Oilers Vs. Coyotes – Game Recap

The Oilers and Coyotes met at Rexall Place earlier tonight in a pre-season match-up that featured two division rivals prepping for the upcoming season. Both teams were missing key cogs, the Yotes missing Gagner, Yand
le and Ekman-Larsson, and the Oilers missing Hall, Nugent-Hopkins and Fayne. The result? Two teams with a lot of players looking to make an impact and make the NHL roster.

The Game:

The Oilers opened the game by really controlling the first twenty minutes of play. Edmonton out-shot the Coyotes by a 17-8 margin, and the Oil got the best of the chances as well. That said, the Yotes opened the scoring 10:07 into the game as Mikkel Boedker beat Scrivens in tight off of a feed by Connor Murphy. Edmonton responded late in the period thanks to a Benoit Pouliot snap-shot off a feed from Teddy Purcell.

Edmonton kept their strong play up in the second period as they took the lead just 1:53 in. Steve Pinizzotto made a beautiful pass to Jesse Joensuu, who hammered home the shot from the slot. The Yotes responded by finally beating the Oiler pressure just over the half-way mark of the period as Rob Klinkhammer snapped a wrist-shot over the shoulder of Ben Scrivens short-handed to tie things up.

Edmonton regained their lead early in the third, as Pinizzotto once again found Joensuu who snapped a shot past Devan Dubnyk to make it 3-2. The goal came just 2:37 into the frame. Edmonton would create numerous other chances in the third period, including two more from Benoit Pouliot, who had a senastional night.

Ben Scrivens would stop all ten shots he faced in the third to cement the 3-2 victory for Edmonton.

The Good:

Leon Draisaitl had his best game of the pre-season. He created a lot of chances offensively, was moving the puck extremely well, and played well defensively too. He didn’t look overwhelmed and he was very comfortable with David Perron and Jordan Eberle, and the trio showed some real chemistry. Draisaitl played well, and if tonight is the norm, he’ll have some success this year. Still, it’s just one game.

Jesse Joensuu looked extremely good tonight. He was physically involved in the game and he found the back of the net twice. He used his size and controlled the puck throughout the night, and found himself in the right places more often than not. Steve Pinizzotto looked good as well, getting physically into things and setting up Joensuu on both goals. Both of these guys have shown well these last few pre-season games, and are still in the conversation for a roster spot.

The Bad:

Keith Aulie looked better than his first few appearances during the pre-season, but he once again showed some weak signs. He’s really in danger of missing out on a roster spot, and really needs to work on his speed and his defensive positioning.

Wasn’t impressed with Oscar Klefbom tonight either. He made some bad decisions and mistakes with the puck, and he didn’t seem comfortable back on the blue-line. He looked like what he is, a young defender still adapting to the North American pro game. I’ve said it all summer, and I’ll say it again, this is a guy that likely should start the season in the AHL. Tonight was another reason why I believe in that.

Injury Notes:

Andrew Ference didn’t play again tonight, but Bob Stauffer mentioned during the radio broadcast that he should be good to go on opening night next Thursday. Fellow defender Jeff Petry is still out with a shoulder injury, and his status moving forward is a bit up for debate. Bob Stauffer mentioned that he may not be ready to go against the Flames.

The Oilers lost David Perron tonight, as he suffered a rib injury following a major hit. He returned briefly but ended up leaving after a few shifts. It didn’t seem serious, but we’ll see the extent of it.

The Road Ahead:

Edmonton hosts Vancouver on Thursday night at Rexall Place, and visits the Canucks on Saturday. Following that, it’s opening night on Thursday October 9th against the Flames. We are closing in my friends, it’s almost that time yet again.