When the Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins last met in October, our boys rolled over the Pens with a 4-0 shutout win. In Thursday’s rematch, the Oilers were looking to continue their dominance over the once-mighty Penguins, but they got a harsh lesson on what it means to be prepared. Instead of extending their winning streak, the Oilers showed up late for work and dropped a disappointing 5-3 loss to the Penguins.

I don’t know if you can get a worse start than allowing four goals in the first 20 minutes of a hockey game, but that’s what the Oilers gave us to start Thursday’s game in Pittsburgh. They were a disaster in every facet. It didn’t matter what zone on the ice we were talking about, but the boys were missing assignments no matter who was on the ice. The first period of the Oilers-Pens rematch was a disaster for the road team.

Even with plenty of time left to play, I don’t have to explain to anyone reading this why being down by a field goal makes winning the hockey game incredibly more difficult. Who knows what the issue was or why the Oilers duffed their start so poorly, but that was as unprepared to play as we’ve seen them in months. Even giving the Penguins plenty of credit for playing well, Edmonton was making every mistake imaginable, and it’s impossible to win at this level with details that are sloppy.

I’m not trying to say that the Oilers were great or anything, but a big part of the reason they couldn’t erase the deficit was because of how good Alex Nedeljkovic was between the pipes. Even with three goals he allowed, Nedeljkovic’s 39 saves were good for a .929 save percentage, and many of those saves came at big moments or covered up some major Penguins mistakes. At the same time, I feel bad comparing Skinner to Nedeljkovic because of how badly the skaters in front of our guy left him out to dry.

Stu would probably want one of the four goals he allowed in the first period back, but nobody cares about that when you finish with a .808 save percentage. The bigger difference between the two sides was that their guy managed to cover up his team’s mistakes, and ours could not. While there’s little doubt that the Oilers were a hot mess through the first 20 minutes, it would have been great if Skinner could have come up with a save or two that robbed the Penguins of a sure thing. Even with credit to the Penguins for manufacturing grade-A chances, sometimes you need a few “how did he do that” saves when your teammates struggle to get it together.

I’ve been talking about my theory that the Hockey Gords want Leon Draisaitl to win the Rocket Richard Trophy and last night’s game was another example of what I’m talking about. His first goal was both a nice showcase of Draisaitl’s soft hands, but it was also strange to watch happen in real time. It was almost like the little backhanded chip wasn’t his first plan, but he still found a way to fail successfully anyway. Skill with a dose of luck, and that combo has been happening for him all season. After adding a second goal at 10:58 of the second period, Draisaitl put himself on pace for 62 goals.

The point I’m getting at is if I’m going to pick a silver lining after one bad period put the game essentially out of reach, it has to be that Draisaitl got himself right back in the goal column after his point streak was snapped on Tuesday in Boston. The way the guy is filling the net right now is unlike anything we’ve seen from him before, and that’s remarkable to say considering he’s had three 50-goal seasons before. Draisaitl set his career high of 55 in 2021-22, but he’s currently trending to beat that at the official midway point of the Oilers’ season.

1. The Penguins got goals from Richard Rakell, Bryan Rust, and Kevin Hayes all in the span of 9:46 to kick off the first period. The Oilers looked like the were remote control cars with dying batteries. It was painful.

2. This is going to sound weird but Connor McDavid picked up three assists against the Penguins, but I wish one or more of those points had been goals. As we saw against the Bruins, his shot is lethal and accurate, which frustrates me because I wish he would use it more than always looking for the pass. He’s the best passer in the league, and I love when he sets his teammates up, but I do wish that he’d be more selfish sometimes.

3. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins stayed hot with his fourth goal in his last five games, a stretch where he’s posted offence at a point-per-game. I love the way he’s rebounded after a very slow start to the 2024-25 season.

4. Can I tell you a secret? I’ve always liked Sidney Crosby and don’t even mind when he scores all that much.

5. Thursday’s game marked the first time in eight contests that the Oilers did not score the first goal of the hockey game. The streak was bound to end sometime, but I was sad to see it finally happen.

6. Troy Stecher must have really made Knoblauch mad to have a second straight scratch for Brown. I can’t be the only one still puzzled by the Brown three-year contract, right?

7. Death, taxes, and me telling you that the Oilers won 55.2% of the faceoffs. I don’t care what the spreadsheets say, I’d rather start every play with the puck on my team’s stick.

We’re beyond excited to announce our latest partnership with Odd Company Brewing to bring you the all-new Nation Beer Everyday Lager! Whether you’re watching the big game, chilling with friends, or just kicking back after a long day, this crisp, refreshing lager is the perfect choice. It’s the brew you can count on anytime, anywhere. So, why not make it your next game-day tradition? Nation Beer Everyday Lager is available now at Odd Company Brewing and through Liquor Connect. Don’t miss out—grab yours today and take your beer game to the next level! Cheers, Nation Citizens!