The Edmonton Oilers kicked off their season-long seven-game road trip with a 2-1 overtime victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday (Nov. 12). Edmonton got goals from Evan Bouchard and Jack Roslovic, while Matvei Michkov scored for Philadelphia. Roslovic scored the overtime winner in back-to-back games and now has five goals on the season. He has been a fantastic acquisition and has fit right into the top six.
This was as close to a 60-minute performance as they’ve played all season. They were clearly the better team through 40 minutes, and withstood the Flyers’ pushback in the final frame. This was a defensive battle which saw strong goaltending at both ends. With that said, here are three takeaways from this gutsy road win.
Oilers Had a Strong First Period
Edmonton has struggled with its starts through the first 17 games, but they had a great first period in this one, taking a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. The Flyers had a few quality scoring chances in the first five minutes, but it was all Edmonton for the remainder of the period. The Oilers outshot Philadelphia 13-5 and had the last eight shots, including 16 in a row at one point, which bled halfway into the second period.
However, the statistics don’t support that claim. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Flyers had a 7-4 scoring chance advantage, and a 3-1 advantage in high-danger chances at 5-on-5, all within the first few minutes. Then, the Oilers went to work in the offensive zone, wearing down their opponents. They were also getting to the net. Curtis Lazar went hard to the blue paint and bumped goaltender Dan Vladar in the process, resulting in a post-whistle scrum. Later in the game, Trent Frederic also ran into the Flyers’ netminder, but he was called for goaltender interference. That aggressiveness is much needed, hopefully creating more chaos and second-chance opportunities.
Related: Oilers’ 7-Game Road Trip Preview
Edmonton controlled the majority of the play in the Flyers’ zone, establishing their strong puck possession and cycle game. That could also be attributed to their success in the faceoff circle, winning 10 of 11 draws at even strength in the opening period, and 12 of 14 overall.
More importantly, they limited the turnovers and transition opportunities in the second half of the first period. Philadelphia was held shotless for the final eight minutes of the period, and didn’t have a shot for 18 straight minutes, until the middle of the second frame. This was one of their best opening periods of the season.
Video Review Paid Off for the Oilers
The Oilers thought they allowed the game-winning goal with under 30 seconds remaining, in what would’ve been a gut-wrenching defeat. Fortunately, the play was deemed offside upon video review, guaranteeing Edmonton at least one point. They went from potentially losing the game in regulation to winning in overtime. That would’ve been two losses this month in the final moments, as they lost 3-2 to the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 3, allowing the game-winner with 1:23 remaining. They avoided that thanks to their video coach.
Stuart Skinner Was Solid
Goaltending has been a significant talking point this season, and rightfully so. It hasn’t been good enough, and the criticism is warranted. However, Stuart Skinner was solid in this one and gave his team a chance to win. He stopped 20 of 21 shots for a .952 save percentage (SV%). Out of his 13 starts, this was only his fourth where he had a SV% over .900.
SV% isn’t always a clear indicator of a goalie’s performance, especially with this Edmonton team that doesn’t allow many shots. Heading into this contest, the Oilers have allowed the third-fewest shots per game at 25.1. Therefore, it’s about making timely saves, which has been a major criticism of the Oilers’ goaltending.
The Oilers won this game, only scoring one goal in regulation. That doesn’t happen without the play of their netminder. This team isn’t built to rely on goaltending to win games. They have the offensive firepower to outscore their opponents, but that hasn’t been the case so far. Vladar was fantastic in the Flyers’ crease, so it was imperative for Skinner to match that, and he did. He didn’t face as many shots, but faced 11 high-danger opportunities, the same as Vladar, and he was up to the task. The 27-year-old goaltender is heavily scrutinized, so we should praise him when he does well.
The Oilers continue their road trip against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday (Nov. 13) in the second half of a back-to-back. Keep following The Hockey Writers for all your NHL content throughout the season.
