Despite a tough OT loss, the Oilers' effort and the play of several players offer more positives than any of Edmonton's wins this season.
The Edmonton Oilers dropped a 2-1 overtime decision to the Tampa Bay Lightning, falling to 2-3-1 on their road trip and 9-9-5 overall. It’s a loss that stings because the effort was there—arguably one of the most complete games the team has played in weeks.
Calvin Pickard was excellent, the defense played better in front of him, Trent Frederic got a monkey off his back, and the team’s overall battle level was finally where it needed to be. But in the end, the Oilers didn’t close it out, couldn't score more than one goal, and Jake Guentzel buried the winner in OT seconds after Jack Roslovic nearly won it at the other end.
Here are three takeaways from the game, many of which are solid signs the team might be turning a corner.
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Frederic Got A Huge Goal
Playing the second half of a back-to-back and arriving in Tampa around 2:30 a.m., the Oilers could’ve easily come out flat. Instead, they delivered one of their most energized first periods of the season—and Trent Frederic got things started.
Frederic opened the scoring by jumping off the bench, picking off a pass, and ripping a high one-timer past Andrei Vasilevskiy. While the standard wasn't extremely high, he also had one of his better games. Kris Knoblauch trusted him in a defensive situation late in the third period.
This wasn't just a goal. This was a huge relief that made the forward look like he's a sniper. "I thought we were connected, we were more direct," he said. He said the early goal made him feel confident, but he believes his skating and energy has been a bit better over the past few games.
Hopefully, he too, is turning a corner.
Oilers Show Progress In Heartbreaking Overtime Loss To Tampa Bay
Now this one was heartbreaking.
Calvin Pickard Delivers His Best Game of the Season
This was the performance Calvin Pickard needed—and the Oilers needed from him. Though he allowed the tying goal late in the third and the winner in overtime, Pickard’s 33-save outing kept Edmonton afloat all night.
Jason Strudwick of the Got Yer' Back podcast argued that the game was easier because the Oilers played a more predictable defensive structure in front of him, which is true. However, that sells Pickard short. He had to make several difficult stops, including a sprawling save early, a big 3-on-1 denial after Regula got caught pinching, several stops early in the third period, and multiple high-glove and scramble saves that bailed out tired legs.
It's fair to say that overtime goal was a letdown, but this was a big performance Pickard needed. Rob Brown noted that the goaltender's contract and struggles could easily make him trade-bait if he continues to have tough outings. Brown called Pickard's game on Thursday a “palate cleanser” performance.
Compete Level, Defensive Details, and the Ones That Got Away
The breakdown on the Tampa goal came from an exhausted Connor McDavid. He allowed Nick Paul to gain an inside position for the tying goal. It was a misread and unfortunate, but considering the workload he’s carrying, it's not fair to argue this was entirely his fault. Deployment and coaching have to take some heat here because McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are playing ridiculous minutes.
That's the bad news on defense. The good news is that several defensemen appeared to turn a corner in this game. The Oilers’ defensive trio of Evan Bouchard, Mattias Ekholm, and Darnell Nurse all had solid nights. To see them all play well on the same night has been nonexistent this season. Bouchard and Ekholm appear to be settling back into form, while Nurse played with conviction, both physically and structurally.
Nurse stepped up after Jake Walman took a hard hit from Curtis Douglas. He fought against a much bigger player, and while no real punches were thrown and no damage was done, it was something Nurse needed to do in that situation. Unfortunately, he got an instigator, a major, and a misconduct, but it's tough to explain just how important it is for Nurse to find a bit of that mean streak that made him a more effective defenseman.
Are The Oilers Turning A Corner?
The game still slipped away, which is not ideal. The Oilers missed a chance to bury Tampa when Jack Roslovic nearly ended it in OT, only for Jake Guentzel to score seconds later. For the game to end that way will sting. That said, there were several positives to take away from this loss, and it's hard to argue that's often been the case this season, even when the Oilers win.
It's too early to suggest the team has turned things around, but there are signs they are turning a corner.
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