The dam broke open for the Edmonton Oilers against the Vancouver Canucks to the tune of a 7-3 victory. Tonight will be an excellent test to see if the goal scoring can continue against the always stingy New York Islanders. Currently the Islanders are tied for allowing the third fewest goals against in the NHL. They also remain one of the lowest scoring teams in the NHL with the 8th fewest goals scored at 5 on 5.

After an open ice game against the Canucks, tonight will be an excellent test to see if the Oilers will be able to capitalize on the likely few chances they will get and if they have the tenacity and grit to find those second and third chances against, limiting the Islanders ability to box them out.

---

Today we are going to talk about some of the depth players on the Oilers that have and have not stepped up so far this season.

On the half-nots we are going to discuss Adam Henrique who has managed only a single goal and an assist thus far this season. Part of the reason the Oilers made the McLeod trade was JJ believed that this team had a veteran scoring third line centre in Adam Henrique. That has not been the case yet this season.

Let's compare Henrique to Connor Brown for a moment. Brown has 3 goals and 4 points this season; nothing to be overly excited about but Brown and Henrique are very close in their deployment and usage. Brown has 183 minutes at 5 on 5 while Henrique has 179 minutes. The biggest difference between these two players is Brown has 30 shots on net to Henrique's 16, essentially doubling up on shots. It is far harder to score goals or create chances if you are not shooting the puck and Henrique simply has not done enough of that.

I like the idea of a RNH-Henrique-Brown trio (though I would put Henrique at centre over RNH). Edmonton desperately needs these players to get going. A third line goal against a team like the Islanders would certainly improve the chances of seeing an Oilers victory.

A player who has stepped up this season is Brett Kulak. The wildest stat this season is that in 15 games, Brett Kulak is tied with Connor McDavid for second on the team in goal scoring with 4 goals. That is a black mark against most of this team but a well deserved pat on the back for Kulak. Kulak is the perfect third pairing defender. He defends well, moves the puck effectively and is also being rewarded for getting some pucks on net. The player clearly will not score at this pace all season but it's great to see Kulak getting rewarded for his strong play. He has been the second best left shot defender for the Oilers all season.

Tonight I will also be watching Jeff Skinner closer. Skinner has had a rough start to the season but I put a ton of the blame on the coaching staff. Early on when no one was scoring, Knoblauch kept bouncing Skinner around to try and ignite something on another line. People forget that most times there is an adjustment period when a player comes to a new team and consistency is key to helping them find their way. I hope that Skinner can get 5 or more games in a row with McDavid and start to learn some of the captain's tendencies. Giving McDavid a legitimate volume shooter at 5 on 5 while playing Draisaitl away should still be the key to a long Oilers playoff run.

Thanks for reading.

Join the Discussion: » 2 Comments » Post New Comment

» What Is This Oilers Team?

» Mc1000

» Oilers Scoring Woes Changed Against Canucks

» Oilers vs Golden Knights - McDavid Returns

» Draisaitl Stepping Up In McDavid's Absence