EDMONTON — The sample size is starting to become more compelling: a six-game series in which Edmonton Oilers launched a real professional game in which you can win – five nights out of six.
There are probably enough games to say with some confidence that the Edmonton Oilers have finally found their game. Or at least they're getting there, a far cry from where they were two weeks ago.
“We're all on the same page. We're playing a lot faster,” said Evan Bouchard, who had a key block and three assists in the 9-4 win. “Things are picking up and the guys are coming together.”
Maybe they've finally turned the corner that, for some unknown reason, takes them two months of hockey every year to conquer?
It's only been six games, and the 8-3 loss to Dallas was stinging. But after watching this movie three years in a row, I realize that a stretch like this usually takes Edmonton out of their annual bad start and into the middle of a season where they end up becoming Stanley Cup contenders.
“I feel like we're playing better” Connor McDavid – he said cautiously after his first hat-trick of the season. “It's nice to score some goals and feel good. It was a little hard to find wins here. It's nice to put together a good goal.”
It was only Edmonton's seventh regulation win this season, coming in its 28th game.
Here's the sample size: a 2-1 overtime loss in Tampa, where Edmonton led late 1-0; Victory over Florida with a score of 6:3; That 8-3 rout against Dallas was followed by a 4-0 road win over Seattle; A 1-0 loss to Minnesota, the hottest team in the NHL, followed by a 9-4 win over Seattle on Thursday night.
They were good defensively. Goalkeeper? More than enough.
And now that McDavid is finally starting to pull the trigger — and the power play is starting to light things up (four of five on Thursday) — the Oilers gave us a product on Thursday that looked a lot like the 100-point team they've led the last four years.
Are team season ticket holders finally putting down their money to see this?
“I don't think this is our team yet. We still have work to do,” warned Chris Knoblauch, the usually disgruntled head coach. “But I'm starting to see a lot more things that I like about our team, and it all starts with the competition and attention to detail in the defensive zone.
“If you don't compete and defend, you can't win regularly. You can win every once in a while. You can catch a team off guard, win a shootout. But if you can't consistently play good defensive hockey, you're not going to have much success.”
Throw the Kraken's four Thursday goals in the trash. Edmonton led 3-0 and 6-2 before Seattle found a pair in a garbage inning. Edmonton allowed nine major goals in five games during that stretch, not counting the loss to Dallas.
They will never become Jacques Lemaire's New Jersey Devils, and no one wants that to happen. But as long as they're playing a game that only takes three or four goals to win, that team usually won't have much trouble scoring three or four goals.
With three games remaining in this home arena – against Winnipeg, Buffalo and Detroit – it wouldn't be a fantasy to say the Oilers could head to Toronto next Friday with a top-three finish in the Pacific, heights they haven't yet seen this season.
In Tuesday's 1-0 loss to Minnie, McDavid passed twice while in prime scoring position and said so after the game.
Remember when he said this in an interview with Sportsnet.ca back in September?
“I want to prove that 50 or 60 points is not a one-time thing,” he said before training camp. “I scored 50 goals and made 100 assists, and I like goals a little more.”
Then he began to come out of the chute, his hits on the net decreased noticeably – until Thursday.
McDavid opened fire against Seattle and ended up making three of a game-high seven shots.
“I thought I went down with a couple of players last night and it ended up costing us 1-0. Who knows if I'll score in one of them,” he said on Thursday. “I was definitely thinking about filming a little more.”
Suddenly, McDavid had 14 goals and 40 points in 28 games, just six points behind Nathan MacKinnon in the Art Ross race.
This is the part of the Oilers that is similar to the Oilers. If McDavid is not their best and most dangerous player, then they are simply not the team they are made for.
How did Knoblauch view it?
“Just driven, with the mentality of getting the puck in and not missing opportunities. His first shift, he had a shot,” Knoblauch said. “I think he was disappointed that your guys talked about his offensive ability or that he didn’t score the puck.
“If I have problems with other players, I’ll just solve them with you guys.”
No problem, Chris. Always happy to help.
