Devon Levi’s first period set the tone, and the rest of the night in Orange County only sharpened the point: he’s looking like a real pickup for this team.
Levi was tested early while the Oilers’ skaters were still sorting things out, and his work in that opening frame helped carry them through a game that flipped hard after the first 20 minutes. He now sits at an .882 save percentage at five-on-five, and if the penalty kill can stop behaving like “Monty Python’s race for people with no sense of direction,” the whole operation starts to look a lot more dangerous.
That’s especially true because Edmonton’s stars are already stacking points at a ridiculous pace. Connor McDavid is No. 1 in the NHL with 12 points in four games, coming in at 3-9-12.
Evan Bouchard is right behind him in points and leads the league in goals with 6-5-11, while Leon Draisaitl is fourth in scoring at 3-6-9. Vasily Podkolzin is tied for 10th with 4-2-6.
The top line did what it’s been doing: it rushed, crushed and then quieted the building. After a first period that had the Ducks looking like they might own the night, Edmonton settled in and controlled the final 40 minutes.
The early worry was obvious. After 20 minutes, this had the feel of one of those “if they decide they want to play” games.
Instead, the Oilers did the opposite and took over in California.
There still isn’t much behind that first unit, though. The rest of the forward group was mostly quiet, even if it did its job in a low-event way.
Kasperi Kapanen scored on the power play, and Kapanen plus Trent Frederic each produced one high-danger scoring chance at five-on-five. Beyond that, there wasn’t much offense to talk about from the bottom three lines, but they didn’t cough up goals and they worked hard enough to keep things under control.
The line matchups tell part of the story. Leo Carlsson saw the McDavid line for 4:45 and the Michaels unit for 4:12, and the rookie was outshot 2-0 in those minutes while allowing no goals or high-danger chances. Dickinson’s trio saw Carlsson for one minute and nothing came of it.
Levi’s performance deserves another look because it helped cover up some ugly underlying numbers for the defense. He stopped 10 of 12 high-danger chances, which goes a long way toward explaining how the second and third pairings could post rough expected-goal shares without giving up a goal. That kind of save work changes the shape of a game.
The defense also showed why the Ekholm-Bouchard pairing stands out. One big reason is usage with the top line. All the numbers here are at five-on-five: Bouchard logged 10 minutes, Ekholm nine, Shea a little more than two, and the rest were under two minutes.
There are still lineup questions hanging around the edges. Max Jones played seven minutes, Josh Samanski 10 and Ike Howard 10 as well, and one of those three is headed for the pressbox.
And Edmonton added another winger yesterday in Filip Hållander, who brings size, speed, aggressiveness and penalty-killing ability, along with an offensive touch. He scored 1.77 points per 60 at five-on-five in limited action over the past two seasons with the Penguins, and he was putting up good numbers in the SweHL a couple of years ago.
In Other News...
Bruins Fans Have A Real Matthew Poitras Trade Question Again
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Still, interest is only part of the equation. Edmontons pursuit has not turned into a completed deal, and the gap between checking in on a player and actually landing him can be the difference between a useful depth addition and a story that stays in the rumor pile. For now, Poitras remains one of the more intriguing names tied to the Oilers, with the real question being whether the sides ever get close enough to make it happen. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Babcock Is Already Changing A Familiar Oilers Problem
The early returns under Mike Babcock have given the Oilers a better opening than they have had in a while. Edmonton is off to its best four-game start in five seasons, and even with key forwards missing, the club has settled into the kind of rhythm that had been elusive in recent years when the season usually began with more frustration than momentum.
Babcock has already made a noticeable adjustment to a familiar problem by leaning harder on his top talent in the same spots, rather than spreading it around and hoping the depth holds everything together. With Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl driving one line, Edmonton has looked more stable through the first week, but the bigger question is how long that approach can hold while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman and Matt Savoie remain out. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers May Not Be Done Addressing One Key Need At Center
The Oilers have already made one move to shore up the middle by acquiring Filip Hallander from the Pittsburgh Penguins, a tidy add for a team that has been looking for a right-shooting center. But the work there may not be finished. Edmonton has also been circling Boston Bruins forward Matthew Poitras as another option, keeping the door open on a possible fit if the right deal materializes.
For now, the conversation has not gotten simple enough to close, and that is where things stand for the Oilers as they keep evaluating their center depth. Poitras remains on their radar, and the possibility of revisiting talks later still hangs over the situation depending on how the market shifts and what happens elsewhere on the roster. [Read more 🡒]