Devon Levi shines, the Dynamic Duo locks up the win, and the Oilers’ power play needs some creativity

After what can only be described as an outrageous win on Thursday in Vancouver, the Edmonton Oilers were back on home ice for their first matchup of the season against the Seattle Kraken. And while the mission was absolutely to win the game, I think the bigger hope for all of us was that they could put together something that looked closer to a full 60 minutes. And while we didn’t get the offensive explosion of the first two nights, we did see an Edmonton Oilers team with a much better handle on the details as they scraped their way to a 3-1 win.DEVON LEVI GETS HIS BOUNCE BACKIt’s no surprise that the bulk of the conversation around here over the last couple of days revolved around who would get the start against Seattle. With Tristan Jarry and Devon Levi giving up six and seven goals in their respective starts, it was fair to wonder who Babcock would tap for the first chance to rebound. On ONR this past Friday, Tyler Yaremchuk floated the theory about maybe giving Levi the start back at home because it would give him the opportunity to bounce back in front of a friendly crowd. Had it been Jarry instead, it doesn’t take much to imagine a scenario where Oilers fans would be on him in a very real way if anything went sideways. I mean, we got a Bronx cheer in the first game of the year, and maybe giving Jarry his next start on the road might be a smarter play for his mental health. Like the theory? I kinda did. It made sense to me.So, when Devon Levi was named the starter for Saturday night, I wondered how much Mike Babcock thought about the same thing. He was quick to protect the kid after giving up a touchdown in Vancouver, and maybe he didn’t want him sitting on that performance until the Oilers play next on Wednesday night. Either way, Levi was back between the pipes and tasked with shutting down a Seattle club that popped six against the Flames two nights before. And as you already know, Levi was not only up for the challenge but he was fantastic in his second straight start. Unlike what we saw against the Canucks, Levi looked calm, composed, and dialled in from the jump, and made some massive saves down the stretch to lock in a win that could have gone either way. That cross-crease save on Eberle in the third period? Magic. That could have been the game winner, but instead the chance ended up as nothing more than one of the 19 saves he made overall. And the .950 save percentage? It’s hard to ask for a better bounce back night than that.THE DYNAMIC DUOAs cool as it was to see Owen Michaels score his second goal in as many games, last night in Seattle felt like it was always going to come down to the big boys finding a way if the Oilers were going to get out of there with two points. Seattle had the game tied late, Devon Levi was handling his business, and the win was sitting there waiting for someone to grab it. At one end, Levi robbed Jordan Eberle of what could have been the game winner. At the other end, it was Leon Draisaitl who finally broke the stalemate with 2:27 left on the clock before Connor McDavid buried the empty-netter a little over a minute later to nail the coffin shut. It was a night when Mike Babcock leaned on both of them hard, with McDavid playing 26:17 and Draisaitl 24:08, but with four guys from the top nine out of the lineup, those minutes were pretty much necessary. I don’t think anyone wants those TOI numbers staying the long-term plan, but with this many bodies missing, I don’t know that we shouldn’t expect more of this for the time being.Even though we’re only three games in, the start from the Dynamic Duo has been exactly what we’ve come to expect and hope for. McDavid is already sitting on nine points with two goals and seven assists, while Draisaitl has three goals and two helpers, giving Connor and Leon 14 combined points through the first week of the season. And again, with this many regulars on the shelf, that kind of production matters even more right now because the Oilers only got the one goal from the other three lines. The depth absolutely chipped in, Michaels has been a hell of a story that no one saw coming, and Levi gave them a much better night in net, but when the game was there to be won, 97 and 29 were the ones who pushed it over the line. It’s an ending we’ve seen so many times before, and one we’re blessed to witness on a nightly basis. I’m sure there will be plenty of nights when we’re screaming about needing help for the big boys, but against Seattle, it sure was fun to watch them sink the dagger that tucked two more points in the bank.THE POWER PLAY NEEDS MORE PITCHES

As much as it’s way too early to complain about the power play, I still want to do it anyway. I love the Oilers’ power play. Watching them tear teams apart on the man advantage has been one of the most fun parts about this team over the last handful of years, and that’s why I think three games into the season is the perfect time to ask the boys to add a few more pitches to the arsenal. Even though Edmonton has power play goals on the resume this season, I think it’s more than fair to say that there have been plenty of wasted opportunities too. The specific detail I’d like to see them tweak is how many times they’re looking for the McDavid to Draisaitl seam pass to the right circle. And listen, I know that play rocks, and the result is absolute magic more often than anyone can seam to defend, but it does get easier to stop if that’s the only thing they try.

Right now, the power play is mostly Evan Bouchard firing bombs from the point, and the cross-ice pass to Draisaitl in his office, which makes the PP a quarter turn more predictable than we’d like. I’d like to see Connor McDavid firing more pucks from the left side if that’s where he’s going to be. I’d like to see more bodies crashing toward the crease to open up room up top. I’d like to see some creativity. It’s not that I’m saying they need to stop looking for the seam pass to Draisaitl, that would be stupid, but I am saying that not leaning on that play as much might actually open up that lane more often. If the other team can’t game plan the power play as effectively, and the Oilers add a few more pitches behind their fastball, then there’s no reason this crew can’t get back to being a coin flip on the man advantage. With Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman set to return, we’re going to have the band back together before long, and it would be great to have a few more looks for the boys to try out. Too much to ask? I don’t think so.THE EDMONTON ORIGINALS ARE BACKNation Gear’s iconic Nation Citizen, and Hope Will Never Die originals have returned in the limited edition OG Collection on nationgear.ca. 

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