Lethal offense, stingy defense, and stellar special teams make Edmonton special.
The NHL season is young, but the Edmonton Oilers have established themselves as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. Led by superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers have an efficient offensive, a well-balanced roster, and the team is getting strong performances from a number of key players.
It all shows in the standings. The Oilers have taken an early lead in the Pacific Division, going 8-2-1 in their first 11 games. And if things continue as they are, then Coach Dave Tippett and his troops will be playing hockey in June.
The Oilers’ offensive strategy is designed to take advantage of their speedy wingers and the ability to dominate the transition game. Crashing the net and applying pressure is crucial for this team. In Thursday night’s come-from-behind victory against the Caps, Edmonton attacked the zone and wreaked havoc near the crease. For evidence, see this chart from Natural Stat Trick. It shows where the majority of scoring chances originated.
While opinions vary regarding how the Oilers stack up against other league elites, the metrics argue in Edmonton’s favor–a team with many strengths and few weaknesses.
McDavid, who’s the captain of this team, is undoubtedly the heart and soul of the club, on pace for his fourth consecutive 100-point season. He also sits second in total points this year. Wingman Leon Draisaitl isn’t far behind at third in total points. Together, these two are one of the NHL’s most lethal pairs.
But the Oilers aren’t a one-trick pony. As hockey pundits know, a championship team needs to be active and functional on both ends of the ice.
Defense may not be glamorous, but solid defense wins praise, and praise is coming Edmonton’s way. So far, the Oilers have the fifth-fewest goals per game in the NHL.
There’s more, too. Edmonton is lethal on both the power play and penalty kill. According to hockey-reference.com, the Oilers are scoring at a 33.3% rate when they have a man-advantage, which is significantly higher than the league average. When short-handed, Edmonton is 86% at penalty-killing.
What’s it all mean? Regardless of the team or era, one thing has rung true of Stanley Cup winners–they are superior on offense, defense, and in special teams play. On the other hand, many good-but-not-great teams sputter and disappoint in the playoffs.
I don’t think we’ll see sputtering from the Oilers next spring. This club is in a prime position to make a deep playoff run.
