Oilers vs. Ducks January 11th 2023
The Oilers bounced back after a disappointing loss to the Kings and dominated the Ducks in every department.
What’s up guys, I am back after a brief hiatus and we’re passed the halfway point now. The Oilers have continued to struggle defending and every time I read commentary on Twitter on how this team needs go about addressing said needs it is extremely divided. Evan Bouchard is fulfilling is offensive responsibilities the last two outings but he is still struggling to defend, the rush in particular. He lacks the footspeed to hang with strong skating opponents. Broberg’s xGF% continues to climb but he is playing sheltered minutes therefore it must be taken with a grain of salt.
Klim Kostin has been the biggest story during the stretch since he’s been up with the big club. He has taken his opportunity and ran with it, 2 goals in this one will no doubt gain the trust of head coach Jay Woodcroft.
The Oilers in this one came out buzzing very early and really never stopped. It was against a team that they should absolutely be doing this too but nevertheless it was an impressive win that they needed. The shots were 53-23 in favour of the Oilers which came early and often.
This game also got chippy as the Ducks were getting embarrassed on home ice, quite a few scrums ensued post whistle which didn’t amount to many penalties or fights.
Jack Campbell has started to trend in the right direction which is the most positive story line for Edmonton outside of Kostin. Everyone should be breathing a sigh of relief in the front office that hopefully they are seeing what they are going to get consistently from their biggest signing of the off-season.