d read about how well Stastney skates, but seeing him fly around, get four shots on goal, and not shy away from contact to make a play made for a pretty solid first impression. I’m not saying he had a great night, as the fancies had him getting stepped on quite a bit, but you can tell there’s something there. I also thought you could see that he and Ty Emberson had played together for three years, as that duo had a reasonably quiet night for their first game together, which is exactly what you hope for from a third pairing.
Considering this was only Stastney’s 82nd NHL game, it’s going to take some time to figure out what he can be at the NHL level. He played parts of three seasons in Nashville before finally making the leap to full-time NHL duty this year, and without even seeing a minute of his play before Saturday’s game in Toronto, I can already tell it’s going to be a ride filled with ups, downs, and everything in between. Learning to play defence at the NHL level is a tough ask, but I also think he showed some of the skills against the Leafs that made him a trade target in the first place. Again, I’m not saying the guy was lights out or anything like that, but I am giving him credit for showing reasonably well in his first game with a new team he hadn’t even practiced with. Of course, it will be interesting to see how much patience people have after being so used to Brett Kulak’s steady play for so many years.
CONNOR McDAVID PUTS ON A SHOW
When you think about how the Oilers beat the Leafs, one of the easiest ways to think about it is that Edmonton’s big guns were significantly better than Toronto’s. While Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl combined for six points, Auston Matthews and William Nylander combined for two whole shots. It wasn’t even close. Comparing the two pairs would be like comparing a Ferrari to a 1987 Ford Escort GT. Both are vehicles, but they’re clearly not the same thing. And of the four players mentioned, none was better than Connor McDavid. Our captain shone bright in front of the Leafs fans who so desperately wish he were theirs, and that makes his two-goal, three-point night all the more delicious.
Not only did the best player on earth make the home side look foolish on more than one occasion, but he did it with the whole country watching. Connor McDavid was so good on Saturday night that he basically emptied the building by himself and drew boo birds from the fans that stuck around. Chef’s kiss, my friends. An evening of magic, and all in only 19:42 of TOI. With the three points he threw on the pile in Toronto, our captain has produced an incredible 21 points (9G, 12A) in his last 11 games. It’s the kind of heater that single-handedly wins hockey games, and he’s playing at a level so beyond everyone else that there’s almost nothing you can do to stop him. At this point, it stops being about systems or matchups and just becomes a reminder of what this team can be when Connor McDavid decides a game is over. When No. 97 is going supernova, the night feels inevitable, and all that’s left for the other side is to watch the wreckage happen.
THE NATION VACATION TO LAS VEGAS
We’re heading back to Las Vegas for the next Nation Vacation, March 24–27, and you’re invited to join the ultimate hockey fan getaway. Trip packages start at $2,400, with the option to secure your spot for just 20% down. Enjoy roundtrip flights, a premium three-night stay at Circa Resort & Casino, access to Stadium Swim, exclusive watch parties, a Nation Citizens pool party, a party bus to T-Mobile Arena, and food and drinks included at the Edmonton vs. Vegas game. Multiple travel options mean you can book the trip your way—so lock in your spot now at nationgear.ca and come be part of the chaos in Vegas!
