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 Rob Soria is the Edmonton Oilers' correspondent for OurHometown.ca. Rob was born and raised in Edmonton and is the author of the Edmonton Oilers blog - OilDrop.ca. He has been a dedicated follower of the game and its history for years but his focus remains on his hometown Edmonton Oilers. If you have questions or wish to contact Rob, you can email him at rsoria@ourhometown.ca
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Make it six in a row, Oilers down Kings | ||||
Edmonton - Nov. 4, 2011 - The Edmonton Oilers having been winning their fair share of hockey games this season but they have been doing it with next to no offensive support from their third and fourth lines. Well, that all changed last night. Edmonton got a goal from each of those lines and another from the red hot Ryan Smyth, in defeating the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 3-0.
The pairing of Tom Gilbert and Smid were once again, scary good in their own end. Gilbert played his usual 25+ minutes on the night and made a number of simple solid decisions when moving the puck out of the Oilers end. He picked up an assist on Smyth's goal and threw a couple of hits, one which sent Dustin Brown to the ice.
Not to be out done, the Potter - Jeff Petry pairing was outstanding on the night. They both played over 21 minutes and were able to move up in the play on the Oilers attack, while being sound positionally in their own end. Petry has a real opportunity to make a mark for himself and appears to be ready for the challenge.
While Magnus Paajarvi was again held off the score sheet , the youngster played one of his best games of the season. He used his speed to draw penalties and allowing his line easy access into the Kings zone. If he continues playing like this and drives to the net, his points will come.
Colten Teubert played just under thirteen minutes in his NHL debut and gave the club just what they were hoping for. He played mistake free hockey and led the team with five hits and drew a penalty, when former Oiler Ethan Moreau took a cheap shot at the youngster from behind.
While Gagner made a nice play on Potter's goal, he was a giveaway machine all night long. More often then not, he turned the puck over in the neutral zone or at the Kings blueline and they almost always ended up turning into odd man rushes for LA. He simply refuses to dump the puck in because he wants to beat players one on one. Gagner has to get out of this mindset because nearly never works.
Theo Peckham was better but still managed to make three terrible passes at the Edmonton blueline that led directly to Kings scoring chances. While Peckham has never been the best passer of the puck, it is the timing and frequency of these giveaways that is concerning. With Petry clearly stepping up his game, the rugged blueliner might find it difficult to keep his spot as the seventh defenceman. |
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