It is outstanding how a lot can change in a yr.
One yr in the past right this moment, the Oilers fired head coach Jay Woodcroft after beginning the season 3-9-1.
In got here Kris Knoblauch, who in his first recreation as an NHL head coach led the Oilers to a 4-1 win over the New York Islanders on November thirteenth. The remaining was historical past, because the crew went on to win 28 of 34 video games from November twenty fourth to February nineteenth and ultimately got here inside simply two targets of a Stanley Cup.
Now, one year later, the Islanders return to Edmonton, the place they have not received since 2017, to face an Oilers crew that’s as soon as once more having some early season struggles.
At 7-7-1, these Oilers are in a lot better form than those the Islanders confronted a yr in the past. However they nonetheless have not fairly gotten going: they’ve but to string three wins collectively and appeared nearly incapable of scoring till lastly breaking by means of for a seven-goal barrage in Vancouver on Saturday.
The Islanders themselves have undergone important modifications since their final conferences with the Oilers. Gone is head coach Lane Lambert, changed by Patrick Roy again in January.
Below Roy, issues have been… largely the identical. They’ve tightened up their defensive play and picked up extra factors below the brand new coach, however that is nonetheless a top-heavy, low-scoring crew that is very depending on goaltending. Not that Roy would know something in regards to the significance of goaltending.
At 6-6-3, the Isles are in the identical place as Edmonton, nonetheless muddling alongside at .500. The Oilers’ objective differential is -8, New York’s is -9. Each groups have been undone by underwhelming particular groups: the Oilers’ powerplay and penalty kill rank twenty fourth and thirty second, respectively, whereas the Islanders’ particular groups are twenty eighth and thirtieth.
The Islanders are additionally not at full energy. Already with out Anthony Duclair, they realized on November 2nd that each Mathew Barzal and Adam Pelech can be out for 4 to 6 weeks after sustaining upper-body accidents in the identical recreation. Defenceman Alexander Romanov, listed as day-to-day, practiced with the crew yesterday in Edmonton.
#Isles Damage Updates:
Mat Barzal: higher – 4-6 weeks (LTIR)
Adam Pelech: higher – 4-6 weeks (IR)
Mike Reilly: higher – day after day
Alex Romanov: higher – day after dayGrant Hutton and Samuel Bolduc have been recalled from Bridgeport.
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) November 2, 2024
Dealing with a crew lacking their greatest offensive participant and an elite shutdown defenceman is a golden alternative for an Oilers crew that is struggled with shaky goaltending and goal-scoring. These absences loom even bigger over the particular groups battle, as attending to dodge Barzal’s velocity and Pelech’s play disruption provides the Oilers an enormous break.
On the finish of the day, tonight’s recreation might merely come right down to goaltending. The Oilers broke by means of with a four-goal third interval to defeat Vancouver 7-3 of their final recreation on Saturday, however that was thanks largely to the shaky play of Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen.
The Oilers had higher hope that capturing bump was actual as a result of they will be in powerful towards among the finest goalies on the planet in Ilya Sorokin. His .916 save proportion sits sixth within the league amongst goalies with not less than 9 begins this season.
Tonight’s recreation will get underway at 7:00, on Sportsnet West.
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