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The Edmonton Oilers are now ranked sixth overall in the NHL, with 12 points in nine games for a .667 points percentage.
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Not bad after a tepid start, as the Oil have now fired off four victories in a row, beating three top NHL teams in the process, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Calgary.
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How is that happening?
Overall the Oilers have scored 34 goals and given up 28, not a great goal differential, but good.
They’ve pretty much sawed it off on special teams with 10 goals for on the power play and 10 goals against the Edmonton penalty kill. Edmonton’s scored two short-handed goals while giving up one.
At even strength (5-on-5 and 4-on-4), Edmonton has scored 19 and given up 15, a plus four goal differential.
Even Flow Aces
Overall, when it comes to Grade A shots per game, Edmonton is averaging, 14.1 Grade A shots per game, while giving up just 12.6, a solid. +1.5 per game differential.
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But it’s even strength dominance that powers that healthy Grade A shot differential.
Edmonton is averaging 10.6 Grade A shots per game at even strength while giving up just 7.9, a +2.7 differential.
The Oil have transformed into a dominant even strength squad.
Which players are leading that charge? Pretty much the ones you would expect: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan McLeod, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jesse Puljujarvi, Evander Kane, Evan Bouchard, Cody Ceci, Darnell Nurse and Zach Hyman.
Each player in that group of 10 is making a high rate of major contributions to Grade A shots at even strength compared to the major mistakes they make on Grade A shot against, at last when you factor in what position they play (wingers have less defensive responsibility than centres and d-men, so wingers will generally make a lower rate of mistakes on Grade A shots, while d-men have less offensive opportunity than centres and wingers, so d-men will generally make a lower rate of major contributions on the attack).
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Out of that group of 10, five stands out, McDavid, Draisaitl, Hyman, Bouchard and Nurse. They’re all playing at an all-star game level right now. Hyman, in particular, is off to a brilliant start.
As always, he’s working like a driven man out there, but he’s combining that with high levels of skill, both in winning pucks and making plays. His defensive play has been solid, while on the attack he’s had his best run as an Oiler. Indeed, he’s got the highest rate of major contributions to Grade A shots at even strength of any Oilers forward, including McDavid and Draisaitl.
In nine games, Hyman has made 38 such contributions at even strength, while McDavid has made 33 and Draisaitl 30.
When it comes to even strength pojnts, McDavid leads the way with 10, Hyman, 8, Draisaitl, 7, Kane, 6 and RNH, 4.
If Edmonton can keep up this level of even strength play, and sort out its iffy penalty kill, the wins should keep on piling up.
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