In the first nine games of the NHL season, Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch was the National Hockey’s League’s Blender King, mixing up his forward lines more than any other NHL coach. Few lines lasted more than one or two games together. Many didn’t even last one or two periods.
In the last four games, however Knoblauch has switched it up, going with the same three steady lines at the top of the Oilers roster. This switcheroo in strategy is how paying off, with Edmonton getting two wins and five points in the standings in the last three games, a 6-3 win over the Mammoth of Utah, a 4-3 OT loss to the New York Rangers and a 3-2 OT win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Two of the steady lines, in particular, have responded well to sticking together. They are creating more Grade A shots than their opponents in 5-on-5 play.
The strongest new trio is Leon Draisaitl with newcomer Jack Roslovic and Vasily Podkolzin on his wings. This line is something of a reprise of the Draisailt, Podkolzin, and Viktor Arvidsson trio that played 261 even strength minutes together last season with a 60% Shots For and 55% Goals For (11 goals for, compared to nine against).
That line held its own, but the 31-year-old Arvidsson never did get into his highest gear on the Oilers. He was banged up in November and missed a bunch of games. He scored just 15 goals in 67 games, not the 20 to 30 goals expected of him. He agreed to a trade to Boston this past summer.
Roslovic, now 28, is four years younger than Arvidsson, who has three goals in 14 games for Boston.
Roslovic is still in his NHL scoring prime. Draisaitl has always played well with faster players who can push opposing d-men back into their own zone, giving Drai more time and space to weave his passing, shooting and puck protecting magic. Roslovic has that kind of blazing speed. He’s also adept passing and shooting the puck. Meanwhile, Podkolzin is two-way workhorse, who hits, forechecks and backchecks like it is his calling in life.
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Together this line in just 52 minutes has scored five goals and given up not one. In the past four games at even strength, Draisaitl is +10 for Grade A shots, creating 17 Grade As while making individual mistakes on 10 against.
Roslovic is an astonishing +17, 18 for, 1 against, and Podkolzin is +12, 15 for, three against, according to Cult of Hockey video review (for the past 15 years the Cult of Hockey has done video review of every single Grade A shot for and against the Oilers, assessing individual contributions to shots for and mistakes on shots against).
One other line is also doing well, Adam Henrique, Trent Frederic and Matt Savoie, an interesting blend of experience and youth, savvy and speed, toughness and skill. They have yet to score much in 25 minutes, one goal for, one against, but they’re giving up little in the way of Grade A shots on defence while creating well enough on the attack.
When it comes to Grade A shots +/-, Henrique is +7 and Savoie and Frederic +4 each.
The only steady line not truly clicking yet is the top unit of Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Andrew Mangiapane. They’ve been out for one goal for, two against in 56 minutes and they’re also getting outshot. Nugent-Hopkins has been more effective at centre this year at even strength than on the wing. If this trio can also pick it up and connect better, the Oilers are going to beat hard to beat in the next stretch of games, even against tough competition.
This next test is tonight in St. Louis, where the Blues have won just three of 12 games so far. St. Louis is a fast and skilled team, though, so expect them to come out hungry.
Grade A shots 13 games
At the Cult of Hockey
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