The trade deadline didn’t light a fire under the Edmonton Oilers.

On Friday evening, the Oilers hosted the Carolina Hurricanes for a rematch of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals. The Hurricanes throttled the Oilers, outshooting them 32-16 and outscoring them 6-3. Let’s take a look at what went on in this one.

Zach Hyman took a hooking penalty eight minutes into the game, and the new-look Oilers penalty kill was able to kill it off. On his following shift, Hyman was sprung for a breakaway by Connor McDavid, going bar down on the backhand to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead midway through the first period.

That lead lasted shorter than the goal announcement, as the Hurricanes fired back 37 seconds later. Seth Jarvis passed it back to the point to Shayne Gostisbehere. As he blasted it, Tristan Jarry got tangled with a net-front Jake Walman, falling over and giving the Hurricanes’ defenceman the wide-open net.

With eight minutes left in the first, the Hurricanes grabbed their first lead of the game. Nikolaj Ehlers’ shot from the point deflected off something in front of the net and past Jarry to make it 2-1. The Hurricanes took the 2-1 lead into the intermission, as the Oilers’ power play late in the first looked lethargic.

Early in the second period, the Hurricanes went up 3-1 early in the second period. Ehlers made a nice behind-the-back pass behind the net to Jordan Martinook, who was wide open. Jarry made the initial save, but the rebound squeaked by him.

The Oilers had an answer less than two minutes later. Kasperi Kapanen missed his rush chance, but got in with a heavy forecheck to force a turnover. Vasily Podkolzin picked it up and found a little gap between Frederik Andersen’s shoulder and the post to bring the Oilers to within one.

Six minutes into the third period, Jake Walman took a penalty, but the Oilers were never able to touch the puck. The Hurricanes played keep-away for a while, and with an exhausted Oiler unit on the ice, Jackson Blake ripped it past Jarry to give the Hurricanes a 4-2 lead.

The Oilers showed signs of life with eight minutes left in the game. Midway through a power play, they cut the Hurricanes’ lead to one once again. Leon Draisaitl got the zone entry, and Hyman was left alone in the slot, one-timing it past the Hurricanes’ netminder.

Unfortunately, there was no late comeback for the Oilers in this one, as they failed to establish any zone time with the empty net. Eventually, Jordan Staal iced the game with the empty-net goal. To make matters worse, they scored another one (with Jarry in the net) with just 30 seconds remaining.

The Oilers actually had a good start to the game. They began with the Dickinson line, laying the body a couple of times. Zach Hyman had a bad penalty, but made up for it with his 26th of the year. Midway through the third, he scored his second of the game. Since Nov. 29, Hyman has 27 goals and 41 points in 38 games. He’s been great.

To the shock of no one, Tristan Jarry had another rough game. He saved 26 of 31 shots for a .839 save percentage. Since the trade, he’s played 13 games and has a .900 save percentage or better in just one full game, and it was a .900 save percentage to be exact. It didn’t help that the Oilers were doubled up in shots.

It would be wonderful if the Oilers didn’t immediately load up Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl when they go down in a game. Not because the pair don’t work, they tend to dominate play, but because the scoring threat of the other lines are minimal. It also runs up their ice time, as McDavid finished with 23:32 of ice time and Draisaitl finished with 21:27 of ice time.

Jason Dickinson played alongside Kasperi Kapanen and Vasily Podkolzin, and that line managed to score a goal during five-on-five action. Podkolzin’s goal early in the second period was his 14th of the season, matching his career-best from his rookie season. He’s on pace for 18 goals and 37 points this season, career highs in both categories. What a great pickup.

Hopefully, Colton Dach has a similar trajectory to Podkolzin. He and Trent Frederic were on the ice for three goals against, but I liked their first shift quite a bit. Frederic seemed more interested in hitting and get involved with extracurriculars, which is when he’s at his best.

Dach and Frederic’s centre, Adam Henrique, blocked a shot in the first period, went down the tunnel, and did not return. Not a good sign, hopefully it’s nothing serious. If it is, Josh Samanski will probably be back on a plane to fill the 4C spot.

With the addition of Dickinson and Connor Murphy, the Oilers penalty kill went 3-for-3, but allowed a six-on-five goal for the Hurricanes’ fourth goal of the game. The Oilers’ penalty kill in the 2024 postseason is a big reason they made it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Oilers are hitting the road to begin a tough road trip, facing the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday, the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, the Dallas Stars on Thursday, and the St. Louis Blues on Friday. Up first is a rematch of last year’s second round, as the Oilers play the Golden Knights at 7:30 p.m. MT.