GDB -4.0 Wrap Up: Kraken complete the comeback with 2-1 OT win, Perlini still rules

THINGS WORTH MENTIONING…

• Did Brendan Perlini score again? Yes. Yes, he did. The guy is on a heater of all heaters this week and while I have no idea what Perlini would be able to do against NHL rosters during the regular season, here in tune-up time, the guy is shining bright like a diamond with his size, speed, and willingness to fire the puck. Can you hear Rihanna belting it out? Of course you can. That’s how hot Lamborghini Perlini is right now.
• I’m looking forward to seeing how Stuart Skinner develops with another year in the AHL under his belt because it was very clear against the Kraken that there’s a player there. For a lot of us that have been hoping for a goaltender to climb out from the prospect pile, Skinner has the potential to make some noise in that department and I’ll be cheering him on as he continues down that path towards becoming an NHL regular. Looking at his performance, I thought Skinner played incredibly well and made the kinds of saves you need from your goaltender and probably deserved a better fate than what he got. Here’s hoping he has a big season in the American Hockey League.
• Kailer Yamamoto had a strong game and probably should have had at least a goal or two considering the chances he created for himself with his speed and tenacity, but even though that wasn’t the case, I wanted to give him a shout out for the effort anyway. It’s no secret that we need a big year from Yamamoto and it’s nice to see him working hard to put himself in the spots on the ice where that can happen. I believe.
• Zach Hyman is going to be fun to watch, man, I’m tellin’ you. The way he forechecks and digs pucks out in the corners means that Connor McDavid is going to have more time on the attack and that can only mean bad news for the opposition. I love the guy already; fan favourite by Halloween.
• Last season in Sweden, Philip Broberg didn’t play a whole lot as the year progressed and I’m very much looking forward to seeing what he’ll do with more minutes and a bigger role down in Bakersfield. We all know how defencemen can take more time to get to the show, but I think this year will be a huge opportunity for him to truly show what he can do and prove to everyone that he was a steal at 8th overall at the 2019 NHL Draft.
• Sticking with the Swedes, Filip Berglund had a quietly steady night on the back end and I was especially impressed with his positioning on some quality chances against. It wasn’t that he made any flashy plays or was perfect by any means, but I thought he made smart choices on both sides of the puck that kept the play moving in the right direction.
• I’m cheering for Tyler Benson to grab a spot on the roster but I just don’t see it happening for opening night. Even though I think he’s played well so far in the preseason, I don’t know that he’s done quite enough to stand out over guys like Perlini or Sceviour. I think Benson will get recalled at some point over the course of the season, but I think he’s going to have to wait a bit for it. What do you guys think?
• Derek Ryan is a smart player and it’s going to be very nice to have him playing 10ish quiet minutes in the bottom six. Last season, the Oilers’ depth players were far to chaotic and it would be a blessing to not have to worry everytime someone not named Connor or Leon was on the ice.
• Seattle had a lot more NHLers in their lineup than they did in the first round of the preseason, and I thought it gave us a much better idea of how players like Benson, Marody, and McLeod match up against an opponent they’d see a few times this season.
• Speaking of Ryan McLeod, I was hoping to see a little bit more offence from him in the preseason than what we’ve got so far because I worry how high his offensive ceiling is at the NHL level, especially with his spot in the lineup looking like it’s going to happen when we get going for real. That said, I did think his line was one of the best the Oilers had as that trio did a decent job of creating pressure and turning it into scoring chances.
• Jordan Eberle looked very handsome in his home uni, and I actually think that the Kraken did a really good job with their jersey and colours.
• There was a great vibe at the arena in Everett, and it seemed like it would have been a blast to be in attendance for this one.

SCORING SUMMARY