The Edmonton Oilers didn’t exactly hide the question after their season opener: had anything really changed with Mike Babcock behind the bench?
The first night sure looked familiar. Edmonton came out flying and could have been ahead by three or four goals early, but the game unraveled in a hurry.
Vancouver surged to a 5-2 lead, the Oilers clawed all the way back to make it 5-5, and then they lost 6-5 in overtime. For a team that was supposed to be tougher, more structured and more dependable, it was a jarring start.
But the bigger story may be what happened after that.
Game 2 turned into a wild 9-7 win over the Canucks, and then Game 4 looked much more like the version of the Oilers Babcock has been talking about. Edmonton handled Seattle 3-1, looked more composed, and got a huge night from Devon Levi, who stopped 19 shots.
A Bobby McMann power-play goal was the only thing keeping Levi from his first NHL shutout, a sharp turnaround after he allowed seven goals in his Edmonton debut. Levi has now won both of his starts for the Oilers.
That immediately changes the conversation in goal. Tristan Jarry had a rough night against Vancouver, though Edmonton didn’t exactly do him any favors. Levi was expected to get the second game anyway, but now he’s given Babcock a real decision to chew on.
The early schedule has also forced Edmonton to deal with injuries to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jason Dickinson, Mattias Janmark and Zack Hyman, which has put that much-talked-about depth under pressure almost right away. If anything, that’s pushed some players into bigger roles sooner than expected.
Vasily Podkolzin is a good example. He scored twice in the opener, brought energy on the forecheck, worked the corners and showed off a shot that, by the look of it, hasn’t been featured nearly enough. Podkolzin had spent time on that shot over the summer, and coaches and teammates have noticed the little things he brings.
That’s the kind of development a new coach can sometimes unlock. Not by turning a player into somebody else, but by giving him room to be more of what he already is.
So no, one game didn’t prove the Oilers had changed. Two games didn’t settle it either. But after the Seattle win, and with Levi suddenly looking steady in net, Edmonton has at least put something on the table: evidence that the team may be starting to get a little harder to beat.
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Sportsnets Elliotte Friedman said during a game broadcast that the club is exploring a lateral trade to rebalance the group, and the pressure point is clear: Edmonton has a pile of defensemen who could be exposed to waivers if the team keeps carrying them all. The situation does not sound like a long-term crisis, but it could still force the Oilers into making a move sooner than they would prefer. [Read more 🡒]
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Oilers Finally Found A Different Way To Win Against Seattle
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The part Edmonton will likely like most is that it did not have to chase the game the way it sometimes has against Seattle. The Oilers stayed patient through a tight third period, with Draisaitl and Connor McDavid eventually supplying the separation and finishing touch when the margin was still there to be claimed. It was the kind of result teams talk about wanting in the fall, a different route to the same two points, even if there was still plenty of bite in the game along the way. [Read more 🡒]