They can’t all be works of art… The Edmonton Oilers entered Tuesday’s game versus the Chicago Blackhawks with fans not wondering whether or not they’d win, but how many goals they would win by. Whether fair or not, this is how the Blackhawks are being viewed as of late, as injuries have decimated their roster to the point that they have many AHL players in the lineup. To the Blackhawks’ credit, they battled extremely hard in this one, resulting in the Oilers walking away with just a 2-1 victory.
Related: Nylander Deal Hints Oilers Will Have Serious Salary Cap Problem
For the Oilers, it certainly wasn’t pretty, but they will take the two points as well as their eighth-straight victory. Here are the three main takeaways from Tuesday night’s affair.
Oilers Play Down to Bedard-Less Blackhawks
While it’s understandable that the Oilers aren’t going to be at their best every night, their effort in this one was as disappointing as you’ll find in a victory. They played a very back-and-forth game against a very weak Blackhawks roster, and could very well have fallen if it weren’t for the play of Stuart Skinner.
By the time the final horn sounded in this one, the Oilers had just 15 shots on Petr Mrazek. While it was still enough to win, that effort would have resulted in a loss against the majority of teams throughout the NHL. Expect them to come out with much more energy on Thursday versus the Detroit Red Wings.
Hyman Goals Overturned Once Again
While he was still able to score 36 goals a season ago, Oilers fans know Zach Hyman could have had plenty more. The versatile winger seemed to have a goal of his called back every other game last season, and while that bad luck hasn’t occurred as often in 2023-24, it did show itself in this one.
Hyman appeared to put the Oilers up 3-1 in the third period on a great passing sequence from Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. However, the Blackhawks challenged immediately afterward for an offside, and after a lengthy review, it ended up coming back.
This review could have gone either way, as it was very difficult to see whether or not both of Draisaitl’s skates crossed the blue line before he gained possession of the puck. The call was one that fans who despise challenges won’t be happy with, but, such are the rules. McDavid wasn’t thrilled with the decision. After the game he noted, “If it takes you 15 minutes to determine if it’s offside or not, it probably doesn’t matter… You zoom in, you keep zooming in until you can’t zoom in any more, I guess it’s offside.” He added that the calls to be overturned need to prove the official is “dead wrong” and he noted that call was certainly not obvious.
Opportunity to Tie Oilers’ Franchise-Best Winning Streak
The Oilers will have a chance to win their ninth straight on Thursday. Not only would it serve as their longest winning streak of the season, but it would also tie a franchise record. The Oilers have won nine in a row just twice in franchise history, with the first coming during the 2000-01 season, and the second in 2022-23.
Even more important for the Oilers’ sake is that a win on Thursday would put them even closer to a top three-spot in the Pacific Division. Thanks to their two points against the Blackhawks, they are now sitting in the second wild-card spot and are just four points shy of the LA Kings for third place in their division. It is quite remarkable given how they started the season, and shows just how resilient this team is.
Next: Oilers Keeping an Eye on Blue Jackets’ Right-Shot D-Man
This website aggregates and curates news articles, blog posts, and other content from a variety of external sources. While we aim to link back to the original source, this site does not own or claim ownership of any articles, posts, or other content indexed on this site. The views, opinions, and factual statements expressed in each piece of aggregated content belong solely to its respective author and publisher. We make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of aggregated content. Visitors are advised to verify facts and claims through the original source before reuse or redistribution.
