Despite early struggles, key Oilers stars are poised to rebound, and their potent power play will soon ignite. Optimism remains high.
The Edmonton Oilers have struggled in their first-round series against the Anaheim Ducks. Tied at one game apiece, the matchup is far from decided. However, there is growing concern that a lackluster power play, defensive inconsistencies, and Connor McDavid’s quiet start offensively have fans questioning whether this will be the easy series some initially expected.
The good news is that the struggles appear to be in areas where the Oilers are typically dangerous. In other words, this "hiccup" might be temporary, and if/when the damn breaks, the flood is coming.
There are three reasons to remain optimisitic if you're an Oilers fan.
McDavid Won't Continue To Struggle
McDavid has zero points in two games, which has only happened once this season. You have to go back to Jan 20th and 26th to find the games where he wasn't producing.
This isn't like McDavid. So, to expect this slump to continue would be a bad bet.
His lack of offense has not been due to a lack of opportunities. As Meghan Chayka points out, "He has 20 shot assists in 2 games, 10 per game is tied with his draft mate Jack Eichel) McDavid also has 4 passes to the slot per game, the most in the NHL. McDavid is still driving play 21.5 zone entries per game (Stutzle is 2nd 15.7)."
Where he seems to be struggling is in his ability not to do too much. He's overthinking the action, trying to create when the simple play might be the better one. He's aware, having mentioned keeping things simple in a recent media scrum.
The Power Play Will Produce
The fact the Oilers haven't scored on the power play is an anomally, particularly against a team that is not known for it's penalty killing prowess. It's only a matter of time before the best power play in the NHL finds the back of the net.
McDavid noted that the group was a bit rusty. Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman both recently returned to action, and it's taken a little time to get readjusted. Perhaps that's an excuse. Then again, it might be accurate and when that unit starts firing, the Ducks could be in trouble.
The Oilers haven't been atrocious at 5-on-5, but their being outplayed on special teams. Few would have predicted that before this series began.
The Oilers Have a Better Defense Than This
Heading into the playoffs, the Oilers had found their rhythm defensively. Flipping a switch after the Olympic break, it became evident that trying to outscore their problems was not a winning formula come playoff time. For some reason, Edmonton has regressed a bit, forgetting what led to a solid run over the final 20 games.
That switch will likely flip again.
When the Oilers realize that they're lucky to be tied in this series, the leadership group will start to provide solid two-way play and the 200-foot game for this team will get better. In turn, that will help the goaltending numbers.
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