Monday at Rogers Place confirmed what the Edmonton Oilers already knew: nothing is going to come easily this season.
Not even a meaningless pre-season game against what was supposed to have been an overmatched, awestruck, opponent.
In the home-ice end of Monday’s split-squad games in Edmonton and Calgary, the Oilers iced a star-studded lineup featuring Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm, while the Flames sent the typical nondescript pre-season road game lineup.
Talk about your show of force.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the rout.
There was still a rout, it was already 4-0 midway through the second period, only Edmonton found itself on the wrong end of it. And, it wasn’t all that funny.
It seems there’s a difference between established veterans trying to get their game legs under them and hungry young prospects knowing this might be their best chance to impress an organization and the 6-3 final score bore that out.
“You’re trying to work through lots,” said McDavid, who finished with a goal and an assist. “I think the legs got better as the game went on. It’s the battling that you’re not used to. You can skate up and down the rink all day, it’s just the battling at that level that’s tough.”
The news wasn’t any better in Calgary, where the Oilers jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Mike Hoffman’s goal, only to lose 6-1 in the Saddledome.
Not that being outscored 12-4 in pre-season matters a lick, but it’s just another gentle reminder of what lies ahead this season.
“Tons of new faces and it’s the first real game-like situation we’ve been in,” said Hyman. “There were some good things, some things we can clean up. Any time you get in the pre-season the rhythm is always off, it’s a little different.”
First and goalless
Vasily Podkolzin, skating on a line with Draisaitl and Raphael Lavoie, wasn’t quite prepared for the kind of seeing-eye passes Draisaitl it capable of. He got one on the tape in the slot on his first shift and wasn’t ready for it. … McDavid was buzzing around out there at the start like nobody told him it was pre-season. … After Noah Philp and Connor Clattenburg both bobbled wide-open looks in the slot for Edmonton, the Flames went up 1-0 at 7:01. Goalie Calvin Pickard stopped the first two shots but Yan Kuznetsov got him on the third. So, no, it wasn’t ideal coverage around Edmonton’s net. … It was 2-0 Flames when Anthony Mantha capped a nice two-on-one with Jonathan Huberdeau at 18:22, while Clattenburg was trying to get into a scrap with Henry Mews at the other end of the ice.
Second not helping
Podkolzin opened the second period with another great chance, after a brutal giveaway in the Flames’ end put the puck on his stick with time and space in the left face-off circle, but he couldn’t find any mesh. … The Oilers were hoping to get their power play some pre-season touches, but they didn’t draw a penalty till deep into the third period. They did fall behind 3-0 eight minutes into the second period with Hyman in the box for tripping. … Calgary piled on just moments later with their fourth goal on their 14th shot on Pickard. … Corey Perry went to the dressing room for minor repairs after Ekholm accidentally chopped a puck up into his face. … Edmonton finally got on the board when McDavid set up Hyman late in the second period.
Third and wrong
Edmonton cut the lead in half when Noel Hoefenmayer’s entering pass went in off a skate in the first minute of the third period, but the comeback took a big hit when Calgary answered back just 31 seconds later. They performed last rites on this game when Calgary went up 6-2 at 4:08. Edmonton’s backup goalie Brett Brooch, who spent last season in the ECHL, came in with nine minutes to play in the second period and the Oilers down 4-0 and allowed two goals on his first eight shots. … Tip of the hat to Flames goalie Devin Cooley, who posted the win despite Calgary being outshot 47-26. … Clattenburg was all over this game. He had more scoring chances than anyone but couldn’t find a goal. … McDavid made good on the first of Edmonton’s two power plays, going coast-to-coast before scoring on a wrist shot at 12:44.
Should we put any stock in the first pre-season game for these guys?
“No,” said Hyman. “Pre-season is about doing whatever you need to do to get ready. Obviously you want to win every game you play. It doesn’t feel good losing, but I don’t put any stock in it. You can’t look at it too hard.”
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