They might not be all the way back just yet, but the Edmonton Oilers are pushing hard in the right direction.
At 9-3-1 in their last 13 games, and having outscored the other guys 32-19 over the last eight games, the Oilers are shaking off their early-season malaise and starting to make things happen.
They’ll be the first to tell you they aren’t there yet — there is a long way to go and they still don’t have a lot of wins against high-end opponents — but they’ve improved by leaps and bounds since October.
“Our group has been consistently believing in our team and our game,” said defenceman Darnell Nurse. “Early on a lot of our process was good but we weren’t getting the right results. We’ve stuck to it. There were some new faces in our group and now we’re starting to gel. Some really good signs but it’s on us to keep pushing and not be satisfied with the little bit of success we’ve had.
A Stech in time
Edmonton’s blue line was supposed to be its weakest link this year but the defence is holding up surprisingly well with Troy Stecher and Ty Emberson replacing Cody Ceci, Vincent Desharnais and Philip Broberg.
The Oilers are third in the NHL in fewest shots against (25.9 per game) and the blue line has combined for 18 goals.
Stecher, who went from goat to hero in a matter of minutes Saturday night — taking a bad penalty away from the play that allowed St. Louis to cut Edmonton’s lead to 3-2 in the third period and then scoring the insurance marker a few shifts later — is another example of an underdog making the most of an opportunity.
Like backup goalie Calvin Pickard, Stecher is turning what was thought to be a temporary band-aid solution into a regular spot.
“The way he’s been playing, we have confidence that he’s going to make plays and do the right things,” said head coach Kris Knoblauch. “And it’s nice to see him get rewarded.”
Skinner the winner
At the heart of Edmonton’s revival has been the play of goaltender Stuart Skinner. He’s been rock solid lately, putting up save percentages of .935, .938, .964, .941, and .931 in five of his last six starts.
“He’s been outstanding,” said Knoblauch. “You look at the games we’ve won and our goaltenders, Picks too, have usually been better than the goalie lined up on the other side.”
There’s no such thing as covering up for bad goaltending in this league. If you aren’t getting the saves on a consistent basis you’re not going anywhere as a team. That was the case in October and now it’s going the other way.
“Something that was holding him back a little bit was getting off to a slow start and then putting so much pressure on himself to make up for the past,” said Knoblauch.
“He’s been able to put it behind him and move on and play his game. The last two or three weeks he’s been phenomenal.”
Skinner didn’t make Team Canada, but on Saturday night he was better than the guy who did. It was Jordan Binnington who let in the soft, back-breaking goal in Edmonton’s 4-2 decision
“He beat me out for the spot for a reason, he’s a hell of a goalie,” said Skinner. “You just see it for what it is. I didn’t get picked, so it gives me an opportunity to get some rest. I get to be a father to a newborn baby for a little while. It will be nice to help out my wife with that phase.”
Bad timing for Hyman
Another Team Canada snub is starting to gain momentum, as well. Zach Hyman has three goals in two games since coming back from injury, which is too little, too late as far as the selection process is concerned.
You can’t blame the Canadian management team for leaving him off — he had three goals in 20 games and then he got hurt. So it was absolutely the right call if you’re making that call in the first week of December for a tournament that begins Feb. 12.
That’s the issue. It’s just plain stupid to pick and announce a team two months before the tournament rather than waiting until late January so you can see how everyone is playing at the time.
If Skinner and Hyman keep playing like they’ve been playing lately, Team Canada is going to wish they had these calls back.
Boo? Really?
There were plenty of Oilers fans booing Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg every time they touched the puck Saturday, which is kind of funny because those same people seemed truly hurt and offended when people dared ask why they were doing it.
They gave no good reason, of course, just the blanket “buying a ticket gives me the right to boo.”
Yes, buying a ticket gives people every right to boo whoever they want, but don’t get misty-eyed when other people point out that jeering former Oilers for the unpardonable sin of accepting more money and more playing time somewhere else is really kind of weak.
Even the Hockey Night in Canada panel was rolling its eyes at the reception the two young players received in their first game back in Edmonton.
Then again, this is a crowd that once, believe it or not, booed Wayne Gretzky.
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