Studs and Duds Week 4

For this weeks Studs and Duds, It was a frustrating week for the Edmonton Oilers. I was at the snoozer against the Ottawa Senators and watched the other games this week and quite frankly, the Oilers looked bad against the Ontario teams. The Maple Leafs game was a game they should have came away from with two points, not one. The Rangers was a heartbreaker, losing with only 80 seconds left in the regulation.

The Three Studs

Studs: 3. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

I just do not understand the hate RNH is taking from various people. Sure, he’s not scoring as much (he had his first goal of the season on the Power Play against the Rangers), but man, has Nugent-Hopkins looked efficient on the defensive side of the game. He’s been great at adapting to this new role, although is it really a new role? Nugent-Hopkins has always gone toe to toe against the NHL’s elite. I’d love to see him pot sixty points some day, but I’m happy with his two way game.

Studs: 2. Jesse Puljujarvi

Puljujarvi looked like the best winger of the week. He had a beauty set up for Patrick Maroon against the Rangers and he does little things right defensively. He had some really good chances on the week overall, although his reign as a stud was short lived as he took a brutal knee on knee hit from Dennis Seidenberg of the Islanders. It was a dirty hit on a rookie that has started to come on his own.

Studs: 1. Cam Talbot

Talbot makes another appearance at number one! While his save percentage took a dip, Talbot has been stellar as usual in net. There was so much panicking about his performance against Buffalo, but that seems like forever ago. He’s been a bonafide starter and that is a great breath of fresh air. Unlike the 2011-12 start, where the Oilers went 8-2-2 to start the year, Talbot has been playing a sustainable level of hockey. I can’t say any goals that he’s let in this week was his fault.

Honorable Mentions: Tyler Pitlick and Darnell Nurse

Boy have these two guys come out to play this week. Nurse had a big goal against the Rangers for his second of the season and has looked very comfortable in a third pairing role. It’s a crazy idea, but maybe sending a young player with softer minutes actually helps them develop. I know it’s madness.

Snideness aside, Nurse has looked very solid. He’s making some key hits, playing more with his head on a swivel. I’ve also noticed that Nurse is very difficult to beat one on one. Nurse is moving the puck very well up the ice. Solid start, Darnell.

Tyler Pitlick is playing like a bat out of hell in every game and really took it against the Islanders. Still a bit too soon to give him top nine minutes, but depending on injuries, he might be worth a look at. He’s tenacious on the forecheck and that’s something the Oilers have been lacking for so long.

The Duds

Duds:Take your pick!

For the duds this week, there are plenty to choose from. The team finished at the time of writing 1-2-1, which isn’t good enough. The first line save McDavid has not been good. I’ve seen people already looking at Milan Lucic, because he’s been slow hasn’t converted chances and that’s a fair critisism. Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson had their worst games as Edmonton Oilers against the New York Rangers, especially Klefbom. However, my dud right now has to go to Jordan Eberle.

Eberle has ghosted these last five games. He simply is invisible on the ice. When Jordan Eberle doesn’t produce, which right now he isn’t, there’s nothing going on. Yes, he is an excellent point producer and has produced with some pretty awful Oilers teams, but how is the offence drying up playing with one of the best centres in the NHL? He is always hesitant to go into corners and there are still back checking issues. What boggles my mind is that Eberle is still getting top minutes with McDavid while Lucic gets moved to the third line.

Mind you, Eberle did have a brainfart (again) for the Islanders third goal but drove to the net creating a scoring chance for Lucic to pot in. Not bad.

Duds: INJURIES.

The Oilers lost Kris Russell, Jesse Puljujarvi and Zack Kassian between Thursday and Sunday.

They join: Iiro Pakarainen, Matt Hendricks, Brandon Davidson, Drake Caggiula and Mark Fayne. That’s 7 Oilers already injured this season and totalled 48 man games lost. Unbelievalbe how injuries keep hammering the Oilers, season after season. At least this time it’s not a key player being injured (KNOCKS ON WOOD FURIOUSLY).

Duds: Clutching and Grabbing

I’m so happy the NHL has allowed that clutching and grabbing is back in the NHL. The Toronto game is solid evidence of this as Kadri was holding onto McDavid’s arm as he was driving to the net for the eventual overtime game winner. I’ve noticed plenty of players grabbing onto others and pinning against the boards with no calls in sight.

Wonder why scoring is down? It’s an easy fix NHL.