The Edmonton Oilers dominated the Nashville Predators en route to a 5-1 win without the services of Connor McDavid. This was a textbook road victory. The whole team stepped up, and 11 different players registered a point. Here are five takeaways from this dominating performance:
Noah Philp Makes His NHL Debut
Noah Philp is an incredible story. He went from being undrafted to taking a year off hockey last season, and now, he’s an NHLer. He’s exactly what the Oilers needed in their bottom six. He’s a 6-foot-3, right-shot centre with speed, and is good in the faceoff circle. The former University of Alberta Golden Bear adds a much-needed boost to this aging forward group. He was centring the fourth line alongside Corey Perry and Drake Caggiula.
Related: Oilers’ Philp Making a Case to Crack Opening Night Lineup
Philp made an early impact, registering his first NHL point midway through the first period on a goal by Perry.
The fourth line was really solid in their limited ice time. They cycled the puck effectively which resulted in some quality chances. The rookie was also used shorthanded to win some important draws in the defensive zone. He’s already building trust with the coaching staff which will bode well for him moving forward. Philp was more effective in one game than the fourth line has been all season. He finished his debut with one assist, three shots, and one hit, and led the team with 10 faceoff wins in 11:54 of ice time.
Even when McDavid comes back from injury, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Philp stay up with the big club. He earned a roster spot out of camp, but they gave the last spot to the veteran in Derek Ryan. Now, Ryan is the odd man out and shouldn’t be in the lineup every game. This team desperately needs to get younger and add some speed, which Philp provides. He should be here to stay.
The Oilers’ New Top Line Produced
In the absence of McDavid, the Oilers’ top line was Leon Draisaitl, Vasily Podkolzin, and Viktor Arvidsson. This was easily Edmonton’s best line. They were dominant in the offensive zone and showed up on the scoresheet. Arvidsson got his first goal as an Oiler just 37 seconds into the first period on a great forecheck by Podkolzin which led to him winning a puck battle, and passing to Draisaitl, who then set up Arvidsson for the tap-in. That was an elite play all around.
Draisaitl extended the Oilers’ lead to 3-1 on a breakaway, over the blocker of…
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