The Edmonton Oilers successful streak got here to an finish after two video games on Monday (Nov. 4), with a 3-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils at Rogers Place.
Devils forwards Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier and Stefan Noesen every scored, whereas New Jersey netminder Jake Allen made 31 saves to select up his 26th profession shutout. Edmonton goalie Calvin Pickard stopped solely 13 of the 16 photographs he confronted, for a less-than-stellar .813 save proportion.
It was a disappointing efficiency from Edmonton’s NHL group, which was enjoying its third sport since dropping captain Connor McDavid to an ankle harm final week. The Oilers had received their first two outings with out McDavid, defeating the Nashville Predators 5-1 at Bridgestone Enviornment on Thursday (Oct. 31) and the Calgary Flames 4-2 at Scotiabank Saddledome on Sunday (Nov. 3).
This was the second time in seven residence video games this season that Edmonton has failed to attain a objective. With the loss, the Oilers at the moment are 6-6-1, together with simply 2-4-1 in entrance of their followers. Listed here are some takeaways from Monday’s tilt in Oil Nation:
5-Hit Wonders
For a way of how issues unfolded on the Rogers Place ice Monday, think about that Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse had as many hits in opposition to the Flames on Sunday as his complete group had 24 hours later in opposition to the Devils.
The Oilers registered simply 5 hits, their fewest in any residence sport since November 2008. That measly whole can be the least variety of hits by any NHL group in a sport to this point this season.
If the Oilers thought Monday’s engagement was merely going to be a sport of shinny, the Devils didn’t get that memo: New Jersey was credited with 19 hits, almost 4 instances as many as its opponent.
Getting Killed on the PK
Edmonton’s penalty kill unit faltered once more Monday, as Bratt scored on New Jersey’s solely power-play alternative of the sport, late within the second interval, to offer his group a 2-0 lead.
Jesper Bratt now has 15 factors in 15 video games this season. 👀 #NHLStats: https://t.co/WXAN7ZXDOO
📺: @SportsOnPrimeCA ➡️ https://t.co/93veFI9jrZ pic.twitter.com/a7Cjmlqyqs
— NHL (@NHL) November 5, 2024
Bratt’s objective, which got here at 16:34 of the center body, was a backbreaker: Edmonton had outshot the guests 21-12 to that time, however have been unable to resolve Allen, and a lead of two objectives on this sport may as nicely have been a five-goal benefit.
The Oilers have now allowed a league-high 14 power-play objectives this season and have an NHL-worst 60% penalty-kill proportion. These ugly numbers converse for themselves, however Monday’s sport offered a vivid depiction of how a lot the Oilers are being affected by their horrible PK.
Edmonton’s penalty kill had actually one job in opposition to New Jersey – cease the Devils from placing the sport in a chokehold with a large objective simply earlier than the second intermission – and couldn’t do it.
Oilers Forwards Make Historical past
On a optimistic notice, a neat little bit of historical past occurred Monday inside Rogers Place, the place Oilers forwards Noah Philp and Derek Ryan grow to be solely the second pair of College of Alberta alumni to play on the identical group in an NHL common season sport.
Associated: 6 Info About Oilers Ahead Noah Philp’s Wonderful Journey to the NHL
Philp was recalled from the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League and suited up for the Oilers in opposition to the Predators and Flames, however Ryan had been a wholesome scratch for each these video games. Ryan drew again into the lineup on Monday, making it an evening of unimaginable significance within the Alberta provincial capital.
An Edmonton hockey fixture for nicely over a century, the Golden Bears have seen 15 of their skaters go onto the NHL, together with six which have performed for the Oilers. Till Monday, the one two Alberta alumni to be teammates within the NHL have been Wade Campbell and Don Springs, who performed a complete of 100 common season video games along with the Winnipeg Jets between 1982 and 1984.
The McDavid Issue
The lack of McDavid, who was harm on his first shift in Edmonton’s 6-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 28, nearly appeared to have galvanized the Oilers. Edmonton had arguably performed its finest two video games of the season within the victories over Nashville and Calgary, with everybody within the lineup from high to backside elevating their sport to make up for McDavid’s absence.
In Edmonton’s prior two video games mixed, 13 completely different Oilers had at the very least one level, whereas gamers that had been struggling, like Zach Hyman and Mattias Janmark, broke by way of with their first objectives of 2024-25. However Monday’s loss confirmed how a lot this group misses McDavid, who has averaged greater than 1.5 factors per sport over his 10-season NHL profession.
To that finish, the Oilers received a welcome sight on Monday, when McDavid skated for the primary time since being harm. Whereas there may be not but a particular date for the captain to attract again into the lineup, Monday’s exercise means he’s not far off. And McDavid’s return can’t come quickly sufficient for the Oilers, who’re subsequent in motion on Wednesday (Nov. 6) after they host the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights.
