GDB 55.0 Wrap Up: Oilers @ Islanders

9 years ago

If they’re going to lose, you’ve gotta love a little ELPH. Final Score: 3-2 Islanders

Before tonight’s game started, the Oilers were 1-4-2 in the second game of a back-to-back. Needless to say, I didn’t have much hope… again. If I were to guess, I’d say this is probably the 51st time that I’ve felt that way, this year (it’s the 55th game if you’re counting along at home). What I’m saying is that how can you expect a good game when you don’t even expect the Oilers to compete for the win?

Tonight’s game actually ended up being a lot more entertaining than I expected. Taylor Hall will be out for the next six weeks (just shut him down for the year, what’s the point?), Benoit Pouliot is still a couple days away from playing, and yet the Oilers are finding a way to stay in these games. The Islanders are a better team than the Devils, and the Oilers were able to compete despite the depleted lineup.

You have to give the Oilers credit, they were able to play entertaining style of hockey against a good Islanders team, and on the third game in four nights. ELPH was back tonight, my friends. This game was more entertaining that it could have been, and the Oilers also made a tactical move against our enemies in Buffalo. As sad as it is to say, losses aren’t nearly as annoying when the team shows some actual effort. Is that bad?

If nothing else, the Oilers should be able to take something away from the kind of effort they put in on back to back nights. The Islanders are one of the stronger teams in the East (the East, I know) and the Oilers were right there. That was a tough loss for the Oilers, who worked hard even though they were tired and going through injuries. As a fan, the effort was appreciated.

We wrap.

THE BRIGHT SIDE

I will never get tired of seeing a guy score his first NHL goal. Good for Ryan Hamilton. He deflected a Nail Yakupov shot from the side boards to beat Halak. I’m sure he’ll tell his grandkids that he sniped it top shelf, but they all count. It was also nice to see an Oiler score their first goal, rather than an opponent do it against the Oilers like usual.
Anton Lander scored his second goal of the season on the power play. It’s nice that he’s been able to add a little bit of offence to go with his defensive play. There just might be a hockey player there. It’s a short sample, but I’m pulling for him. The Oilers rushed him into the NHL, and that wasn’t his fault. Maybe at the ripe old age of 23 he’s starting to figure it out. We’ll see.
Now that we know Ben Scrivens is out for the time being (he’s listed as day to day), we may get a better look at what Viktor Fasth can do with the starting job. He played well tonight, finishing with 21 saves and a .913 save%.
The power play scored two goals tonight. I feel like it’s been a long time since the Oilers have scored two power play goals in a week, let alone in the same game.
Remember that time that Brian Williams scored 50 goals in 39 games? Good times.

THE FACE PALMERS

Taylor Hall is out for six weeks, thus putting an end to a rough year. You know he didn’t have the kind of year he was expecting to have after going a point/game last year.
Ben Scrivens got hurt in last night’s win… somehow… probably because he’s an Oiler and the hockey gods love taunting us.
The ice at Nassau Coliseum looked absolutely awful. The puck was bouncing all over the place.
The offence was carried by the OKC callups tonight. If the Oilers are going to win games, they’re going to need more than that.
The Oilers drop to 1-5-2 in the 2nd of back to back games.
That was a tank job that I can live with — for this season — and probably many more to come… because it’s the Oilers.

SCORING SUMMARY

From TSN.ca…

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