Henrique has more games played than Mannville has residents. Nevertheless, his goal came at an important time. The Oilers were controlling the game against Chicago, but weren\u2019t being rewarded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not something that I\u2019ve been putting extra pressure on myself to do, but it\u2019s certainly nice to go and get one and finally get back on the board,\u201d said Henrique<\/a> after a 3-1 victory over the Blackhawks<\/a> on Thursday night.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The Blackhawks asked Tristan Jarry questions, creating their offence off the rush. He was tested with much better looks than the Utah Mammoth provided nine days before. Jarry made the saves he needed to make on a total of ten high danger chances for (HDCF). The Oilers hope it continues to grow his confidence.<\/p>\n Collectively, they have a five-game winning streak, something that seemed like a far-off dream this time two weeks ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur group\u2019s just been really attentive these past few weeks. I think we\u2019re really buying in,\u201d said Matt Savoie<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, we know how important this time of year is and the push we have to make the playoffs and give ourselves a really good spot in the standings. So guys know how big a time of year it is, and guys are digging in.\u201d<\/p>\n With Anaheim\u2019s loss to St. Louis on Friday night, the Oilers and Ducks each have six games remaining and are tied with 87 points<\/a>.Torts retorts<\/p>\n John Tortorella doesn\u2019t look like the type of man who\u2019d lead a group of 20 men on an Easter egg hunt. However, in two showings against the slowest rabbits in the pasture in Vancouver and Calgary, it\u2019s two wins for Torts and the team. <\/p>\n The shock and awe hiring of the \u201cold wise man<\/a>,\u201d dubbed by Sportsnet upon his first game behind the Vegas Golden Knights bench, Tortorella is supposed to provide a redemptive end to their season.\u00a0<\/p>\n One thing\u2019s for sure, he\u2019s never afraid to crack a few eggs to make an omelette.\u00a0<\/p>\n Would Vegas have won those games with Bruce Cassidy? Probably. This game will be their test in showing a little life, especially with the chance of a rematch<\/a> in two weeks time with bigger chocolate bunnies on the line.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cI have a few points of emphasis that we\u2019ll go over as a team, just about mindset and odds and ends,\u201d he said at his introduction<\/a> on Monday.\u00a0\u201cI just want to come in and keep my head down and try to help the best way I can, to try to find a way to get in, and see where we go from there.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, and Noah Hanifin all talked about spirit, emotion, and gusto as far as what the team lacked down the stretch.\u00a0<\/p>\n The team was an all-time shooting percentage plus save percentage (PDO) downslope<\/a>. They were creating scoring chances, but couldn\u2019t bury. They were getting behind early in games, digging holes that only occasionally they could dig out of.\u00a0<\/p>\n But it\u2019s also true, they lacked\u2026.something.\u00a0<\/p>\n Even with the coaching change, Vegas has allowed the first goal in its last two games. On Thursday against the Flames, Mitch Marner played his best game<\/a> in the golden threads, scoring a hat-trick and chiming in with two assists.\u00a0<\/p>\n Their third period, easily their best of the three this season, came through to break a deadlock and win 6-3.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe just stuck with our game plan of trying to play quick, play up the ice, play in their face,\u201d Marner said. \u201cI thought we did a better job throughout the game of covering for one another when we were doing that. Obviously, some great plays from some guys to find me, and just kind of make plays.\u201d<\/p>\n Make the finalToday, will be legendary commentator Vic Rauter\u2019s<\/a> last curling broadcast as Canada looks to win the Worlds Championships.\u00a0Meanwhile, the Oilers will look to \u201ccount \u2019em up\u20261\u20262\u20263\u20264\u201d and sweep the season-series against the Golden Knights, and win their sixth straight against their Pacific foe.<\/p>\n Every Oiler has talked about the need to step up in Leon Draisaitl\u2019s absence. But they\u2019re backing up their words.<\/p>\n For example, the Oilers\u2019 fourth line has been involved in the game\u2019s first goal three straight times. That makes Henrique\u2019s offensive contribution all the more important if he wants to remain in the lineup.\u00a0With Colton Dach\u2019s return from injury expected shortly, just Trent Frederic and Curtis Lazar in the preceding games, coach Kris Knoblauch has options like he\u2019s rarely had all season.<\/p>\n Plus, once the fourth line has helped established the lead, the Oilers haven\u2019t relinquished it. In the Oilers\u2019 17 home games in 2026 before Saturday, Edmonton had won and never trailed in the game twice. They\u2019ve surpassed that mark in a week alone.<\/p>\n Matt Savoie could\u2019ve made had a multi-goal game, but the rules of offside took back the marker away on Thursday. However, the results post-Olympics continue to impress. Savoie has six goals and 14 points in 17 games since the break.<\/p>\n He\u2019s leaped to tenth in rookie scoring this season.<\/p>\n Notes:\u00a0Kasperi Kapanen on Friday<\/a> after an optional skate, talking about the start of the season to now: \u201cWe were just underperforming. We have an extremely talented, extremely good, and I\u2019d say, complete hockey team. We weren\u2019t playing to the best of our ability. And, as of late, we\u2019ve kind of found it.\u201d\u00a0On Thursday, Carter Hart played his first game since January 8. He made 19 saves on 22 shots against. One would expect Adin Hill to get the nod in this game, though. Hill has allowed seven goals in two starts against the Oilers this season.Connor Ingram made all 27 saves for his second shutout of the season against the Kraken. That was his ninth career shutout.He\u2019s started all three games vs Vegas, with a 3-0 record, a .907 save percentage, and a 2.67 goals against average.Vegas\u2019 offence might be turning around. Starting against the Oilers on March 26, they\u2019ve scored 17 goals in their last four games.This begins a four-game road trip for the Golden Knights that will take them through the Pacific Division, but wrap up next Saturday in Colorado.Anaheim hosts Calgary tonight after a poor showing at home against the Blues. It\u2019s one thing to play free with no expectations. It\u2019s another to be\u00a0expected to win games. The ol\u2019 scavenger hunter vs hunted.\u00a0The Oilers are 9-0-2 at home against divisional foes this season.Vegas is 2-6 on the road since the Olympic break.Edmonton broke a streak of 15 consecutive unsuccessful powerplays with Savoie\u2019s ricochet goal vs the Blackhawks. Meanwhile, the penalty kill has denied 11 straight opportunities for the enemy.Pavel Dorofeyev rifled home his 35th of the season vs the Flames on the powerplay. That ties his total from last year.Trent Frederic played 13:36 of ice-time with two shots on goal in his return to the lineup. That was his highest ice-time since February 26.Vegas has one of the strongest man advantages of the league, but remarkably, Jack Eichel hasn\u2019t scored a powerplay goal. He has the most goals in the NHL without a powerplay goal.There\u2019s another forward potentially in the mix of the Oilers lineup. New forward Owen Michaels<\/a> out of Western Michigan got a one-year entry-level contract that begins now. The circumstances of the contract didn\u2019t allow for a longer entry-level contract, as he\u2019ll turn 24 next month. He can\u2019t be sent to Bakersfield, either. No member of Oilers management has commented on what the plan is for Michaels.<\/p>\n Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and co-host of PreGaming and Oilersnation After Dark. He\u2019s also been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years of news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, Menzies collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues. Follow him on X at Menzies_4.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Hockey fans recognize elite performance instantly, and that\u2019s exactly how