The Minnesota Wild continue to dominate the Edmonton Oilers, sweeping the three-game season series with a 7-3 victory on Saturday night (Jan. 31). Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Oilers have an abysmal 4-14-0 record against the Wild. Edmonton lost its first game in regulation while wearing its alternate cream-coloured uniforms, going 5-1-1 in those threads this season.
Joel Eriksson Ek, Kirill Kaprizov, Mats Zuccarello, Quinn Hughes, Vladimir Tarasenko, Tyler Pitlick, and Brock Faber scored for Minnesota. Meanwhile, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Jack Roslovic scored for Edmonton. Josh Samanski, a 23-year-old rookie, also registered his first NHL point in his third career game.
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The visitors scored five unanswered goals, including three in the second period, to erase the Oilers’ early 2-1 lead in the first period. Opponents are humiliating the Oilers at Rogers Place far too often, which is unacceptable. Here are three takeaways from this disappointing blowout loss.
Oilers Still Have a Goalie Problem
Was Tristan Jarry really an upgrade over Stuart Skinner? Jarry hasn’t been the upgrade that the fans hoped for. He was injured during his third start with his new team and missed nearly one month. Upon his return, he hasn’t been good. The Oilers gave up Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a second-round pick for Jarry, without salary retention. They gave up quite a bit but are still getting the same quality of goaltending as before the deal. The only difference is that Jarry’s cap hit is significantly higher than Skinner’s. So, was it worth it?
Jarry got pulled in this one after allowing five goals on 20 shots for a putrid .750 save percentage (SV%). The Oilers required a save in the second period but didn’t get it. He was beaten clean off a set faceoff play to begin the second period in a shot he had to save. Then, Hughes’ initial shot went off the end boards, but he got the rebound and buried it because Jarry was late getting to the post, in another weak goal.
Jarry has an .836 SV% in his last five games and an .873 SV% as an Oiler. That’s not good enough, and he needs to be much better.
Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov tries to get to a loose puck behind Edmonton Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry (Perry Nelson-Imagn Images)
Connor Ingram hasn’t fared any better in his last few outings. He allowed two goals on nine shots for a .778 SV% in relief. He was also pulled after allowing three goals on 12 shots on Jan. 24 against the Washington Capitals. Then, he allowed three first-period goals against the San Jose Sharks during his last start. The Oilers continue to get inconsistent and mediocre goaltending. Maybe Skinner wasn’t the problem.
Oilers’ Drafting Woes Were Prevalent
This takeaway relates to the first one. If only the Oilers had someone like Jesper Wallstedt on their team. Oh, wait, they could’ve had him. Edmonton had the opportunity to draft the netminder in 2021 but decided to trade down instead. They traded the 20th overall pick to the Wild for the 22nd overall selection and a third-round pick.
Minnesota drafted Wallstedt in that spot, while Edmonton selected Xavier Bourgault a few picks later. Bourgault was eventually traded and has played just two games in the NHL. Meanwhile, Wallstedt is turning into an elite goalie.
The Minnesota goaltender finished the game with 39 saves on 42 shots for a .929 SV%. He also stopped all 33 shots he faced in a 1-0 shutout victory against the Oilers on Dec. 2. Management failed to solve Edmonton’s goalie problem on the draft floor in 2021 when they passed on Wallstedt. This draft will haunt the organization for a long time.
Oilers’ Poor Discipline Proved Costly
The Oilers were undisciplined in the first period, and the Wild took advantage, scoring two power-play goals on three opportunities. “The tide changed in the first period, taking three penalties in the offensive zone, leading to two goals against. That was a big turning point for us,” head coach Kris Knoblauch stated postgame.
Curtis Lazar took a high-sticking penalty, Connor McDavid took a tripping penalty, and Zach Hyman took a goaltender interference penalty after bulldozing into Wallstedt. Those were three preventable infractions, and the Oilers couldn’t recover from their underwhelming penalty kill. Minnesota grabbed the momentum and didn’t give it back.
The Oilers look to bounce back as they conclude their season-long eight-game homestand on Tuesday, Feb. 3, against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Keep following The Hockey Writers for all your NHL content throughout the season.
