The weekend in the NHL ended with a game that had to leave both teams feeling good about the directions in which they’re headed.
NHL scores 2015: Oilers show life in loss to Kings, Wild comeback falls short in Winnipeg
Sunday featured plenty of positives and lessons for a handful of NHL teams.
Walter Tychnowicz-USA TODAY Sports
The Edmonton Oilers hosted the Los Angeles Kings and put up a decent fight, drawing first blood with a goal from Benoit Pouliot before allowing two unanswered tallies to give up the lead. L.A. would eventually pull ahead for good late in the third period, but the 3-2 win left silver linings for both teams.
The Kings look like they’re gaining their sea legs a bit after a slow start. They play a heavy style of hockey, true, but Los Angeles’ success has always depended on their ability to control the puck in the offensive zone. At times throughout their visit to Edmonton on Sunday the Kings did that almost at will, possessing the puck along the boards without impediment from the Oilers before finding the open man.
It’s no wonder they’ve won four of their last six games. It’s also a bad sign for the rest of a struggling Pacific Division. Chief among those teams are the Oilers themselves, who fell to 3-6 with the loss. But plenty of positives remain for Edmonton to build on going forward.
The most notable development is the continued chemistry between Connor McDavid, Nail Yakupov and Benoit Pouliot. Yakupov and McDavid (affectionally dubbed ConYak by fans) lead the team in scoring and are a dynamic offensive threat with their speed and skill on the puck. Pouliot has been the goal finisher the line needs. Finally finding a fit for Yakupov is a win by itself for Edmonton, that McDavid is exceeding expectations already is just a plus.
But the most important positive to take away so far in Edmonton is Cam Talbot. The Oilers acquired Talbot from the Rangers to finally solidify their play in net, and so far Talbot has been worth the price. His 2.22 goals against average and .918 save percentage are both 12th among goalies who have started at least five games. Middle of the pack in Edmonton is a significant improvement at that position.
Results aside, both the Kings and Oilers deserve to be pleased with themselves heading into the week.
Scores
Jets 5, Wild 4
Rangers 4, Flames 1
Kings 3, Oilers 2
3 things we learned
1. The Flames are still a mess in net
Calgary's state of goaltending was so bad three days ago that they banished Karri Ramo (last season's starter) to the AHL. The reins were handed over to Jonas Hiller, and if his performance on Sunday is any indication he might not get to hold them for very long. Hiller looked woefully average in Madison Square Garden, giving up two goals on eight shots to start the game before getting pulled for Joni Ortio after a third goal against shortly afterwards. The only teams with a worse goals against average than Calgary's 3.86 GAA are the Blue Jackets and Bruins.
2. Winnipeg’s offense continues to ignite
Count us among the skeptics that the Jets could replicate their successes from last season. But they've proven highly competitive in the Central Division so far, highlighted by an offense that can seemingly score at will. They put up a five-spot on the Wild on Sunday, making them fourth-best in the league with 3.50 goals per game.
3. The Rangers have found an excellent backup for Henrik Lundqvist
Antti Raanta joined the Rangers as an understated trade acquisition from Chicago this past summer, but he's certainly grabbed the attention of fans and coaches alike with his play so far. Madison Square Garden chanted his name after a shutout against the Sharks last week, and he followed it up with a 22-save game on Sunday. He's now given up just one goal in 120 minutes of play. Even more importantly, he's making the big saves at the right moments (see: his saves on Mikael Backlund in the first) that count.
Impact Moment
Jason Pominville was fortunate he wasn't more seriously injured after Dustin Byfuglien plastered his face into the boards late in the Jets' win. Byfuglien was also lucky not to get tossed, but the NHL Department of Player Safety will likely offer some response to this on Monday.
another look at the Byfuglien hit which resulted in a boarding minor pic.twitter.com/SOZpuvrL0a
— Stephanie (@myregularface) October 26, 2015 Impact Moment II
Jonathan Quick sent in this late candidate for the biggest moment of the night, robbing Connor McDavid on the doorstep with seconds remaining to preserve the win for L.A. But did the puck actually cross the line? We may never know.
Uggghhhh. #LAKvsEDM pic.twitter.com/NsUPpkI7Ad
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 26, 2015
Stat of the Night
The Flames have not had a lead going into the 2nd intermission this season. They have trailed after two periods in 7 of their 8 games.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) October 26, 2015
That’s called “making it hard on yourselves”.
Post to post
- The good news for Minnesota is they set a franchise record yesterday. Silver linings!
- Why was there a giant sad puppy at the Jets game?
See More:
