The Edmonton Oilers started the 2023-24 season with two losses, both at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks. Heading into their third game of the season against the Nashville Predators, they were hoping to turn it around and prove they just had a bad start. Both Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner didn’t play as well as fans know they can in the first couple of games but with Campbell back between the pipes for his second start of the new campaign, he was hoping to continue his comeback story in a big way.
The Oilers got exactly what they were hoping for with a 6-1 win against the Predators in Nashville. A massive night from the Oilers’ two-headed monster in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl was more than enough to push the Oilers past the Predators and give them their first win of the season. With that being said, here are three takeaways from the first game in the win column this season for the Blue and Orange.
Draisaitl Is On A Mission
Draisaitl has proven time and time again that he is the second-best hockey player on the planet, but he seems to always elevate his game against the Predators. In the last 13 games he’s played against the Predators, he has scored 24 goals and added 14 assists for 38 points which comes out to an incredible 2.92 points-per-game average. In those last 13 games, the Oilers have won 11 of them. In this 6-1 win though, Draisaitl had two goals and added two assists for a four-point night, and has moved to seven points through the first three games of the season.
In this impressive game for Draisaitl, he scored his 127th and 128th goals on the power play during his career, surpassing both Glenn Anderson and Ryan Smyth for the franchise lead in power play goals. If these first few games are any indication of how well Draisaitl is going to play this season, I think fans are in for a treat. For the first time in a few seasons, it seems as though Draisaitl may be a bit closer to McDavid points-wise near the end of the season.
Campbell Looked Calm & Collected
Losing the season opener is tough for any goaltender, but to allow four goals on 12 shots in his first game back after earning back the starting goalie job after a stellar preseason had to hurt for Campbell. He struggled in the 2022-23 season with the Oilers after signing his massive five-year contract but seemed poised during the preseason to prove it was just one bad season. After a rough opener against the Canucks, fans were worried yet again.
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Luckily for Campbell, and to the happiness of Oilers fans, he had an insane bounce-back game. The Oilers were outshot 43-30 in the game but chased star goaltender Juuse Saros after he allowed four goals on 12 shots, and went on to win by a large margin. For Campbell, he stopped 42 of 43 shots finishing the night with a .977 save percentage (SV%), and was the star of the night for the Oilers. He seems to be confident again in net, and looked calm under pressure throughout the game, helping backstop his team to a win.
Hyman Has Quietly Good Game
When I say Zach Hyman has been flying under the radar, I mean it. The focus for opposing teams has been on McDavid and Draisaitl, but Hyman has stepped up in a big way. He had a goal and three assists in the win against the Predators and improved his season total in points to five through three games. Fans have taken note that Hyman gets in the dirty areas and can score, and they love him for that. But he’s right on par offensively with McDavid and Draisaitl to start the season, and that’s not something I was expecting, nor do I expect it to continue, but it’s great to see early in the season.
The Oilers are back in action on Thursday, Oct. 19 when they play their fourth game of the season in a matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers. Campbell is expected to be back between the pipes facing off against Flyers goaltender Carter Hart. Hopefully, the Oilers can continue this momentum and get a nice winning streak going.
