The Edmonton Oilers have rattled off four wins in a row and a big reason for that is largely in part to Connor McDavid looking like the best hockey player on the planet again, tallying 13 points in that span. Nevertheless, because of the captain’s extraordinary rise and in combination with the offensive production of the other top-six players, the contributions of the unheralded Oilers may get overlooked sometimes.
The Oilers are starting to look like the team that many hockey pundits pegged as Stanley Cup contenders before the season started. While McDavid will undoubtedly steal the spotlight, below are four unsung heroes who have played a massive role during Edmonton’s four-game winning streak.
#4 – Mattias Janmark’s Return Gave the Oilers a Spark
Much like the rest of his Oilers’ teammates, Mattias Janmark struggled out of the gates this season, going pointless in his first ten games. He missed over a month of hockey, returned to the lineup on Nov. 22 and he’s been on the upswing ever since.
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When Zach Hyman couldn’t play against the Vegas Golden Knights on Nov. 28, Janmark got the bump to the first line with McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and he didn’t disappoint. He cycled well, brought energy (five hits) and scored his first goal of the season. Defensively, he denied a potential goal in the first period with a great read on a cross-ice pass on the penalty kill.
Against the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 30, Janmark caused a stir when he drew a pick on Jets’ defenceman Josh Morrissey, knocking him to the ice. No penalty was called on the play, but it caused a scrum and took the star defenceman off the ice for a short while. Also, the Oilers’ forward picked up an assist on Darnell Nurse’s game-tying goal late in the third period.
During the Oilers’ four-game-winning streak, they’ve killed off 93% of their penalties, and Janmark has been a solid contributor to the unit, playing just over eight shorthanded minutes in that span. Many in Oil Country often criticize Janmark when he gets bumped up to play in the top-six, but for only a $1 million cap hit, he provides excellent value for all the intangibles he brings to the team.
#3 – Ceci Has Been One of Oilers’ Most Reliable Blueliners
Cody Ceci emerged as arguably one of Edmonton’s most reliable defencemen during his first season with the team in 2021-22; however, he faced challenges last season. During the second-round match with Vegas last year, the shot attempts were 34 – 16 in the Golden Knights’ favour when Ceci was on the ice at 5-on-5.
Because of his struggles many Oilers’ fans were calling for Ceci to be traded this past offseason; however it was later revealed that he was struggling with a groin injury all season, and I wrote this past summer that it would be in the team’s interest to wait to see if he bounces back from his injury, because at a $3.25 million cap hit, and the Oilers salary cap troubles, he provides very good value when performing at his best.
As we know, the entire Oilers’ team struggled in the first quarter of the season, but Ceci has taken a big step to become reliable again, especially during Edmonton’s latest four-game winning streak and even showed his grit after losing some teeth against the Anaheim Ducks on Nov. 26 and returning shortly after.
Moreover, Ceci likely played his best game of the season against Vegas on Nov. 28, winning board battles all game, leading the team in minutes on the penalty kill and finishing with a plus-3 plus/minus rating on the night. The Oilers’ blueliner will never be a big point producer, but if he continues to be solid on the backend, Edmonton will be getting exceptional value out of his $3.25 million cap hit.
#2 – Darnell Nurse Deserves Credit Where It’s Due
Defenceman Darnell Nurse is one of the highest-paid players on the Oilers and wouldn’t normally be viewed as an unsung hero because he’s a leader on the team, but he makes this list simply due to the fact of all the criticism he’s faced over the last couple of seasons, including from this writer. But you have to give credit where it’s due because ever since he was struck in the head with the puck in warm-up on Nov. 22, he’s been rock solid on the blue line.
Against the Ducks on Nov. 26, the Oilers’ defender made likely the most impressive stretch pass of his career, sending a 100-footer onto the tape of a streaking Nugent-Hopkins, who after the game mentioned that it was Nurse who drew up the play before the faceoff and dare I say, that pass had a Chris Pronger-like finesse to it.
Nurse’s reads have been on point and his defensive play has been top-notch, like when he executed a well-timed sprawl on a 2-on-1, eliminating a high-danger chance for the Jets on Nov. 30. On top of that, he scored a huge goal, beating Connor Hellebuyck to tie the game late.
Hockey analyst Rob Brown summarized Nurse’s play, saying on the “Inside Sports” show, “Darnell Nurse is playing fantastic hockey right now. And I know that he is a hot-button type of player in Edmonton where some people think he’s the greatest, and some will not like him no matter what he does, but Darnell Nurse is playing excellent hockey.”
The Oilers’ play as a whole has shown maturity, especially on the penalty kill and that’s due in part to Nurse stepping up on the back end. He has ten blocked shots in the last four games, and with only four hits in that span, it suggests that he’s playing a calmer game and not running around trying to make a big hit.
#1- Stuart Skinner Has Battled in the Oilers’ Net
There was an expectation for the home-grown goaltender Stuart Skinner to take the next step in his development this season, but everything that could go wrong for the Oilers went wrong and the Edmonton, AB native struggled to make a big save in the first quarter of the season.
Skinner struggled mightily in his first eight games, posting a 3.87 goals-against average (GAA) and .854 save percentage (SV%), but he’s shown a resurgence in the last stretch, especially during the Oilers’ winning streak. In the last four games, he’s posted a 1.75 GAA and a .930 SV%, including a shutout against the Washington Capitals on Nov. 24.
Earlier in the season, the Oilers were giving up too many high-danger chances, and Skinner struggled to bail his team out, but they’re finally getting that extra save from him to keep them in the fight, such as the stop he made only a minute into the third period against the Jets on Nov. 30 when he denied Nikolaj Ehlers in the slot. Edmonton struggled to score early in that game and had Winnipeg scored on that play, chances are the Oilers wouldn’t have staged a comeback and secured the win.
Allan Mitchell spoke on the “The Lowdown with Lowetide” show about the Oilers’ netminder, saying, “Stuart Skinner is a good goaltender, he’s a good NHL goaltender, I’d say he’s in the top 15, I think that’s fair, top 20 at worst, but he did not have a good start. He had a great year last year as a rookie, he’s the real deal, got away from it a little bit.” He added, “But now they’re back, and so is Stuart Skinner.”
It does appear that the Oilers “are back”, for now at least. Yet, they still have a lot of work ahead of them. The entire team looks more in sync and they’re getting contributions from up and down the lineup, from McDavid returning to form, all the way to the unsung heroes.
What stands out most about the Oilers during their winning streak? Have your say in the comments below!