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Oilers vs Flyers (Thoughts on Bouch, Ekholm, Foegele and McLeod) |
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Welcome back! I hope everyone had a great holiday and week, however you chose to celebrate. Since we last talked, the Edmonton Oilers dominated the Sharks 5-0, won a thrilling shoot-out against the Kings, and also dominated the Ducks. These three wins in addition to the two wins against the Devils and Rangers prior to Christmas gives Edmonton a 5 game winning streak.
Since the firing of Jay Woodcroft, the Oilers have bounced back remarkably well. Here are some stats since December 13th; Knoblauch's first game as HC:
2nd best point percentage (0.714%)
3rd most goals for at 5 on 5 (56)
11th best goals against (40)
9th most PP goals (17)
6th fewest PP goals against (10)
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Edmonton has looked very much like the dominant team they were last season, albeit with some key differences. The powerplay isn't buzzing at nearly as good of a rate but the penalty kill has been far stronger. Let's talk about a few key players on this team.
The Ekholm and Bouchard pairing is the Oilers top pairing right now and only the most stubborn pigheaded individuals will deny what a positive effect Bouchard has on this roster. Here are some stats from Bob Stauffer on how Bouchard and Ekholm ranked around the entire NHL among defenders.
For those who will try to dismiss his numbers as "piggybacking off of McDavid," let's look at some numbers. The Oilers have outscored the opposition at 5 on 5, 18-16 and outshot their opponent 209-139 with Bouchard on the ice. When Bouchard is away from McDavid the Oilers have outscored their opponent 14-13 and outshot their opponent 162-92.
Bouchard is not a perfect player but how many of those exist in the NHL? Bouchard is a dominant offensive option for the Oilers on both the powerplay and at 5 on 5 and when he is on the ice the puck is more often than not going in the right direction. That is an incredibly valuable player.
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Two other players to talk about fast are Draisaitl's new linemates in Ryan McLeod and Warren Foegele. This trio have outscored their opponent 9-2 with all the fancy stats showcasing these are relatively sustainable numbers. The shooting percentage is a little high but overall this is a line that is able to control pace.
Warren Foegele had a 5 point game against the Ducks and was the first Oiler since Sam Gagner in 2012 to record 5 EV points in a game. For all of his amazing feats that is something Connor McDavid has not managed. Foegele and McLeod now both have 7 goals on the season, tied for sixth among Oilers forwards.
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We don't yet have confirmation but it's likely that Dylan Holloway will soon be ready to join the roster after recovering from his injury. Once he is ready, I would slot him in with Kane and Ryan on the third line. I do even wonder about trying Holloway at centre on that line with Ryan slotting back to the right side and Kane on the left.
That would leave a fourth line with Janmark, Hamblin and probably Brown as the option on the right side, though once Gagner has recovered there is a good argument for him over Brown. That bonus structure continues to look absolutely brutal for Ken Holland.
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Tonight Edmonton faces off against a Flyers team that has been shockingly good though they have lost 4 of their last 5 games. It should be an entertaining game.
Thanks for reading!
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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