4 Takeaways From Oilers’ 4-1 Win Over Kings

The one goal allowed wasn’t his fault. Draisaitl blew the defensive zone, cheating for offence, but the puck was turned over at the blue line. The Oilers were scrambling, which led to the goal. The Oilers had a few defensive breakdowns, but Levi bailed them out. He made a fantastic sequence of saves during the dying moments of the second period to keep Edmonton ahead 3-1. If the Kings scored, it’s a one-goal game heading into the third period with Los Angeles having all the momentum. Once again, the Oilers got that key save in a crucial moment.

“He’s such a calming presence, makes the big saves, and seems to make timely saves, which is half the battle in goaltending. He’s been really solid for us,” McDavid said about Levi in his postgame media availability.

Levi has had three fantastic starts in a row after his dreadful first game. That’s a positive building block, and he now has a respectable .903 SV%. He has stolen the number one job; now it’s up to him to keep it. Do the Oilers finally have confidence in a goaltender?

Podkolzin Continued His Hot Start

It’s still surprising that the Oilers only gave up a fourth-round pick when they acquired Podkolzin from the Vancouver Canucks. Then, general manager Stan Bowman signed him to a three-year deal with a $2.95 million cap hit. That is a bargain contract, especially with the rising salary cap. Podkolzin is the epitome of consistency and rarely has an off night.

With the Oilers’ recent injury history, the Russian winger has been on the top line and has fit like a glove. He complements McDavid and Draisaitl extremely well, and when that trio is on the ice, great things happen. They have outscored their opponents 10-1 at 5-on-5 and have 75 percent of the scoring chances.

Podkolzin is a tenacious forechecker with an incredible work ethic. He finished the game with two goals, three shots, and a team-leading six hits in 18:24 of ice time. He now has seven goals, tied for second in the league with Kyle Connor and Alexis Lafreniére, one behind Kirill Kaprizov. He’s always in the right spots and has improved his shot. He has become a complete player and a fan favourite.

Oilers Didn’t Generate Much

The Oilers bent but didn’t break. In the past, when the opposition gained momentum, the Oilers couldn’t contain it, and the game would spiral out of control. However, that wasn’t the case. They were severely outplayed through large stretches but weathered the storm. That’s the sign of a mature, well-coached team.

They didn’t generate much offensively. They had just two high-danger scoring chances at 5-on-5 and only nine scoring chances overall. The Oilers only had 0.62 expected goals at even strength, but they capitalized on their limited opportunities.

Advanced stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.