Slap within the mouth might be an excellent factor for the Edmonton Oilers

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Some day, possibly as early as Saturday evening once they have a possibility to proper their ship and achieve a measure of revenge, the Edmonton Oilers followers will look again on Wednesday evening and snigger.

Till then, they’ll follow preventing again the tears.

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Within the grand scheme of issues, a dull effort in Vancouver that resulted in an embarrassing 8-1 beatdown is only one recreation that may quickly be forgotten if the Oilers get their act collectively within the rematch.

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Nonetheless, on an evening when the Oilers had been presupposed to kick off their season by exhibiting the world a totally mature, totally invested, defensively sound Stanley Cup contender, they responded with their worst loss since 2016.

They’re a greater group than that however, for no matter purpose, they weren’t able to go, they got here out mushy and issues spiralled uncontrolled.

It’s an excellent lesson, maybe even the perfect factor that might have occurred.

After Wednesday evening, any notion that the Oilers are higher than everybody else and issues will come simply due to their high-end talent had been put to relaxation in a humbling hurry.

The Canucks taught them precisely what they wanted to know: The Oilers have a goal on their backs this 12 months due to all of the hype. Everybody might be gunning for them. Everybody might be throwing their greatest recreation at them. Everybody desires a rack of Edmonton Oilers antlers hanging above their fire.

And in a league that’s too good, in opposition to opponents which can be too deep and decided, the half-measures they served up in Vancouver are by no means going to be sufficient.

What occurred and why is what Jay Woodcroft and the teaching workers will start to handle on Friday (the Oilers had Thursday off to relaxation up after their first recreation of the 12 months), properly conscious that this work in progress they hold speaking about appears to want much more progress.

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Once more, the primary recreation of the season isn’t any massive deal, a few well-played wins in a row will wipe the slate clear. The one concern is that a few of the issues that lower their legs out Wednesday are the identical issues they’ve been battling for years. A number of the questions that wanted answering didn’t present many promising solutions. Not but, anyway.

If followers in Edmonton had a guidelines of their minds earlier than the puck dropped, only a few issues they wanted to see to assist lock of their perception that that is actually going be the 12 months, they didn’t see them.

What would the goaltender seem like?

Whoever it was, Oilers followers needed to see a powerful efficiency from their starter — whether or not it was Jack Campbell proving himself after final season’s difficulties or Stuart Skinner returning to all-star kind after a expensive dip in play through the post-season.

It seems they acquired to see them each. And it seems they each allowed 4 targets on their first 16 pictures. So, there’s that.

You may’t choose anybody on half a recreation performed behind some spectacularly disjointed defensive-zone protection, however nothing we noticed within the crease was very reassuring.

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What would Mattias Ekholm seem like?

It’s just a little unnerving when the participant who turned the group’s season round misses all of coaching camp with a hip damage and says he isn’t actually positive if it’s going to be a nagging challenge. So getting some eyes on Ekholm within the season opener was presupposed to ease a few of these issues.

Sadly, the priority is just heightened by the actual fact Ekholm remains to be injured and couldn’t play Wednesday.

What would the brand new group defence seem like?

With out the massive Swede’s stabilizing affect Edmonton appeared underwhelming, or overwhelmed, take your choose, in its personal zone.

It was Evan Bouchard’s worst recreation in a very long time and Darnell Nurse wanted to be rather a lot higher. Forwards had been leaving Vancouver gamers extensive open, defencemen weren’t clearing the entrance of the web and the goalies had been left on the mercy of wide-open appears and tap-in rebounds.

The world they’ve been specializing in for 5 weeks appeared ragged as hell.

What would Connor Brown seem like?

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The truth that Edmonton’s earlier first-line proper winger is now a thirteenth ahead in Seattle offers you some concept in regards to the want for enchancment on that entrance.

Brown appeared to shake off issues about his surgically repaired knee and re-establish chemistry with Connor McDavid in coaching camp, however there wasn’t a lot taking place in his first regular-season recreation as an Oiler.

In different phrases, he match proper in. Brown was minus-two with two pictures on internet on a line that mixed to go minus-nine total (McDavid was minus-three and Evander Kane minus-four).

What would the Oilers seem like?

Unhealthy.

They haven’t appeared that dangerous in a very long time. And that could be good.

There’s nothing like a slap within the mouth to get a group’s consideration.

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