A Recipe For Success?

The Edmonton Oilers knocked off the Florida Panthers 4-1 on Thursday night, and have now won three games in a row. On top of that, the Oilers are finally starting to resemble the team that many fans and media expected to see from game one, and the team that many expected to fight for a playoff spot this year.

Why have things turned around in these last three games? Some point to the fact that the opponents were Calgary, Columbus and Florida, and there is certainly some merit to that statement. That’s not the only reason however, because Edmonton is behind each and every one of those teams in the standings right now.

Dallas Eakins, after twenty games of trying to figure this thing out, has found a recipe. Is it a recipe for success? It might just be, it might just be what the doctor has been ordering in Edmonton for quite some time now.

Brace yourselves for what I’m about to say…The Edmonton Oilers have three lines that can play hockey. The team has three competent lines that can be effective and used nearly identically ice time wise. That’s been a luxury lacking for years, but one that Dallas Eakins now has. It’s also allowed Edmonton to set up their match-ups perfectly, which has opened up a lot of space for this team.

The Oilers have, for the first time in a long time, a tough minutes line that can handle things defensively and create some offense. Boyd Gordon centers it, and David Perron and Ryan Smyth man the wings. Gordon has been one of the best faceoff men in the NHL this year, while playing terrific defensive hockey and doing all the little things right.

Ryan Smyth looks totally rejuvenated and has been much better this season, while David Perron is playing the role of Brad Marchand to perfection in Edmonton, playing great all around hockey, producing offense and getting under the opponent’s skin big time. This line has been going up against the other team’s “toughs” and has done quite well to this point.

With the tough minutes going to that veteran “two-way” line, the easier minutes open up for the Oilers two offensive lines. The Gagner line, featuring Sam Gagner, Nail Yakupov and Ales Hemsky, has been facing the medium competition lately, going up against other team’s second lines. The results? Recently they have been feasting on these lines.

This line has much more talent than most second lines do, and because they aren’t going up against the top defensive forwards of the other side they are getting tons of room to make things happen. There seems to be much more chemistry between these three than last year, and these guys are now feeding young Yak the puck much more often. This line has dominated the easier competition lately and has put up good offensive numbers.

In order for a line with those three on it to succeed, they need those easier minutes, because none of the above players have great defensive instincts to their games.

With the Gordon line taking the toughs and the Gagner line taking the second line, the Oilers are able to set up the Nugent-Hopkins line against the easy competition, and the results have been tremendously one-sided in the Oilers favor. The line of Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle has feasted the last few games, and has totally dominated when on the ice. Eakins’ ability to get them out in this situation has made a world of difference.

That line is the driving force of Edmonton, easily the most talented on the team, and a line that has potential to be one of the league’s best in very short order. Eakins matching them up with soft minute opponents at home gives Edmonton a huge advantage, as has been evident the last few games.

These guys can create offense and steal momentum with ease, and have the ability to swing a game and put one away. This line matching recipe that Dallas Eakins has employed at home the last few games has totally changed the Oilers fortunes, and looks like the perfect recipe for winning on home ice, something the Oilers have struggled with for years.

If Eakins can use this line matching technique at home every game, the Oilers will win more than they lose at home the rest of the way and beyond, and if he can try and employ something along the lines on the road, the Oilers will be fine.

The RNH line will likely face the toughs on the road, and has handled it before. It’ll be working with the other two lines that will dictate their success away from Rexall. It’s far from perfect, but it’s a big break through.

Yes, I know they beat Calgary, Columbus and Florida, but wins are wins, and if the way the team is winning is any indication, the Oilers have found a winning recipe up front. Now, will it work long-term? You’ll just have to stick around and find out.