This isn’t exactly how the Edmonton Oilers drew things up when they came into the season but, yes, they are getting all kinds of offence.
After sitting 30th in the NHL is goals per game a month into the season they’ve climbed to eighth and shifted into yet another gear recently, scoring four or more goals in eight of their last 10 starts (six, seven and five goals in the last three games).
This is what we kind of expected when an already potent attack added Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson in the summer, giving Edmonton what many believed to be the most lethal top six in the NHL.
But that’s not the way it’s working out. Arvidsson has been sidelined with a “day-to-day” injury suffered on Nov. 12 and Skinner spent about a month trying to find a niche in the top six before settling into a third-line role.
And that lethal top six now features Vasily Podkolzin and Kasperi Kapanen on the second line with Leon Draisaitl. So, no, it’s not going according to plan.
Spreading it around
But it’s still going. The goals are flowing like liberal tears these days, only instead of a six guys scoring a lot you’ve got almost everyone scoring a little, which is probably even better in the long run.
After opening the season with three goals in his first 20 games, Hyman is back in last season’s scoring form with seven goals in his last six while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (one goal in his first 19 games) is showing signs of life offensively, as well, with four in his last nine.
The fourth line of Corey Perry, Connor Brown and Derek Ryan and has been together six games and in that time Brown has three goals (for six on the season), Perry has two (for six on the season) and Ryan snapped a 26-game goal scoring drought with his first of the season.
Six goals in the last six games is all you can ask offensively from your fourth-line guys.
Skinner isn’t giving the Oilers what management hoped he would, but six goals in a bottom six role is at least something. Kapanen has three goals in his last eight games after joining the Oilers and for all the other things he does right, Mattias Janmark is fourth on the team in assists with 12. That depth the Oilers were counting on is shaping up nicely.
And there is still Evander Kane to be added to the mix when he comes back for the stretch drive and playoffs.
D lighting the lamp
Throw in a blue line that contributed 19 goals in 31 games and the Oilers are getting the job done offensively, just not the way they expected.
But better this than three or four guys carrying all of the water.
As for the new guys, the Oilers knew what they were getting when they acquired Skinner. He can score goals (33, 35 and 24 over the previous three years), but he’s inconsistent, not a great 200 foot player and not the most tenacious forechecker. Everyone knew that.
So the organization scratching its head in bewilderment because he’s inconsistent, not a great 200 foot player and not a tenacious forechecker speaks to a lack of homework. If they weren’t willing to put him in a position to flourish offensively and live with the other shortcomings, they never should have signed him.
The biggest concern when the Oilers acquired Arvidsson was that he’s been having trouble staying healthy. So it’s troubling that he got hurt again 16 games into the season and missed the next 15.
But they need his tenacity and hockey IQ more in April, May and June than they do right now, so if taking this time to mend means he’ll be full speed the rest of the way then it’s time well-invested.
If not, then those off-season moves could come back to haunt this team.
Hyman’s roller coaster is as dramatic as we’ve seen in a while.
He scores 70 goals in regular season and playoffs last year and then can’t find the net if you tied him to it this year. Then he gets hurt and misses five games, putting him at three goals through Edmonton’s first 25 games.
Then he gets left off team Canada because the NHL figured Dec. 4 would be a good time to make the final cuts for a tournament that begins in mid-February. Then he comes back and picks up right were he left off last season, scoring seven goals in six games. Then he takes a deflected Evan Bouchard shot off the face and is left with a broken nose.
If the good news, bad news, good news cycle continues he’s due for a four-goal game this week.
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