On Nov 12, 2023, the Edmonton Oilers hired head coach, Kris Knoblauch. He made his NHL head coaching debut the next night, against the New York Islanders in a 4-1 victory. One year later, in a full circle moment, Knoblauch was behind the bench against the Islanders once again. Like that night, the Oilers came away victorious, and have now secured back-to-back victories.
This was game 16 of 82, and it felt like it for the first two periods. It was a typical Islanders game. It was very tight-checking, and low-event, resulting in a 1-1 tie, heading into the final period. The under seemed like a lock, and this was a very forgettable contest up until that point, but the third period was anything but boring. There were four goals scored, some great chances, and some great goaltending by the Islanders’ netminder. Ultimately, the Oilers prevailed, so here are three takeaways from this 4-3 overtime win:
Oilers Blow Late Lead
Like most Oilers’ games, this was a rollercoaster of emotions. This team never makes it easy on themselves. They had a 3-1 lead with just over seven minutes remaining, before the Islanders fought back, and tied the game at three. At the end of the day, the Oilers got the last laugh, but they should have closed it out in regulation.
Related: Islanders Lose 4-3 to Oilers in OT Despite 3rd Period Comeback
The Oilers dominated the shot clock, outshooting the Islanders 42-22 in the game, and 15-6 in the third period. Goaltender Ilya Sorokin kept them in this hockey game, making some massive saves, especially in the final frame.
This game gave flashbacks of last week’s tilt against the Vegas Golden Knights. Edmonton was up 2-1 in that game going into the third period before Vegas tied it midway through the final frame. Then, they got the game-winning goal with under one minute remaining, to ultimately give Edmonton a regulation loss in devastating fashion. You simply can’t give away important points like that in the NHL. This game against New York was giving off those same vibes, but they still managed to come away with the win. This team needs to find a way to close out games when they have the chance.
Oilers Win Special Teams Battle
In a rare occurrence so far this season, the Oilers won the special teams battle in a limited sample size. They were a perfect 2/2 on the penalty kill, while going 1/2 on the power play. Their penalty kill looked much better. They were pressuring the puck carrier, making…
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