The Edmonton Oilers are in a playoff spot and hoping to stay there. Their play as of late has been quite strong as they look to move up in the standings. The Ottawa Senators are on the outside looking in, and they were looking to gain some momentum with a potential win over one of the most offensive teams in the league. The Oilers were able to pull out a 6-3 victory over the Senators and earn a massive two points in the standings, with 14 games left to play.
This victory gives the Oilers their 37th win of the season, and moves them up to 82 points with a 37-23-8 record. Here are three takeaways from Tuesday night’s matchup.
Warren Foegele Continues Strong Play
Warren Foegele had two assists in the team’s victory as one of four Oilers with a multi-point game. With these two points, he moves over 20 points for the fourth time in his career. His depth scoring and under-the-radar strong play was the reason he earned an opportunity on the second line, and he played well in the increased role.
His consistency as a two-way threat will have to continue down the stretch as the Oilers will be relying on him come playoff time if there are any injuries. But, if this is any preview of how he can play in the playoffs, fans are in for a nice treat. His gritty style of play has been impressive, but his confidence with the puck as of late is showing through and benefiting the Oilers in a big way.
Ekholm-Bouchard A Strong Top Pairing
Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard continue to be the team’s best pairing since the acquisition of Ekholm before the trade deadline. Bouchard looks like a more confident player in every situation, and has been very strong in his own end, which is a complete 180 from earlier in the season. The duo got the nod to be the top pairing last night, but played about the same amount of time as Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci, who is the usual 1-2 punch on the back end.
Ekholm got an assist and finished plus-3, while Bouchard didn’t get a point but finished the night plus-1. Their chemistry has been unbelievable, as it looks like they’ve played together for more than just a handful of games. While Ekholm was brought in to improve the defence core as a whole, he has turned a struggling defensive player into a star, seemingly overnight.
If their strong play continues, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them become the top pairing going into the playoffs, considering Nurse’s lacklustre defensive play as of late.
Leon Draisaitl Reaches 100 Points
The Oilers’ second-best superstar forward Leon Draisaitl was able to reach the 100-point mark for the fourth time in his career with a three-point (two goals, one assist) performance. He continues to be one of the best players in the NHL and with his improved play in the defensive zone, he could be looking at a career year.
It looks like the Oilers will have two players reach the 50-goal mark this season as Draisaitl scored goals 43 and 44 in the win against the Senators with 14 games to go, while Connor McDavid has already reached the milestone and is well on his way to 60.
What’s Next For The Oilers?
The Oilers are back in action Thursday night in a battle against the Central Division leaders, the Dallas Stars. Both teams will be hungry to add two points to their totals as the final stretch of the season continues.
The starters haven’t been named yet, but I would expect Jack Campbell to be between the pipes against Jake Oettinger. A win against the Stars would hopefully be a start of a nice little run to finish off the season and give the boys some confidence.
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