Oilers Lethal Weapon Now a Worry Ahead of Western Conference Final

The Edmonton Oilers could and would often eliminate teams from the playoffs thanks to a lethal power play that no one could figure out how to stop. Unfortunately, in two series against the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights, that strength has now become a bit of a concern.

The Oilers still have a 25% success rate on the man advantage, but the “sure thing” that was an Oilers power play is anything but—heading into a series with either the Winnipeg Jets or Dallas Stars, that has to change.

What Happened to the Oilers’ Power Play?

If there was ever a knock on one of the best power-play units in the NHL, it was that it got too cute. Often overlooking the simple play, there would be too much passing and waiting for the perfect shot, which sometimes never came. That’s been a real issue this season as the often stagnant unit hasn’t operated with a sense of urgency until the game is in dire straits.

This is a team that rarely just fires pucks on net with bodies in front. The reason is likely because of the all-world skill deployed on the top unit. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Evan Bouchard all have elite-level skill to read a defense and break it down. That tends to be the go-to, which, when it works, is gorgeous. When it doesn’t, it’s frustrating.

Defenders have submitted that letting Edmonton look for that perfect opportunity is acceptable, as long as that unit passes the puck around the outside for the first half of every power play. The strategy seems to be to let the Oilers act like the Harlem Globetrotters and take away the obvious plays.

The result is that the Oilers are 6-for-24 in these playoffs, and McDavid and Draisaitl have one power-play goal combined.

Oilers Swapped Out Zach Hyman

As good as Corey Perry has been this season (and to be fair, he’s got two power-play goals), switching Zach Hyman out to put Perry on the first unit was a bit of a head-scratcher. Hyman has three goals in these playoffs, but none on the power play. He’s no longer on the first unit, and his minutes have dropped dramatically.