Taylor Hall’s production through the first half of the season has not been close to how he produced the previous two years. In 2013 and 2014 he had 130 points in 120 games. He produced the 6th most points in the entire NHL during that span, but so far this season he has struggled.

He has 25 points in 35 games thus far, but Hall told me that his health is not the reason his numbers have dipped.

“My health is not an issue at all,” said Hall. “This hasn’t been the greatest season for me, and I know that, but there is a lot of hockey left. I’m confident that my game is turning around. I’m doing things that I wasn’t comfortable doing early in the season, and I feel that with 40 games left I’m going to come on,” he continued.

He has tried to adjust his play away from the puck, and at times he feels it has hindered his overall game. Many have wondered if Hall is playing banged up because we haven’t seen his blazing speed as often this year, but he explained that is not the case.

“I haven’t put myself in positions to use my speed as much. I feel the past few games I’m starting to get back to that, and I’m confident that I’m starting to find the right balance between reading the play properly and then being in a position to use my speed,” Hall said candidly.

He also pointed out that he feels Nelson’s emphasis on pace and tempo in practice has helped his overall game, because Nelson wants everything done quickly and the flow in practice is continuous with fewer stoppages.

“They’ve been great. I can appreciate the tempo we are playing with in practice because it is helping us in games. To be honest, I’ve never been a guy who believed in going 100% in every drill in every practice, but I’m starting to believe that because it does make you a better player. I went hard most practices, but since Todd’s come in, he wants every drill to be up-tempo and I think it really helps,” Hall said.

It can’t just be practices of course, because Hall tallied 130 points in 120 games the past two years, but this year he has tried adjusting his play away from the puck, and he hasn’t found that comfort zone that will allow him to be productive offensively, defensively and away from the puck.

Based on our conversation yesterday, he feels he is much closer and is hoping to show that in the second half of the season. He knows his job is to produce points, and after the last two seasons he knows he can score with the best in the NHL, and if he can return to being a point-a-game player his team should win more games.

LINEUP…

Nelson switched Teddy Purcell and Nail Yakupov last game and he’ll keep with those combinations tonight. He mentioned he was hoping that Purcell could help get Anton Lander going offensively.

Scrivens returns to the net. Viktor Fasth played well vs. Detroit, but it seems obvious the Oilers feel Scrivens is their starter.

QUICK HITS…

The Oilers have allowed 47 more goals than they’ve scored, (89-136), while the Blackhawks are +35 in goal differential (123-88). But there are some other major differences between these teams.

Chicago leads the NHL with 1,455 shots on goal. Los Angeles is second with 1,303. The Oilers are 24th with 1,139.

The Oilers are actually very close in shots against to the Hawks. Chicago sits 15th in the NHL with 1,203, while Edmonton is 22nd allowing 1,234. The difference is the Hawks have allowed the fewest goals in the league at 88, while Edmonton sits 29th having let in 136.

Edmonton’s goalies need to be better, there is no debate, but the Oilers allow way more odd man rushes than the Hawks. Every team gives up grade A chances in their own zone, but the Oilers allow far too many odd man rushes every game.
The chart below shows team’s standings for goals against (I didn’t include empty net goals), and then on the right side I added how many shots against they allow and where that ranks in the league. Minnesota for example, if they were getting solid goaltending, would be a much better team. They allow the fewest shots in the league, but they are 21st in goals allowed. The Islanders surrender the 3rd fewest shots, but have given up the 20th most goals. The Islanders do give up more odd man rushes, but they need more saves from their goalies.
The bottom nine teams in goals against are also the bottom nine in allowing shots.

	Team	GP	GA	SA	rank
1	CHICAGO	41	85	1203	15th
2	NASHVILLE	40	85	1137	9th
3	NY RANGERS	38	87	1062	2nd
4	MONTREAL	40	89	1215	18th
5	FLORIDA	38	90	1148	11th
6	PITTSBURGH	40	92	1209	16th
7	DETROIT	41	89	1115	4th
8	WINNIPEG	41	93	1160	14th
9	ST LOUIS	41	98	1132	7th
10	WASHINGTON	40	100	1151	13th
11	LOS ANGELES	41	99	1150	12th
12	VANCOUVER	39	98	1135	8th
13	CAROLINA	41	99	1129	6th
14	TAMPA BAY	42	101	1127	5th
15	BOSTON	42	104	1229	20th
16	CALGARY	41	101	1140	10th
17	OTTAWA	40	107	1310	27th
18	ANAHEIM	42	106	1214	17th
19	SAN JOSE	42	107	1226	19th
20	NY ISLANDERS	40	107	1087	3rd
21	MINNESOTA	39	107	1045	1st
22	NEW JERSEY	43	106	1294	26th
23	COLORADO	41	112	1393	28th
24	PHILADELPHIA	41	112	1254	23rd
25	COLUMBUS	38	114	1265	24th
26	TORONTO	41	124	1401	29th
27	ARIZONA	40	128	1277	25th
28	DALLAS	40	126	1231	21st
29	EDMONTON	41	130	1234	22nd
30	BUFFALO	42	139	1477	30th

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING…

From the Committed Indian:

The Hawks will continue what is now their last place tour of the West, yes Virginia the Wild have slipped behind the Avs, and see the last place team in the other division which would be the kabuki theater for and by monkeys that is the Edmonton Oilers. And while I know these guys fly on charter jets and stay in five-star hotels and all that, a back-to-back in St. Paul and then Edmonton seems a bit over the top. So I wouldn’t be shocked if the Hawks’ legs just aren’t there tonight. Hell, they haven’t always been there when they’ve had optimum rest. But thankfully, you don’t have to be all there when playing the Oil.