The Edmonton Oilers dropped a 4-2 preseason decision to the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday night, despite outshooting their opponents by a wide 34-17 margin. It was a game that emphasized the special teams' effectiveness of both teams, a battle the Kraken ultimately won.
Darnell Nurse and Matt Savoie supplied the goals for Edmonton, while Isaac Howard collected two assists. Still, the difference in the game came down to power plays — an area where the Oilers may look back on this outing as a missed opportunity.
Power Plays: A Missed Chance for Reps
Both clubs had plenty of chances on the man advantage, with Seattle awarded six power plays and Edmonton five. The Kraken made the most of their opportunities, scoring twice on the power play and adding a shorthanded tally. Edmonton, by contrast, managed just one goal on the man advantage — a marker from Nurse midway through the opening frame.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch pointed to special teams as the deciding factor, noting that this game would have provided a valuable opportunity for Edmonton to have its regulars in the lineup and tighten up systems. “The overall difference in the game was special teams,” Knoblauch said post-game. “We would have liked to have the full group together tonight to take advantage of the reps.”
What might be the team's second power play group got some work on Wednesday night. Matt Savoie, Isaac (Ike) Howard, Adam Henrique, Nurse, and Trent Frederic spent many of their game minutes on the man advantage. Overall, they looked solid..
While they showed flashes of chemistry, what counts is capitalizing on it, which they did only once. That was a significant factor in the team's loss, as the Oilers were unable to break through and dictate the game.
Missing that chance to rehearse with a full lineup felt like a setback, even if the results in preseason are largely meaningless.
Trending Stories:
Oilers Acquire Connor Ingram In Trade With Utah
Kaprizov Signs Wild Record NHL Deal… But What About McDavid?
Alec Regula: Making His Case to Stick With the Oilers
While special teams stole the story early, the play of defenseman Alec Regula continues to be one of the most intriguing developments of Oilers camp. Regula logged 19:23 of ice time (including 3:06 shorthanded) in Seattle — more than veteran Troy Stecher. He has once again impressed with his steady, composed play.
Regula is making a case to stick around and his contract situation complicates matters. The 25-year-old’s ability to move the puck, make smart players under pressure, and keep attackers to the perimeter, using his 6-foot-4 frame effectively, has caught the eye of the coach and analysts.
Regula plays a simple, reliable game. That will matter for the Oilers, who are hoping to find younger talents who can grow with the team. For a blueliner trying to carve out a role on a contending roster, it was exactly the type of showing needed.
“Regula looked very good tonight, he’s D6 for me at this point,” one post-game analyst remarked.
The Oilers have to be wary of losing Regula to waivers, as he joined the Oilers via waivers and his strong preseason has put management in a difficult position. He appears too valuable to risk exposing, and his play suggests he could slot in as one of the team’s regular eight defensemen.
TSN's Ryan Rishaug noted on a recent Got Yer' Back podcast that he can't see the Oilers risking putting him on waivers because some team will claim him and the organization has invested too much time and energy into getting him healthy.
It’s been a steady climb for Regula, who hasn't played a lot of hockey in the last year thanks to a nasty injury that set him back months. He's feeling good now, and despite the small sample size, is quickly showing why GM Stan Bowman was/is so high on the player He has quickly turned heads with his maturity and defensive instincts.
The Oilers have depth on the back end and they might not have an obvious spot for Regula, but he's too good already to take a chance he'll be lost via red tape.
As the Oilers near the end of preseason with a 4-2-1 record, they have one more game on Friday that will see the team ice most of its regulars. An illness bug hit the team this week, impacting who made the trip and who might be available, but the Oilers don't want to miss an opportunity against the Vancouver Canucks to work out some remaining kinks in their game.
Expect to see line combinations as they'll be organized on opening night. So too, don't be surprised if Alec Regula is in the mix.
Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.