powered by Edmonton Sun and Edmonton Journal Sports

Minnesota Wild forward Frederick Gaudreau is stopped by Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner as defenceman Brett Kulak and forward Mattias Janmark defend during first period NHL action in Edmonton on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. JASON FRANSON /THE CANADIAN PRESS

By Robert Tychkowski

It was a perfect measuring stick for a team still trying to find itself a quarter of the way through a season that isn’t going the way anyone expected.

Bring in one of the best teams in the NHL, turn them loose in Rogers Place and let’s see where the inexplicably average Edmonton Oilers stand.

Turns out they didn’t stand at all. They got rolled over.

They weren’t good enough. And they didn’t play hard enough.

The Minnesota Wild schooled them on both counts Thursday. Despite the Oilers getting more gifts than a rich kid whose birthday falls on Christmas, the Wild still beat them for fun in a 5-3 victory that everyone in the place knew was more like 6-1.

Minnesota had one goal taken off the board and another disallowed while Edmonton had one goal go in off a Wild skate and another beat Marc-Andre Fleury from 160 feet away. And the game still wasn’t close.

There is no sugar-coating it: The gap between the Oilers and the best teams in the league is disturbingly large. Against opponents with winning records, Edmonton has just two wins in 10 tries (2-6-2), beating Calgary and Vancouver and losing to Winnipeg, Calgary, Dallas, Carolina, Jersey, Vegas, Toronto and Minnesota by a combined score of 33-12.

“I don’t think we’ve played close to our potential many nights,” said defenceman Mattias Ekholm. “We know we played a lot better hockey (at their peak) last year but in order to get there it starts with the work, it starts with the defensive side of the game.”

The sky isn’t falling yet. The Oilers are still hanging around a wildcard spot (10th in Western Conference winning percentage) with 61 games to go. Teams that sit 10-9-2 in mid November can still make it to the Stanley Cup Final.

But teams that play like the Oilers are playing right now don’t make it past the first round.

“I definitely believe in this team,” said head coach Kris Knoblauch, who has no other choice. “I think we should be better than our record, but it’s a hard game. You need good players, but you need good players working hard. Collectively, we can do more.”

HOCKEY GODS CAN'T SAVE EDMONTON OILERS FROM A WILD BEATING

NURSE BACK SKATING WITH EDMONTON OILERS FOLLOWING DANGEROUS HEAD HIT

Forwards

1. Leon Draisaitl: 21 GP, 15, 13 A, 28 PTS

2. Connor McDavid: 18 GP, 9G, 16 A, 25 PTS

3. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins: 21 GP, 2 G, 7 A, 9 PTS

4. Zach Hyman: 20 GP, 3 G, 5 A, 8 PTS

5. Mattias Janmark: 21 GP, 1G, 7 A, 8 PTS

Defenceman

1. Evan Bouchard: 21 GP, 5 G, 8 A, 13 PTS

2. Mattias Ekholm: 21 GP, 2G, 8A, 10 PTS

3. Darnell Nurse: 18 GP, 2 G, 7 A, 9 PTS

4. Brett Kulak: 21 GP, 4G, 4 A, 8 PTS

Goalie

1. Stuart Skinner: 14 GP, 6-6-2, .876 SV%, 3.33 GAA
2. Calvin Pickard: 8 GP, 4-3--0, 0.893 SV%, 2.44 GAA

Did you like this newsletter? Tell your friends to sign up here.

Edmonton Oilers forward Drake Caggiula and Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy fight during second period NHL action on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024 in Edmonton. Greg Southam-Postmedia

By Kurt Leavins

The Edmonton Oilers fell 5-3 to Minnesota Thursday in a game that was close on the scoreboard for quite a while…

… but if you watched the game, then you will know that it never really was that tight. The Wild were the superior team for 50+ minutes if not more.

And while the Minnesota attack gave the depleted and overmatched Oilers blue line one fit after another all night long, the Edmonton Power Play continued to struggle.

Here is the tale of the tape…

STUART SKINNER. 4. Did not look great early. Two got by him in the first, but the initial one was (correctly) ruled offside after a Coach’s Challenge. The second was also disallowed after Matt Boldy had shoved Skinner into the net. Got a tiny piece of a Devin Shore shot that then rang off he post. Strong save on Middleton late in the opening frame. Good initial save on the 2-1 sequence but it was the rebound from the un-covered man that beat him. Left entirely to his own devices early in the third and produced a big stop on Johansson. The 3-2, 4-2 and 5-2 were all defensive breakdowns in front of him.

CONNOR McDAVID. 5. Drew an easy assist on the 1-0. Dangerous chance off an Ekholm pass. Could not chip home a rebound later in the first. Took an Ekholm pass and split the D, but Fleury made a fine diving stop. Slick pass to Podkolzin for a dangerous chance. A couple chances in tight to start the third. Led the club in 5v5 CF at 28-14, 67%. One of the few Oilers that looked decent. But the Power Play sputtered again.

LEON DRAISAITL. 5. Scored what will probably be the luckiest goal he will ever score in the NHL, a dump-in that got bouncing and weaving, eventually eluding a flailing Marc-Andre Fleury for the 1-0. Blocked shot. Part of the problem up the wall on the 1-1. Solid backcheck on Boldy to open the second. Tried to thread a pass through to a hard charging Podkolzin but a Wild stick intervened just in time. A shot & a band attempt first shift of the third. I thought he was hooked in the O-zone ahead of the 5-2 goal. One-timer with the net empty. Led the club in shots with four. 65% on draws.

VASILY PODKOLZIN. 5. First period O-zone penalty when he tripped up Brodin on the forecheck. Nearly set free by Draisaitl on a second period sortie. Did corral a McDavid pass but could not find twine. Hard one-timer late in the second from a nice Buchard feed. Strong possession numbers and love his hustle. But at some point, he needs to score.

EVAN BOUCHARD. 3. Rough evening. Turnover led to an odd man rush in the other direction. Did not do near enough to move the screen from in front of his goaltender on the 1-1. Nice pass to Podkolzin for a hard one-timer later in the second. Found a couple sets of shinpads on the third period PP. Eventually displaced on the man advantage by Ekholm. Four giveaways.

MATTIAS EKHOLM. 5. Pass to McDavid for a good chance mid-way through the first. Unable to corral a puck along the wall on the 1-1. Fed 97 for a breakaway but was foiled. Spectacular stick prevented an empty-net goal. The fancy stats do not look good, but Ekholm spent a lot of the night covering for his partner.

RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS. 4. Smart stick on a first frame PK. Had the puck in the high slot in the second but did not get a shot away. No assist but a key role in the 5-3 goal. 58% on draws.

Join the conversation

The Edmonton Journal is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. 

Read story here and