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A significantly outmanned Edmonton Oilers squad fell 5-0 to the Winnipeg Jets Monday night.
By outmanned, we mean the Oilers iced 4 players who you would class as regulars on the big club. The Jets had 11 of their best on the ice. And while Edmonton was game enough and stayed with the stack club over 2 period, quality of competition and some penalty trouble allowed things to get blown open in the 3rd.
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As my Cult of Hockey colleague Bruce McCurdy explained in his Pre-season Game 1 article, we do not hand out graded for these games. The competition is rarely even and the feed, while a substantial upgrade from what we used to get in the exhibition, is nonetheless pocked with in-house scoreboard feeds and various audio issues. So, you are not always 100% sure of what you are seeing.
With that reservation out of the way, some quick notes on what we saw from the visiting side:
GAME NOTES
CALVIN PICKARD. Pickard stopped 25 of 30, looking pretty good early. One of his best was an excellent grab off Kyle Connor in the 1st. Flashed leather again on a Gustavoson shot in the 2nd. But he left to his own devices too often late. Did manage to thwart a partial breakaway in the 3rd Period even though the game was well out of reach by then.
BRAD MALONE. A solid veteran performance. I noted positive contributions in all 3 periods, and in all 3 zones. A 3rd Period steal was converted into an odd man rush in the 3rd. You can easily see how he is capable of contributing at an NHL level.
ADAM ERNE. Erne looked very effective early in a line with Malone and Lavoie, which had me thinking this guy may well be a find. His motor was really running. But I noticed him less as the game wore on.
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RAPHAEL LAVOIE. Between he and Holloway as to which man was the best Oiler on the night. Moved well and had (by my unofficial count) 5 shots on net. One of them came when he cleanly beat a Winnipeg defender on a power move down the right-hand side in the 1st. Also handed a couple heavy hits.A very positive first outing in his bid for the NHL roster spot.
BRETT KULAK. Sharply disrupted a Winnipeg 2-on-1 in the 1st with an excellent stick. He was the Oilers best D-man in the 1st half of the game. His skating really makes an impact.
CODY CECI. His ill-timed pinch plus a lack of support on the play led to a Winnipeg 2-on-1 in the other direction. I found he had a somewhat uneven performance early but made meaningful defensive plays later on.
GREG McKEGG. Nothing much clicked for him. Did put in some industrious work in the O-zone early but faded as the clock ticked forward.
DYLAN HOLLOWAY. Playing back-to-back, Dylan Holloway’s wheels once again stood out, even in the 3rd frame when one would expect fatigue. That included an exciting 3rd Period net drive. I counted 4 shots in all, and he was in on a number of other chances. Also displayed some good board work with neat clears off of difficult wall battles. Looking sharp in the early going.
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SETH GRIFFITH. Got quite a bit of Power Play time and was in on a couple chances. Part of the problem on the 2-0.
NOEL HOEFENMAYER. Had some defensive issues early. One of his better moments was a neat exit from his own zone later in the affair, after using the net to elude an aggressive forecheck.
MAX WANNER. Looks to me as if he is still adjusting to NHL speed, as Wanner was at times overmatched. Was physical.
JAYDEN GRUBBE. Did not make a big impact. Took a penalty, committed a 3rd Period turnover.
BRADY STONEHOUSE. Ran into penalty trouble as the game wore on. And the problem with that is those were the times when I noticed him most. A solid 2nd Period hit.
XAVIER BOURGAULT. Caught my eye most on the PK where he was quite effective. An excellent 3rd Period pick-off in his own D-zone stood out. While he certainly is creative offensively, I found him too often pushed off the puck and losing battles against heavier competition.
CAM DINEEN. Dineen showed well, moving the puck with authority. He also handled most of the PP duties during Edmonton’s 4 man-advantages. Created chances in all 3 frames. Looks capable of helping the big club a bit if injuries hit.
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PHILIP BROBERG. Some quite good, some “just o.k.” in the second of back-to-backs. An excellent shot block surely saved a goal against. A silky rush all the way down the ice led to a dangerous 1st Period shot. An effective pinch led to a good Lavoie chance in the 2nd. But was on the ice for 3 goals against in the 3rd. Played the entire night on the RHS.
CARL BERGLUND. A quiet outing. I noted a shot in the 1st but not a bunch else at 4C. In fact, this entire trio was often caught chasing.
MATVEY METROV. Had some moments with the puck, and a good 2nd Period scoring chance. But an overall luke-warm performance.
TYLER TULLIO. Like Berglund, I did not find him on the screen often. Did draw a penalty.
Prior to the game, 2023 2nd Round pick Beau Akey was sent back to junior after an enticing pre-season debut.
Next up, the Canucks on Wednesday.
Now on Threads @kleavins. Also, find me on Twitter @KurtLeavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and Mastodon at KurtLeavins@mstdn.social
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