Predictably, a significant portion of Oil Country is two games into a playoff series they are tied 1-1 in…yet losing its collective mind over the status of its beloved hockey club. I love ya, Edmonton! But you must admit that this reaction is pretty par for the course for us.
Prior to Game One, I wrote a 9 Things column that listed off what I believed would be the biggest factors in this series. Let’s briefly revisit each of them, and assign a “Pass”, “Meet” or “Fail” grade based on the two games of results. And I want to stress: This is a small sample. The team has often stared down adversity and prevailed.
9 Things (Reprise)
9. Intangibles
Home ice advantage delivered only a split. Anyone in that Anaheim room sees that as a win. I agree. Fail.
8. Coaching
Tweaked immediately after the oh-fer Power Play in Game One, but that resulted in another oh-fer and even a shorty, while the PK surrendered two of three. However, they have been the better team 5v5. Meet.
7. Experience
We certainly saw evidence of its value in Game One. Some veteran mistakes led to the loss in Game two. But the real tale of the tape on this front will be told in Game Three. So far? Meet.
6. The Bottom-Six
The Oilers are getting production from their depth guys. Jason Dickinson has scored twice. Josh Samanski potted one. Colton Dach and Trent Frederic have been very physical. Pass.
5. Center Depth
I wrote “if healthy”. Prophetic, as it turns out. Injuries from Game One meant no Adam Henrique or Jason Dickinson in Game Two, and Connor McDavid tweaked his ankle. Josh Semanski was good, though, and Curtis Lazar solid. Meet.
4. Elite Players Deliver
Leon Draisaitl has exceeded expectations after a month off due to a significant injury. But Connor McDavid (shockingly) has not so far. And nor has Evan Bouchard. Those are your big three, folks, the heart of the order. Fail.
3. The Blueline
I do not see the blueline as the Oilers problem. But their third pairing has been their most consistent, Ty Emberson steady and Jake Walman 2025-esque. That in itself is an issue, though. The others have been up and down. Fail.
2. Goaltending
I am on record as saying that Connor Ingram can give them average NHL goaltending. He was a bit above average in Game One, a bit below average in Game Two. My advice? Set expectations accordingly. No obvious sign that either backup would be better. Meet.
1. Team Defence
I wrote this on Sunday: “At the end of the day, I believed that the Edmonton Oilers will score enough goals to win the Stanley Cup. They have the number one Power Play in the league. They were sixth overall in Goals For. They were fourth in shots on net. They can create all day, and in all situations. Unless the Oilers experience an unprecedented power outage, their success or lack thereof will come down to how well this club can defend”. Well…Edmonton has allowed nine in two games. It probably need to be six or less to expect a 2-0 series lead for the Oilers. Meanwhile, the PP is 0-6. Anaheim’s is 3-5. Taken together? Fail.
