The Edmonton Oilers play the Washington Capitals tonight, it should be a brilliant game drunk with fantastic plays delivered by ridiculous players. However, there’s also a ‘bad moon rising’ feel to the game. Why? Two reasons: the visiting team got caved in their last game and will arrive in a mood most foul. Also: The recall of Anthony Peluso by Washington in time for tonight’s tilt.
ANTHONY PELUSO
Peluso is well described (as always) by The Hockey News as “a mammoth tough guy (6-3, 235 pounds) with very good pugilistic skills, he plays the enforcer role very effectively at lower levels. Has enough ability to play in the NHL.” Source
The math matches up with the verbal perfectly. Per 82 NHL games, Peluso is 2-6-8, 121 pims. For a team that already employs Tom Wilson, who has a “Raffi Torres is having a hard time with the rules” feel to his career, one wonders exactly what we’re in for tonight.
BEAT ‘EM HIGH, BEAT ‘EM LOW
Depending on who dresses in tonight’s game (the Caps have injury issues, including Nicklas Backstrom and Brett Connolly), we might see two skill lines and two “your 1975 Philadelphia Flyers!” support lines. It sounds insane, but could happen just this way.
OILERS 5X5 SCORING (FORWARDS)
Edmonton badly needs to have some balance in scoring and until recently only one line was pumping at even strength. Here’s the current look at 5×5 points per 60:
- Leon Draisaitl 4.10
- Patrick Maroon 2.65
- Connor McDavid 2.59
- Milan Lucic 2.24
- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 2.20
- Ryan Strome 1.18
- Zack Kassian 0.68
- Kailer Yamamoto 0.67
Incredible we’ve reached Game 10 and only eight forwards have managed to score a 5×5 point. That said, there are five forwards at 2.00+ and that’s a fine number. If Strome or other can join the group, and they can sustain it, Edmonton’s top 6F will be fabulous. Still need some answers in the bottom 6F.
LINEUPS
Oilers
Maroon – McDavid – Draisaitl
Lucic – Nugent-Hopkins – Strome
Caggiula – Letestu – Kassian
Jokinen – Khaira – Slepyshev
Klefbom – Larsson
Russell – Benning
Nurse – Gryba
Talbot
Brossoit
At the time of posting, the Oilers hadn’t indicated what their lineups would look like for tonight’s game. Posted above is what they finished the game with on Thursday and it will be interesting to see if Yamamoto gets back in or not. We’ll update the lines as the Oilers do.
***UPDATE*** Jack Michaels confirmed that the Oilers will go with the same lineup.
Capitals
Vrana – Backstrom – Oshie
Ovechkin – Kuznetsov – Smith-Pelly
Stephenson – Eller – Wilson
Peluso – Beagle – Chiasson
Djoos – Carlson
Orlov – Chorney
Orpik – Bowey
Holtby
Grubauer
Right now, Brett Connolly is a question mark as to whether or not he will play. He’s listed as day-to-day. We’ll update the lines as we can.
Lineups (subject to change) are courtesy of DailyFaceoff.com
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
- Mike Vogel, Dump and Chase: The Caps have yielded the game’s first goal in each of their last five games, going 1-4 during that span. Washington has owned a lead for a combined total of just 3 minutes and 59 seconds of its last five contests, covering a period of 301 minutes and 56 seconds of hockey played during that span. Source
TONIGHT
GAME DAY PREDICTION: The game begins in rugged fashion and the first period takes one hour. Edmonton gets a 1-0 lead (power-play goal, Connor McDavid from Leon Draisaitl) but the parade to the penalty box and march to the dressing room for repairs has fans in a state of extreme nausea.
OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: The second period replaces rugged with filthy and it’s 1975 all over again. “There will be blood” is interrupted only by a Capitals power-play goal and timeouts to clean up the, well, blood.
NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: The third period gets back to hockey with Edmonton cashing early in the final stanza on a Zack Kassian breakaway goal made possible by a Capitals defender gone head hunting. The damn breaks from there and Edmonton cruises, 4-2. The post game media avails by each coach trying not to get fined are the highlights of the evening.
GDB BROUGHT TO YOU BY COLLIN BRUCE MORTGAGE TEAM
Source: Edmonton Oilers, Official Game Page, 10/28/2017, 10:30am
Be nice to see some fist goals of the season from some of these boys struggling to score. Go Oilers.
I like what JJ did with the defence deployment last game – Sure, Nurse is listed on the 3rd pairing but he ended up with the 3rd most ES TOI among the D – 3 minutes greater than Russell and, for the last 5 minutes, Russell/Gryba didn’t play and JJ ran two pairs.
The coaching staff will adapt deployment to who “is going” and I expect Darnell to be going again.
I also expect the first two lines to be “going again” and look forward to continued arrows up from Strome who is playing better and developing chemistry with Mr. Hopkins.
Need a big win here, boys. The Caps have some good players out and the Oilers need to take advantage.
Looks like they will be sending Yamamoto back to Spokane, albeit with a nice NHL paycheck in his pocket.
This will happen eventually for sure – they still might give him 2 more games played but I think its a foregone conclusion.
The chiefs play today and tomorrow and the not again until next Saturday so Kailer will probably stay for a bit longer.
“1975 all over again”. Now THAT’S funny. I can imagine Son Saleski’s perm and Mel Bridgeman’s moustache with the sign guy in the seats. Funny. Zero chance that real ’70’s level goonery breaks out tonight, but funny.
So Letestu is still on RW? I’m cool with that. Aside from that nice dish to McDavid, Strome has had a very quiet start to the season.
Letestu is centering the 3rd line – they need to find a way to make it so he is the 4C, not the 3C but that’s OK for the short term.
I think we are in tune for a blowout tonight, 6-0 oilers 29 back, 97 vs 8, 25 from the rear end blows by line 3 and 4 from the 70’s
It says exact same as last time, so wouldn’t Letestu be on the second line RW? Either way… I scored 8th row centre ice tickets to this game and I’m hella poor. Probably going to be the only game I see this season so win this game PLEEEEASE! !!
No, that’s not how the second half of the game played – please take a look at the lines above. Strome is 2RW – he and Nuge have looked good together.
Hear me out, hear me out, got a trade, got a trade:
Sam Bennett…for Drai’s cousin. He has a cousin, right?
…
I’m sure he has a cousin.
You retaining salary? Lol
I so thoroughly enjoyed reading this article. Had to admit it made me laugh.
Just saw Nick Kypreos say that Edmonton isn’t happy with Strome. Can anyone confirm or deny this? I thought he’s looked good as the games have gone on here.
Kyprios is a complete moron. Why would you take anything he says seriously. He also sits next to Hrudey, another moron.
Very odd to have only 14 comments a half hour before puck drop. Go Oil!
The website change has caused many long time posters to leave unfortunately.
Just win
Connor, SHOOT THE F,N PUCK!!
Heard on the news what Ovie did for a homeless man today. Class act!
Missed that, what did he do?
Just saw that, very admirable.
thats more like it
gotta keep this going
How is the PP this bad? I am gonna be bald by the end of the season at this rate
It would appear our boys are being out worked and out hustled tonight very disappointing time for GM to take a stand.
we are so bad at passing
Just brutal.
So, three wins after the first ten game segment. How long does PC wait before actually doing something to help Connor?
Connor doesn’t need help… RNH and Strome do!
I’m glad jay got a chance to call a crappy play before the caps scored the empty netter. Man that guys face pisses me off
LOSP (lack of scoring production ) from entire squad will keep us far from playoffs this season . They make every opponents goalie look far better than what they are and a star every game . Looking like a 70-75 point season for current squad , good for 7th in Pacific division .
And I thought they got rid of the “passengers”
This team needs divine intervention.
Khaira and Slepyshev don’t belong in the NHL.
HOw do we make playoffs like this?????????
Klefbom doing a Julz…. must be a play they teach in Edmonton
Who called me an idiot for suggesting getting Letestube and lucic off the first power play unit? Also another stellar 6 million dollar night for Lucic. Lucic will cost us several cups over the next 6 years. I suggest we buy him out this summer. Brutal Brutal contract. Can’t even put him on the third line, as it would be too embarrassing to have a 6 million dollar winger on the third line. Hate to have Marleau or Vanek in his place, on a shorter term.
After a while everyone knows what we are going to do off the half boards on the PP. If you lack a legit point shot you will have an inconsistent power play.
And Slepyshev,… totally useless