On fan appreciation night, a banged up Edmonton Oilers squad secured their sixth consecutive playoff berth after a 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Friday (April 11). Connor McDavid led the charge, registering four assists, and veteran Corey Perry scored the game-winning goal. The Oilers took a 2-0 lead before the Sharks stormed back to tie it. Then, Edmonton won it in the final frame. Despite clinching a playoff spot, that’s not the talking point after this game. So, here are four takeaways from this victory.
The Injury Bug Continues to Haunt the Oilers
Injuries continue to plague this team at the worst possible time. Mattias Ekholm returned to the lineup after missing the previous seven games but played two shifts and then left the game and did not return. He shouldn’t have dressed for this game if he wasn’t healthy. He rushed back and now might miss even more time. The Swedish blueliner only played 64 games this season, registering nine goals and 33 points. He’s a steady presence on the back end and is crucial to the team’s success, so if his injury lingers into the playoffs, the Oilers are in trouble. Zach Hyman also left this contest in the second period with an apparent injury. During head coach Kris Knoblauch’s press conference, he stated that there is a possibility that at least one of Hyman or Ekholm could miss the start of the playoffs. That’s concerning for Oilers fans.
Related: Oilers Clinch Playoff Spot With 4-2 Win Over Sharks
Edmonton is still without Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jake Walman, Trent Frederic, and Evander Kane (who has yet to play this season). They’ve also been without Connor McDavid and Stuart Skinner during this stretch. McDavid missed six games before returning against the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday (April 9). Meanwhile, Skinner missed seven games before returning in this one as Calvin Pickard’s backup. The Oilers are limping into the postseason, and if they want another deep playoff run, they must get healthy and fast.
Ty Emberson Scores First Goal as an Oiler
Ty Emberson scored his first goal as an Oiler 5:41 into the first period to give Edmonton an early 2-0 lead. McDavid found Emberson for the back door tap-in, and he made no mistake, scoring against his former club. He’s not known for his offence, as this was only his second career goal in 103 games. Sometimes, you require goals from unsung heroes to win games, especially come playoff time.
The Oilers defenceman has had an up-and-down season. Emberson had a solid start to the season defensively and was an underrated member of the defence core, but he has fallen off a bit. He was penciled in to play alongside Brett Kulak, but his recent struggles have pushed him down the depth chart. He was healthy scratched six times this season and replaced by Troy Stecher. However, with the team’s recent injuries and the uncertainty of Mattias Ekholm’s health, the 24-year-old is getting more opportunities. He has 11 points in 73 games, averaging 14:52 a game. The blueliner finished the game with one shot, three hits, two blocked shots and a plus-1 rating in 18:17 minutes of ice time. Edmonton played most of the game with only five defencemen, so he stepped up. As a result, he was named the third star.
Oilers’ Fourth Line Was Solid
The trio of Max Jones, Kasperi Kapanen, and Noah Philp had a strong showing in this contest. Jones played 9:36, Kapanen played 13:04, and Philp played 11:43. While they didn’t get on the scoresheet, they had sustained offensive zone time. They generated some chances by using their speed and creating turnovers off the forecheck. This was Kapanen’s best game in some time. He was all over it and was very noticeable. This line was also effective in the defensive zone. Philp won five faceoffs and laid four hits, while Jones added another five hits. These three players are unlikely to be in the lineup come playoff time, but anything is possible with the current injury situation. If Philp isn’t on the playoff roster, he should be the fourth-line centre heading into next season.
Special Teams Were the Difference
The Oilers’ power play was the difference-maker in this game, and they made the most of their opportunities. They were the busier team on the man advantage, as they went 2-for-5, while the Sharks went 0-for-2. The power play is noticeably better when Edmonton’s captain is on it. When McDavid was out, gaining zone entry was their biggest problem. But when he’s playing, their entries are easy because he makes them look effortless. Evan Bouchard drops the puck to No. 97, so he gains speed and button-hooks in the offensive zone to set up. He was throwing pucks on the net, which he doesn’t do enough. That resulted in Perry’s goal on a scramble in front. They must be opportunistic on the power play if they want playoff success, especially against a stingy Los Angeles Kings team.
The Oilers are back in action on Sunday (April 13) when they travel to Winnipeg to play the Jets before coming back home for a crucial Monday night tilt (April 14) against the Kings in what will be a first-round preview.
