What a wild first period that was last night. I don’t recall ever seeing the Oilers come out and attack a goaltender like that. It was brilliant.
While they knocked Adin Hill off his game in individual moments, ironically, he was arguably Vegas’s best player. Nevertheless, Edmonton will look back and recognize that its plan worked.
Getting in Hill’s crease was one strategy, while the other was adding more speed and physicality to the lineup. Kasperi Kapanen directly brought that to the game. He was electric, making the Golden Knights feel every hit. He hasn’t scored a goal in a long time, but he wasn’t playing like a player who hadn’t found the net recently, being quick to pucks, generating chances and simply looking confident with the puck. Kapanen had five hits and two shots last night, which is what the doctor ordered.
Troy Stecher came in and played a straightforward style. He competed hard and played steadily to get the puck up the ice. He even showed a bite going after Brett Howden after receiving an elbow to the nose from the Vegas forward. Stecher didn’t back down from the fight. He’s also become a Darnell Nurse whisperer, which could prove pivotal as the games continue.
Another significant adjustment has come on the penalty kill. The L.A. Kings picked Edmonton apart shorthanded because they played too tight and lacked presence. In Games 3 and 4 specifically, the Oilers gave Vegas no time to think. They were aggressive on the puck carrier; there were no failed clearing attempts, and sticks are getting in lanes more consistently. They’ve quickly found the same rhythm they had during last season’s run, which saw them have a historic penalty kill. They need to find ways to get the power play going more consistently, but at least they’re not getting outplayed in all areas of the special teams.
Lots went right for the Oilers in Game 4 because they adjusted correctly. Massive credit to Kris Knoblauch and his coaching staff for continuously finding ways for Edmonton to flip the series in their favour. Has there been luck involved? 100 percent. If Quinton Byfield flipped the puck out of the zone instead, maybe we are talking about something else. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. Instead, we are chatting about an Oilers team one win away from another Western Conference Final series.
In non-Oilers-related news, the NHL announced its Willie O’Ree finalists yesterday. The award recognizes people who, through hockey, have positively impacted their community, culture, or society. Edmonton’s own Arjun Atwal was named a finalist for the award for his work as the founder of AZ1 hockey.
Arjun is the former captain of the Sherwood Park Crusaders. He was the leader of the team that, unfortunately, had their season cut short due to COVID-19, in what was the franchise record-setting season. Many great players played for the Crusaders during my tenure, with a few going on to get drafted to the NHL and play in Europe. However, Arjun is the greatest player ever to wear Cru colours. He was an elite hockey player who deserved more than he got from the game. If not for his leadership on and off the ice, the Crusaders wouldn’t be the team they are today. He helped push them to another level.
Congratulations to Arjun, his family, and everyone at AZ1 Hockey on being named a Willie O’Ree Community Hero award finalist. Tyler Yaremchuk and I chatted with him on Oilersnation Everyday, too, if you’d like to hear more of his story. You can also cast your vote for him by clicking here.
