3 Takeaways as Oilers Dominate in 4-1 Win Over the Kraken

It felt as though there was a different vibe around this Edmonton Oilers team over the past two days. After what was described as the team’s best practice of the year by Evander Kane on Friday, Jay Woodcroft seemed to be in a great mood when speaking with media this morning, as he threw some friendly jabs at Gene Principe and Mark Spector.

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Woodcroft’s light-hearted demeanour seemed to rub off on his team, as they looked like their old selves versus the Seattle Kraken tonight. While there is still room for improvement, they were able to walk away with a massive 4-1 win to help end a four-game slide. Here are the three main takeaways from this exciting affair.

Zach Hyman Hat Trick

The Oilers desperately needed one of their leaders to step up and take the bull by the horns in this one, and Zach Hyman did just that. The 31-year-old, who had been extremely quiet as of late, scored a natural hat trick in the first period to give the Oilers a quick 3-0 lead.

Though he didn’t contribute anything further offensively, Hyman was all over the ice for the entirety of the game. It won’t be talked about nearly as much as his hat trick, but he made a superb defensive play late in the second period on what would have been a high-danger opportunity for former Oiler Kailer Yamamoto. Let’s hope that this game is what gets Hyman back on track moving forward.

Locking Things Down Defensively

Despite losing to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, the Oilers played a solid defensive game, giving up just 17 shots in the evening. That continued into this game, as aside from a few key saves, Stuart Skinner wasn’t needed to do a whole lot. He wound up facing just 18 shots in this contest, as his teammates did everything in their power to lock it down in front of him.

What will be interesting to see is if this great defensive play can continue to last moving forward. It is certainly a great sight to see, but it is worth noting that it has come against two teams struggling to score goals in the Sharks and the Kraken. Luckily for the Oilers, their next game will come against another team in the New York Islanders, who also struggle to put the puck in the net.

Top Unit Power Play Converts

Perhaps the most surprising thing about this Oilers team early this season has been their mediocre power play. After having a historically elite power play in 2022-23, their top group hasn’t seemed to have great chemistry when on the man advantage. It was still far from perfect in this game, but they were able to convert on Hyman’s second of the evening, which could help get that part of their game going.

As the Oilers proved a season ago, they don’t need their defensive play or goaltending to be anywhere near elite when their power play is at its best. While relying on the man advantage may not be the best approach come playoff time, it has proven highly effective in the regular season. If they can get back to converting when up a man like a season ago, they should see themselves fly up the standings in a hurry.

Monkey Off the Back

Though it is only one win, this feels like it could be a big turning point for the Oilers. Everyone was well aware that they are a much better team than they have shown so far this season, and this win could be what gets them moving in the right direction. There is still plenty of ground to make up, but they will look to keep the good times rolling on Monday against the Islanders.

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