Oilers Thoughts: Knoblauch spot-on with Kapanen, McDavid\u2019s double-digit shots, Hutson update, Ingram bounce back, and the new third line<\/p>\n
The definition of frustration is the feeling of being upset or annoyed, especially when you can\u2019t change or achieve something \u2014 a feeling many fans in Oil Country know all too well with Kris Knoblauch\u2019s constant line shuffling as of late.<\/p>\n
But Tuesday\u2019s game against the Nashville Predators<\/a>, that frustration turned to joy, as the head coach got a couple of line combinations just right. In this edition of Oilers Thoughts, we\u2019ll dive into those lines, Connor McDavid\u2019s shot mentality, Quinn Hutson<\/a> continuing his hot streak, and Connor Ingram<\/a> bouncing back after a rough New Year\u2019s Eve performance.Knoblauch was spot-on in placing Kasperi Kapanen on the second line<\/p>\n Kasperi Kapanen was set to make his return to the lineup against the Nashville Predators, and after nearly three months away from game action, I would\u2019ve expected him to start in the bottom six to get his legs under him.<\/p>\n My initial thought was, \u2018Wait\u2026 what?\u2019 But after a couple of days to think it over and figure out the logic behind it, my reaction shifted from surprise to genuine intrigue, remembering that the combination of that trio had worked before, and had some successful moments last playoffs.<\/p>\n Kapanen sat out most of last playoffs until he was inserted into the lineup in Game 4 against the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round. Podkolzin, Draisaitl, and Kapanen played together the last two games of the series versus Vegas, outshooting them 11\u20135, and that trio came up huge in Game 5, producing the lone goal, with Kapanen scoring his signature goal in Oilers\u2019 silks<\/a> \u2014 tucking home the game-winner in overtime to move on to the next round.And you have to give credit where it\u2019s due \u2014 despite the line blender being on max speed as of late, the head coach went back to a hunch that worked before, putting Kapanen back on Draisaitl\u2019s line against the Preds. Line two combined for two goals, with Kapanen receiving a pass from Draisaitl in the second period and getting off a perfect shot\u2026 or a lucky whiff, scoring his first of the season<\/a>. Kapanen then returned the favour, finding his centerman in the third period, and Draisaitl buried it en route to a 6\u20132 win.<\/p>\n Welcome back Kasperi Kapanen! <\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf9: Sportsnet <\/p>\n Overall, the trio played 12:55 together, scored two goals, and held a 4\u20133 edge in high-danger chances. It\u2019s unlikely this line will stay hot long-term, but as we\u2019ve seen before, it\u2019s a solid combination to throw together when the team needs a second-line jolt. Moreover, the timing couldn\u2019t have been better. Draisaitl needed a big game, having struggled at five-on-five lately<\/a>, producing just one even-strength point in the past four games before last game.Mcdavid reaches double digits in shots on goal for second time ever<\/p>\n We\u2019ve spent over ten years watching Connor McDavid do phenomenal things in an Oilers uniform, and what\u2019s almost even more impressive is that he\u2019s still finding ways to raise the bar.<\/p>\n After scoring a hat trick against Nashville with some pretty-looking goals that my brain files under \u2018visually satisfying,\u2019 he now sits first in the league with 75 points, and one stat that really stood out from that game was that he fired ten shots on the Predators\u2019 net. Simply put, the captain is letting the shots fly.<\/p>\n This Connor McDavid heater just keeps getting more and more impressive!<\/p>\n Oilersnation After Dark Presented by Swiss Donair<\/p>\n McDavid said postgame after his three-goal performance<\/a>, \u201cYou guys like to talk about me wanting to shoot the puck. I\u2019ve said I wanted to shoot the puck, and I\u2019m shooting the puck.\u201d And shoot it he did, reaching double digits in shots for just the second time in his NHL career. The only other instance came on April 1, 2022, against the St. Louis Blues, when he registered 11 shots, scored twice, and helped the Oilers to a 6\u20135 overtime win<\/a>.Connor Ingram follows bounce-back pattern after sub-.800 sv% performanceOilers\u2019 netminder Connor Ingram put up a stinker against the Boston Bruins on New Year\u2019s Eve, posting an underwhelming .793 SV% in a 6-2 loss. Following that poor outing, I noticed a pattern he\u2019s shown over the last two and a half years<\/a>: after posting a sub-.800 SV%, he tends to bounce back rather strongly, particularly in the second game following the rough night, posting the following:<\/p>\n \u2013 Oct. 24, 2023: .667 SV% \u2192 next two games: .967, .933 Usually, Ingram\u2019s biggest rebound comes in the second game after the poor outing. But against Nashville, he didn\u2019t wait: after a sub-.800 performance on New Year\u2019s Eve, he bounced back right away, stopping 24 of 26 shots for a .923 SV% against the Predators. Having said that, considering his usual pattern of posting a big game in the second outing after a bad one, I\u2019m really looking forward to his next game.<\/p>\n That\u2019ll be 4 Quality Starts in 5 games for Connor Ingram. Very steady so far minus one stinker vs BOS. #LetsGoOilers<\/a><\/p>\n On that note, bouncing back after a very bad game isn\u2019t a given. For some netminders, it could derail them and lead to a streak of poor performances. But Ingram has consistently shown the mental mindset to shake off a bad game and move on.<\/p>\n Quinn Hutson not letting call-ups and send-downs affect his gameQuinn Hutson had a three-game stint with the Oilers last December, scored his first NHL goal, was sent back down, got called up in early January, played one game against the Philadelphia Flyers, and was sent right back down to the AHL<\/a>. Call me a worrywart, and maybe it\u2019s because I have lingering nerves from how the Oilers have mishandled young players before, but I was a little concerned about Hutson\u2019s recent demotion.<\/p>\n I wondered about thoughts he may have had while sitting on the plane back to Bakersfield, like, \u2018What else do I have to do to stick with the big club? Or why did Howard stay in the NHL and not me?\u2019 Those thoughts came to mind, and I felt that another demotion might risk slowing his momentum. But boy, am I glad Hutson has proven me wrong.<\/p>\n Quinn Hutson two goals in first period tonight for @Condors<\/a> and is now tied for AHL lead with 21 goals. He’s played 27 games.<\/p>\n Hutson picked up exactly where he left off. In his first game back with the Bakersfield Condors, he scored two goals and added an assist<\/a>, finishing with three points on the night. That performance moved him into a tie for first in the league in goals (21) and into a tie for third in points overall. That said, I\u2019m very glad he\u2019s continued his hot streak, and looking forward to seeing the 23-year-old get an extended look with the big club at some point. He\u2019s earned it.Does the Isaac Howard\u2013Jack Roslovic\u2013Matt Savoie line have real potential?Knoblauch created \u2018the Kid line\u2019 of Isaac Howard, Matt Savoie, and Quinn Hutson and deployed them against the Flyers. They couldn\u2019t gain traction, gave up a goal after being placed in a tough defensive-zone draw, and the experiment was short-lived when Hutson was sent back down to the AHL<\/a> to make room for Kapanen\u2019s return.The trio controlled play each time they were on the ice, and they were buzzing, particularly Howard. Having scored 10 goals in 16 games in his recent AHL stint,<\/a> he came into the game against the Preds with the hot stick but played setup man last game, creating scoring opportunities for his linemates. On one play in particular, he found Savoie all alone in front, and the line could\u2019ve generated at least a couple of goals if they had capitalized.<\/p>\n According to Natural Stat Trick, the trio played 5:52 together and posted a 75% Corsi, 100% SF%, 100% xGF%, 100% HDCF%, and 75% SCF% \u2014 stellar underlying metrics, doing everything except actually scoring.<\/p>\n That said, I\u2019m not sure if this line is a long-term solution, but for the near future, I feel it has potential \u2014 you have a confident Howard, who seems to have chemistry with Savoie, who is defensively savvy, paired with a shifty player down the middle in Roslovic, who has a calming presence and fires the puck with ease. Three offensively minded players who can think the game the same way. The potential is there.<\/p>\n The Isaac Howard\u2013Jack Roslovic\u2013Matt Savoie line played 5:52 together and controlled the play:<\/p>\n – 6\u20130 in shots I\u2019d like to see them get a longer look together.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Dec. 19, 2023: .500 SV% \u2192 next two games: .846, 1.000
\u2013 Feb. 8, 2024: .500 SV% \u2192 next two games: .865, .933
\u2013 Nov. 18, 2024: .692 SV% \u2192 next two games: .938, .917
\u2013 Nov. 2, 2025 (AHL): .750 SV% \u2192 next two games: .895, .926<\/p>\n
\n– 6-2 edge in scoring chances
\n– 100% xGF<\/p>\n