The Edmonton Oilers cruised to a commanding 6-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night (Dec. 6) from Rogers Place on Hockey Night in Canada. The Oilers have now won two games in a row, improving their record to 13-11-5. The Jets were on the second half of a back-to-back, as they hosted the Buffalo Sabres the night before. They were also without their superstar netminder, Connor Hellebuyck, so the Oilers caught them at the perfect time.
Edmonton is still without Jake Walman, Kasperi Kapanen, and Jack Roslovic due to injuries. Connor Clattenburg also missed this game after getting high-sticked around the eye during the third period of the Oilers’ 9-4 drubbing against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday (Dec. 4).
This team is starting to turn the corner and has played well in its last four games. They dominated the Kraken twice and got goalied by Jesper Wallstedt in a close 1-0 game against the Minnesota Wild. The Oilers carried that positive momentum into this one. With that said, here are four takeaways from this decisive Oilers win.
Connor McDavid Was Flying
Connor McDavid came out of the gates like a man on a mission. The Oilers’ captain finished the game with two assists and five shots in 18:38 of ice time. He was flying all over the ice creating offence for his teammates, especially in the first period. On Edmonton’s first goal, he entered the offensive zone with speed and ripped a shot off the goaltender’s pad, right to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who buried the rebound.
McDavid is finally shooting the puck more, and it’s paying off. He has six points in his last two games, including a hat trick, while also registering 12 shots in those two games. Hopefully, that trend continues because good things happen when you shoot the puck.
Oilers with Dominant First Period
Like McDavid, the rest of the team was also flying in the opening frame. They controlled the play and had a commanding 4-0 lead, and a 16-5 shot advantage. They were relentless and cycled effectively, while also generating quality chances off the rush.
Related: Oilers Ride Strong First Period in 6-2 Win Over Jets
According to Natural Stat Trick, in all situations, the Oilers had a 12-6 advantage in scoring chances, including a commanding 8-1 advantage in high-danger scoring chances in the first period. That was arguably their best period of the season, and they were rewarded. They were able to ride that hot start to the finish line and didn’t allow Winnipeg back into the game.
Oilers Love the Alternate Uniforms
The Oilers are probably wishing they could wear their retro-looking uniforms every game. When they do, they’re undefeated in dominant fashion. They have piled on the goals, scoring 21 in nine periods with these uniforms.
Three of Edmonton’s eight regulation wins have come wearing these threads, including three of five at home. Unfortunately, they only wear them seven times this season, including four more, with the next one being on Dec. 23 against the Calgary Flames, the last game before the holiday break.
Oilers Got Production from Unlikely Suspects
While the superstars produced early, the depth players added much-needed insurance goals. Depth scoring has been a concern thus far, but they came through in this one to ensure there wouldn’t be a comeback opportunity.
The fourth line of Curtis Lazar, David Tomasek, and Trent Frederic had a very effective game. Lazar and Tomasek both scored, while Frederic made a nice play on Tomasek’s goal to set him up for an assist. Mattias Janmark also got the primary assist on Lazar’s goal.
The fourth line got rewarded on the scoresheet, but also in their ice time. Lazar played 12:48, Tomasek played 12:50, and Frederic played 11:39. That’s how much the fourth line should play consistently.
Yes, their ice time was increased because of the score, but those players are instrumental to the Oilers’ success. If the depth can contribute and get more ice time, that lessens the workload on the big guns. Both McDavid and Leon Draisaitl played under 20 minutes, with Draisaitl playing a season-low 16:20. It’s imperative to keep the elite players fresh for Edmonton’s long-term success.
The Oilers continue their five-game home stand on Tuesday (Dec. 9) against the Buffalo Sabres. Keep following The Hockey Writers for all your NHL content throughout the season.
