The Edmonton Oilers wrapped up their five-game road trip and started their weekend back-to-back against the red-hot Minnesota Wild in a Saturday matinee (December 20). The Oilers are still looking for their first three-game winning streak of the season, just like them lost 5-2 to the Wild.
Minnesota got goals from Matt Boldy (two), Ryan Hartman, Vladimir Tarasenko and an empty-netter from Nico Sturm, while Andrew Mangiapane and Connor McDavid scored for Edmonton. The home side took an early 2-0 lead before the visitors stormed back to level the match. Then the Wild took the lead with six seconds left in the first period, and they never relinquished it.
Related: Wild Hold on, beat Oilers 5-2
After a high-level five-goal opening frame, the match settled down, with a scoreless second period and an insurance goal for Minnesota in the third period. The Oilers had a strong pushback in the final frame, but it wasn’t enough. Edmonton finished the road trip with a 3-2-0 record and is 17-13-6 overall. Here are three lessons from this difficult loss.
Filip Gustavsson surpasses Calvin Pickard
Calvin Pickard wasn’t bad, but as expected, Filip Gustavsson was the better goaltender. Gustavsson stopped 28 of 30 shots for a .933 save percentage (SV%), while Pickard stopped 32 of 36 shots for a .889 SV%. The Oilers netminder got off to a shaky start, but he settled down and made some big stops to keep the game within striking distance.
However, Gustavsson made some great saves in the third period to weather the storm, ultimately leading to the Wild’s insurance marker. The Minnesota goalie stopped Leon Draissitl’s point-blank one-timer with the right pad, and the play went the other way in transition. Pickard couldn’t control the rebound and Tarasenko rammed in the loose puck. A big save on one end led to a goal on the other.
Andrew Mangiapane was engaged
This was perhaps Mangiapane’s best game as an Oiler. He has been the brunt of heavy criticism lately, and rightly so. He has struggled mightily, and the play often dies on his stick. The experienced striker is still looking for a role in the team, but this match was a good start to establishing that.
The 29-year-old finished the game with one goal, two shots and one hit in 9:55 of ice time. He has the worst plus/minus on the team, but was one of only seven players without a minus in this game.
His goal was the type this team needs more of. He positioned himself in the slot, put his stick on the ice and sent the puck past the netminder. He reached a dangerous area and was rewarded.
Moreover, he was physically involved and played with an edge. During one sequence in the opening frame, he drove hard to the net and was involved in a scrum after the whistle. He didn’t let himself be pressured and stood up for himself, which was nice to see. If he plays like this consistently, he will have more success. Hopefully this was a building block and he can take confidence from this effort.
Spencer Stastney has impressed
Last Friday (December 12), the Oilers acquired Tristan Jarry and Samuel Poulin from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak and a second-round pick. However, the same day, the Oilers also acquired Spencer Stastney from the Nashville Predators for a third-round pick in an underrated move. This was Stastney’s fifth game as an Oiler, and he is a solid addition to the defensive core.
While still pointless, it has been extremely eye-catching. The 25-year-old is a solid puck mover and has exceptional speed. He can use his speed to avoid the forcheck and move the puck forward efficiently. The left-shot blueliner was the perfect Kulak replacement. He was paired with Darnell Nurse, but once Jake Walman returns he will add some much-needed puck-moving ability to the third pairing, which will complement Ty Emberson extremely well.
The Oilers return home on Sunday (December 21) to take on the Vegas Golden Knights to kick off a two-game homestand before the holiday break. They will look to get revenge on the Wild and avoid being swept in the season series in their final meeting on Jan. 31 in Edmonton. Keep following The hockey writers for all your NHL content throughout the season.
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