The Edmonton Oilers are finally starting to experience smoother experience after significant turbulence early on this season. A team fresh off a Game 7 Stanley Cup Final appearance, they have faced offensive struggles and difficulties keeping pucks out of the net, particularly on the penalty kill. Their poor performance in shorthanded situations has been a major factor in the team’s sluggish start to the season. Fortunately, as the NHL enters its third month, many of the challenges that plagued the Oilers early on are beginning to subside.
Heading into the season, the Oilers penalty kill was coming off a dominant performance in the postseason that saw the Oilers maintain a 94% success rate. Many expected the Oilers to return to their postseason heights, which simply did not happen. 14 games into the season, the Oilers sat with a 59.5% penalty kill success rate. Along with it being one of the lowest success rates in the league at the time, it happened to be one of the worst success rates through the first 14 games in NHL history.
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Taking this stat personally, the Oilers responded, successfully killing off 17 penalties in a row. Unfortunately, Nikolai Kovalenko‘s power-play goal in the Oilers’ most recent matchup against the Colorado Avalanche ended the impressive streak. Still, it was markedly improved, even though they allowed a goal against. Remarkably, in the last ten games, the Oilers have recorded a 91.6% success rate, killing off 22 out of the last 24 penalties. Thanks to this stretch of elevated play, the Oilers have upped their penalty kill average to a 72.1% success rate on the season. That’s a nearly 15% jump in only ten games.
What is Behind the Oilers’ Recent Penalty Kill Success?
Several factors have contributed to the Oilers’ improved play, but a major one is the growing chemistry within the penalty-killing unit. During the offseason, the team lost key penalty-killing personnel and brought in new faces, leading to early miscommunications on the ice. However, adjustments such as splitting Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark into separate penalty-killing units have allowed for better cohesion. This change has resulted in a more fluid and efficient penalty kill with fewer mistakes.
Additionally, Ty Emberson, a key penalty-killing defenseman, has started to find his footing in the NHL. His steady development has provided a much-needed boost of confidence to the entire unit, helping them operate with greater precision and effectiveness.
While the penalty kill is still a work in progress, its recent upward trend suggests that the Oilers are finding success and building confidence in this crucial part of the game. The Oilers are well aware of the importance of an impenetrable penalty kill. After all, their dominance on the penalty kill during the playoffs was one of, if not the biggest, reason the Oilers made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Oilers look to continue to elevate their penalty-killing unit to replicate their playoff dominance.
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