Oilers, Leafs. Leafs, Oilers.

They’re games that always bring a big, split, noisy crowd to Rogers Place, and it was no different Tuesday night, with competing chants all three periods. The energy was nothing short of fantastic, and it’s a shame the Leafs are so far from being a Stanley Cup contender, because an all-Canadian matchup for Lord Stanley’s Mug might be the most divisive thing in the history of this great country. The Oilers were looking to get back on track after losing 7-3 to the Minnesota Wild, while the Maple Leafs, fighting for their playoff lives, were looking to continue to do so. Toronto came out on top 5-2.

The Oilers’ penalty kill has fallen off the rails. After a month-long stretch between Dec. 23 and Jan. 22 where they allowed just three power play goals against on 34 opportunities, a stunning 91.2 per cent rate, the last five games have been capital U Ugly. Dating back to the Oilers 6-5 win over the Washington Capitals, the Oilers have gone 8/16 on the penalty kill. That’s 50 per cent, and it’s not a typo. They allowed one against the Capitals, three against the Anaheim Ducks, none against the San Jose Sharks, and a pair each against the Wild and Leafs.

Tuesday’s spat with the Leafs was actually a great game, and the final score really didn’t feel indicative of the game. The two teams were tied at a pair each after Kasperi Kapanen scored a beauty 4:27 into the third, but then the Oilers wound up in penalty trouble. Matt Savoie got tied up with old friend Troy Stecher at the Leafs blue line, getting rung up for interference, and just six seconds later, Mattias Janmark beat Auston Matthews to a puck in the neutral zone, and got his stick up on the Leafs captain. The only problem was that the pair were battling for the puck, and Matthews even held up Janmark, yet only Janmark would get called.

Credit to the Leafs, who went something like eight periods with a power play, as they capitalized on both of the five-on-three and five-on-four chances. The Oilers, evidently, have seemed to forget that they are allowed to kill these.

There was an undeniably tense moment for hockey fans across the nation early in the second period when Brandon Carlo laid an awkward hit on Connor McDavid in the neutral zone. Trent Frederic had given McDavid the puck on a short pass as he was leaving the Oilers zone, and right in the middle of the zone, Carlo laid half a hip check that sent McDavid to the ice. The Oilers captain would stay down for a moment, but thankfully get up without missing a beat.

Frederic, meanwhile, was right there when it happened and completely ignored Carlo — at least, that’s what it looked like upon first glance. As a sharp-eyed Twitter user mentioned, Frederic did try to start a fight, but it was with the completely wrong guy.

Nobody’s perfect, I get it, but this season as a whole has been nothing short of awful for Frederic and him trying to grab the wrong guy to fight is as tough of a look as him skating past McDavid. After Darnell Nurse fought Carlo later that shift, Frederic was as quiet as a church mouse until there was… *checks notes* …1:04 left on the clock with the Oilers down 5-2 for him to stir something up with Nic Roy. Woof.

He’s looking nowhere close to being somebody who was deserving of an eight-year contract, let alone a contract of any length that carries a $3.85 million cap hit, let alone one dripping with no-movement clauses. As we ponder about possibilities of the Oilers making a big swing to acquire Artemi Panarin, Frederic’s deal is very much a problem.

The 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics both stand out to me for various reasons. For one, 2010 was right around when I was really starting to get into the deep weeds of hockey fandom, so getting a best-on-best at the time was imparative for my young hockey brain. I remember exactly where I was on the couch when Sidney Crosby scored the Golden Goal, and jumping my dad with a hug immediately thereafter. In 2014, I was 19 and a half years old, right in the prime of my drinking days, and boy, did I take advantage of bars opening up early for games.

There’s a certain part of me that’s almost forgotten about the beauty of best-on-best tournaments like the Olympics. The 4-Nations Face-Off was a good taste and definitley brought back some of those feelings, but the Olympics is just a whole other animal and Connor McDavid’s piece in the Player’s Tribune Monday might’ve been what really kicked it off for me.

Seeing him so passionatley talking about his experience at the 4-Nations, and seeing how calm guys like Crosby, Marchand and Doughty were during the intermissions of the Gold medal game was so cool to see. McDavid getting the chance to represent his country on the international stage like this is going to be amazing for his career and part of me wonders how much more motivation — not that he really needs to — to win a Stanley Cup it will bring.

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s managing editor, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the Daily Faceoff DFS Hockey Report. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.

There’s a new chapter beginning at Derrick Dodge, and the momentum is real. Under new ownership, the dealership is bringing fresh energy, a renewed focus on customer experience, and a bold, forward-thinking approach to vehicle buying. This change marks the start of an exciting new era, built around transparency, trust, and putting customers first. To celebrate this transition, every vehicle purchase comes with a trip for two to Las Vegas. Whether you’re shopping for your next vehicle or simply curious about what’s changed, Derrick Dodge is moving forward with confidence, purpose, and a clear vision for the future.