Edmonton Oilers: Takeaways From Victory Over Islanders
The Edmonton Oilers snapped a three-game losing skid in fashion Saturday, defeating the New York Islanders 4-3 in a shootout.
Following Saturday’s victory, the Oilers have won eight of their first 12 games to start the season. While there were a lot of things Edmonton could improve on, they did a lot right, which led to the win. Here’s everything you need to know.
Matthew Benning Shined
In just his second NHL game, Benning made the most of his time on the ice. On the bottom pairing with Darnell Nurse, Benning got involved in the offensive rush, and put up two helpers in the win. Those were his first two NHL points, and he looked a lot stronger than he did against New York.
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With Kris Russell out of the lineup, Benning really needed to prove his strength and his worth in the mix of the Oilers defensive corps. In the end, it worked out, and he did just that. Not only did he pick up a few points, but he led Oilers defenders in power-play ice time and had two shot blocks.
Patrick Maroon Brought the Offense
With deflections and physicality in front of the net, Maroon shined and brought the offense to the table. With the Edmonton Oilers trailing 2-0 in the first period, Maroon made a deflection on a Benning shot, pulling the Oilers within one. He then assisted on Leon Draisaitl’s power-play strike, and was a presence alongside Connor McDavid.
Though he couldn’t get anything going with the 19-year-old captain, Maroon brought plenty to the table. To finish the night, Maroon put up two points, two shots and three hits.
Top Forwards Proved Their Worth
In the midst of a three-game losing streak, some of the Oilers top guns were in a drought themselves. Draisaitl, Jordan Eberle and Milan Lucic were all held off the scoresheet for some time, and couldn’t generate much offense. Tonight, they each picked up a bit of offense.
Draisaitl struck on the power-play, Eberle picked up a helper and Lucic scored another power-play tally for Edmonton. They all helped in tying the score and helping the Oilers to their eventual shootout victory. This kind of performance is what Edmonton needs from their top players night in and night out. If they can continue to generate scoring chances and play solid games, the Oilers will have no problem winning.
Power-Play Looked Much Better
The Oilers have been struggling on the man advantage this season but seemed to do just fine Saturday. They were 2-for-3 on the power play and tied the game on two attempts. Draisaitl and Lucic worked the goal-scoring magic, while great cycling and plays helped them get the pucks on net.
In the end, however, what earned them their power-play tallies was more than just playmaking. They continued to grind and put effort into their attempts, and in the end, getting the puck to the net resulted in goal-scoring.
Three Stars
The three stars tonight were Maroon, Benning and of course, Cam Talbot, who denied the Islanders in all of their shootout attempts. Talbot stopped 30 of 33 shots on goal and was solid for Edmonton.
GIF of the Night
Finally, right?
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