Oilers Vs. Blackhawks – Game Recap

It certainly wasn’t pretty for the Oilers on Sunday in Saskatoon. Edmonton was dominated throughout the contest by what could only be described as the Blackhawks B squad. Yes, Edmonton didn’t have a full veteran lineup either, but it was still a disappointing loss. That said, it’s still pre-season, and these things are far from what will matter in the standings.

The Game:

Chicago dominated from the opening face-off of this contest. They were quicker, brought more urgency, and were far more superior in terms of execution. Edmonton meanwhile looked flat, slow and at times disinterested in this game. This appeared to be a case of a hungry group of Hawks’ youngsters looking to make an impact.

Chicago opened the scoring 5:54 in as Bryan Bickell found the back of the net, and sadly for Edmonton that was all that was needed for the Hawks. Chicago would add insurance goals quickly in the second period, as Teuvo Teravainen and Garret Ross would score a goal a piece just 54 seconds apart.

Chicago would make it 4-0 in the third with an Andrew Shaw goal, while Kris Versteeg would put the icing on the cake to make it 5-0.

Chicago goalie Scott Darling was barely tested, and as a result came away with a 22-save shut-out performance, while Richard Bachman, the man tabbed with the OKC Barons’ starting job, gave up all five for Edmonton.

The Good:

Jesse Joensuu looked good in this game. He was engaged physically and looked decent with the puck as well. He is once again showing signs of the player that impressed so much at camp a year ago. For him, this was a really solid game to help solidify his spot in the lineup. He’s certainly earned another look.

Thought Jordan Oesterle looked decent in this one as well. He wasn’t anything special, but I saw some goods things here from a player with real potential down the line. He won’t make the team, but he’s showing well to position himself for a good look at the AHL level during the season.

The Bad:

Two veteran forwards I expected something out of tonight were Jordan Eberle and Teddy Purcell. They were absolutely invisible to me tonight and did nothing to impact the game. That’s kind of disappointing, considering neither of these two has been great this pre-season. Am I worried about either of them? No, but I was hoping to see a little more here.

Was really looking forward to seeing Iiro Pakarinen, but he was also a disappointment in this game. I was hoping to see some physical play and a little puck work from Iiro, but ended up getting nothing here. This is a guy with an outside chance at the roster, and he hurt his chances in this game. Martin Gernat didn’t look good either, and I think it might be time to send him to OKC.

Martin Marincin was underwhelming here as well, and to be honest I haven’t been impressed with him to this point in camp. He’ll likely still make the team, but he needs to be better as we approach opening night. Klefbom might be closing in on Marty.

Injury Note:

Andrew Ference left the game after blocking a shot, and under went an X-Ray. The shot hit his right arm, but according to Dallas Eakins he should be fine. Ference will likely sit out of the game Monday night, and probably should be held out of Wednesday’s contest as well. No need to risk it with the captain.

The Next Wave Of Cuts:

Barons camp opens on Monday, so I think we can expect a few more players to be sent down in short order. Jason Williams, on an AHL deal, leads the list for me, while Laurent Brossoit, Jujhar Khaira and Martin Gernat are all possible as well. Jordan Oesterle will also likely be sent down soon, but I think he might have earned another look or two.

The Road Ahead:

Quick turnaround, as Edmonton battles Winnipeg on Monday night, then Arizona on Wednesday. The game slate picks up quite a bit as we are now under two weeks fro regular season action.

(Photo Credit to Edmonton Sun, all rights reserved)