Wednesdays With Austyn - 02/24/20

What a week it has been for those of us loyal to the Oil. An outstanding 4-0 record this past week has propelled the Edmonton Oilers into 2nd place in the Canadian Division. Not only that but the Oilers were able to convincingly beat the rival Calgary Flames back to back this past weekend. It has been a week to remember and I hope the Oilers are able to keep the momentum going this upcoming week.

Farewell Koekkoek we hardly knew thee.

Obviously one of the biggest stories that has happened this past week is that the Oilers are going to be without Slater Koekkoek for the foreseeable future. There is a very strong chance that he is out the remainder of the season.

If you missed what happened he was hit very awkwardly by Flames forward Sam Bennett. He immediately went to the dressing room and was not to be seen from again. He posted on his Instagram announcing that he has broken his collarbone and will be out for quite some time while he recovers from this injury.

One of the things I enjoyed is that Jujar Khaira went up to Bennett and made sure he had to answer the bell for his hit. I absolutely love it when teammates stand up for each other. It just demonstrates the comradery and Khaira is aware of the role he brings to the team. He is willing to stick up for his teammates and make sure that the other team is held accountable for their actions. Huge props to Khaira for stepping in and throwing hands with Bennett to honour Koekkoek.

Koekkoek filled in admirably throughout the season. He was a solid seventh defensmen for Edmonton. While he was only able to score a single goal this season he definitely passed the eye test. He was a savvy veteran capable of staying ready and filling in when needed. Moving forward the Oilers will need to fill his role with the likes of Jones and Lagesson (when healthy). The playing time that has opened up will force Tippett to play the younger defensemen more. This newfound playing time is a definite positive as Lagesson and Jones have both impressed early in the season and deserve more of a look.

McDavid Magic.

Let's talk about the greatest hockey player in the world. McDavid has been on an absolute tear this season. Just look at the remarkable performance he had this past week. He put up 5 points against the Calgary Flames on Saturday. FIVE POINTS! And he looked absolutely unstoppable while doing it. This season he has been operating at a league leading 1.81 points per game. That is just so profound.

McDavid leads the league in so many different categories demonstrating why he is the best player in the world. He leads the league in assists (25), points (38), power play points (17), goals created (13.7), total goals on ice for (45), offensive point shares (3.9), point shares (4.5) and hat tricks (2). If I were to look into statistical categories that McDavid is top 3 in this list would expand exponentially. McDavid has proven to everyone in the league that he is the best player in the world and the statistics continue to back him up.

If stats aren’t your thing just tune into a game and watch McDavid. Look at how fast he moves on the ice or how aware he is of everything going on around him. His vision and speed combination is something that has never been seen before. His ability to evade an incoming defender trying to stand him up is a thing of beauty. I am constantly in awe of everything McDavid does on the ice and his skill is unmatched. Every shift he has he ensures that people watching him both on and off the ice are aware of his presence. I guess this paragraph was quite simply me talking about how much I enjoy watching Connor McDavid. Everytime he is on the ice we should not take for granted the ability to watch such a special superstar play the game we love.

Streaky Smith finds Success.

When the Oilers announced they were re-signing Mike Smith I wanted to collapse on my floor. I thought there were so many better options out there and Edmonton absolutely flubbed up an opportunity to improve a major weakness. Smith in years past has been a very streaky goaltender. Much like Koskinen he is prone to giving up a weak goal or two. One thing that Smith does more frequently than Koskinen is play the puck and go for the home run play. This can often lead to a mistake on his part if things do not go according to plan. I believe Smith has a much higher ceiling than Koskinen (this season) however, his floor is much lower. Koskinen is and has been the safer option between the pipes.

But then there are the times when you get the Smith that has shown up this past week. In three games played this past week Mike Smith has a SV% of .933. That is incredible. Considering the most recent game he let in two fairly soft goals and 3 goals on the first 9 shots. He showed how resilient he is and was able to shut the door on the 24 shots that followed. This was Smith’s worst game that he had seen all the way through since returning from injury. I wonder if this is a sign that Smith is coming back down to earth after the incredibly hot start.

I hope this Smith is here to stay because if we are going to have him and Koskinen split games evenly, I need this Smith to stay. Thus far he technically has yet to lose a game; although many would argue he is the reason the Oilers lost to the Jets just over a week ago. Smith’s numbers are still incredible posting up a .934 SV% and a 2.05 GAA in 6 starts. If he keeps this up those stats are on pace to be the best of his entire 15 year career. Hopefully, Mike Smith can keep this momentum going as we move into March because the Oilers absolutely have the offensive firepower to support him.

Hump Day Hyperbole

The Oilers have the best Reverse Retro Jerseys in the NHL.

This is less of a hyperbole and more of a hot take. Obviously, there are a lot of incredible retro jerseys out there. Just to name a few the Ducks, Wild, Flames, Avalanche, Kings and Rangers all have beautiful retro jerseys. There are also some stinkers (looking at you Maple Leafs, Canucks, Knights and Red Wings). Every time the Oilers have tossed on these reverse retros I become more and more in love with them. I think they have accessorized them extremely well. The addition of the orange gloves and pants is by far the best addition for these jerseys.

The only thing that could have made these jerseys better is if they brought back the Oil Drop. Which in my opinion is the best Oiler Jersey of all time. Maybe, I should’ve used that as the hyperbole. I Digress, the Oilers are rolling, these retro jerseys are sexy and let's keep the momentum going!