Edmonton stifled Seattle with a disciplined defensive structure, limiting shots and high-danger chances as Devon Levi stood tall to help the Oilers embrace a gritty, low-event win. It was the farthest thing from the first two games of the season against Vancouver.
“We didn’t give up a touchdown!” said head coach Mike Babcock as he walked into the Edmonton Oilers Hall of Fame room following a 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday. A fist pump offered up a more jovial Babcock to the media, which made sense, given the Oilers changed their game to avoid six and seven goals against.
The Oilers allowed only one, but more than that, they gave up just 20 shots that a more dialed-in Devon Levi seemed to handle with ease—save for one game-saving goal-line stop that had to be reviewed. “After some of the bounces in the last game, I was hoping we got this bounce in this game,” Levi said.
The game wasn't perfect, but it was a much better effort from the Oilers.
"How was the second, again?" asked Babcock rhetorically. "I don't know what's going on in the second. We got a little roadblock in the second here... But I actually like our third. I like our first. The second, we're getting in our own way, so we got to figure that out."
Overall, it was an improved performance and one the team can feel good about. It was the kind of game that suggested the Oilers may be starting to buy into what Babcock and the rest of the coaching staff are trying to instill.
When asked about the way this game seemed to be a polar opposite of the first two, Leon Draisaitl remarked, “It was bound to happen, stringing one (together) that was quite low-event." Draisaitl said the team played a structurally sound hockey game and defended well. "It was a good one for us."
Was this a more realistic representation of who this Oilers team actually is? Draisaitl responded, "Certainly, how we want to play."
Levi added, “If we play like that every game, we have a good chance.”
The pivot in their play is all the more impressive given the Oilers' lineup absences: Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Matt Savoie, Jason Dickinson, Mattias Janmark, and Frederik Andersen.
Looking at the forward group on paper might leave a typical fan concerned. Credit where it's due, there's depth on this roster.
Among those stepping up is Owen Michaels, who scored again. It was his second on the season. For a rookie, he's poised and where he needs to be, something the coaching staff continues to notice. When asked about the feeling of contributing to an NHL lineup and making the case that he should be a regular, even when the veterans return, Michaels wasn't shy about his self-belief. "I think it's just something I've always taken a lot of pride in. You know, trying to play the game the right way, play a hard 200-foot game, and try to be consistent in that regard."
This was a game the Oilers needed, even if it was anything but a must win.
Now, they'll go on the road for a long California swing with a much better sense that this team can play a tidier defensive style and not try to win pond hockey games, needing nine goals to win.
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