The Edmonton Oilers are headed back to the Western Conference finals, after holding on to defeat the Vancouver Canucks3-2 in Game 7 of their second-round series.
Here are the key takeaways from the Oilers’ run so far, and how they match up with the Stars in the next round:
Both Oilers special teams are proving elite
It’s possible that what the Canucks did in Games 5 and 6 may have provided something of a blueprint for how to at least slow down the Oilers’ power play. But even then, the Oilers have used this postseason to once again show why they’ve been one of the premier power-play units in the NHL over the past few seasons.
Coming into Game 7, the Oilers had the NHL’s best power-play unit, with a 36.8% success rate that’s been buoyed by Leon Draisaitl scoring six of their 14 goals while Connor McDavid had 10 assists.
But for anyone thinking the power play is the Oilers’ lone advantage on special teams, guess again. The Oilers’ penalty kill has also been the best in the NHL this postseason, as it has had a success rate of more than 90%. Mattias Ekholm, Vincent Desharnais, Mattias Janmark and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are all playing vital roles in anchoring the kill, logging more than 20 minutes in those short-handed sequences this postseason.
What a difference a year makes
Go back to what happened to the Oilers when they were eliminated in the second round last season.
Among the issues they faced then was finding defensive consistency. They allowed the sixth-most goals per game (3.50), the eighth-most shots per game (31.5) and possessed an average penalty kill (75.6%).
One of the questions facing the Oilers heading into this past offseason was seeing what lessons they would learn from their second-round exit.
With coach Kris Knoblauch’s in-season arrival, the Oilers have found that defensive consistency, and it has carried over to the playoffs. Entering Game 7, the Oilers had allowed the ninth-most goals per game, at 2.82, while allowing the fewest shots per game, at 21.2. And as previously mentioned, their penalty kill ranks first this postseason.
No Oiler came into this postseason facing more questions than Skinner, and this will be the biggest series of his career. He was pulled in the final three games of their second-round exit last year, with the thought being that his performances are central to the Oilers’ success.
After being pulled in Game 3 against the Canucks, Skinner returned in Game 6 and stopped all but one shot in his team’s series-tying win.
But how will Skinner fare now that he’s going from facing a team that was averaging the fewest shots in the playoffs to one that’s averaging the second most (behind the Oilers themselves)? Bear in mind that the goaltender he’s competing against — Jake Oettinger — is a Conn Smythe front-runner and in the top three of several categories.
The spotlight is squarely on Skinner.
Will the Oilers’ secondary scoring show up in the conference finals?
Evan Bouchard, Zach Hyman, Draisaitl and McDavid scored 64% of the Oilers’ goals last playoffs. This year, that quartet has combined to score 66% of the Oilers goals coming into Game 7. While McDavid has only scored two of those goals, it does create questions about what the Oilers can do to find secondary and tertiary scoring against a Stars team that’s had all but one player record a point during these playoffs.
The bottom-six lineup the Oilers used for Game 7 had combined to score two goals with both goals belonging to Warren Foegele and Mattias Janmark. It’s a jarring contrast considering the Oilers’ third defensive pairing of Codi Ceci and Brett Kulak had two goals, with Ceci scoring in Game 7 to push that total for three.
How the Oilers match up against the Stars
Regular season record vs. DAL: 1-2-0
One team is the most prolific in these playoffs, while the other has been one of the best at goal prevention throughout the postseason.
This is just one of the prisms through which an Oilers-Stars conference finals can be viewed.
While scoring remains a hallmark of the Oilers, they’ve used these playoffs to show that their defensive structure can also generate results. Continuing to rely on those principles could prove useful against a Stars team that also is capable of winning games in a variety of ways.
And if Skinner can provide the sort of stability in net that can at least equal Oettinger? That could be enough to push the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006.
WASHINGTON — Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Thursday that he will utilize a six-man rotation beginning this weekend when Aaron Nola returns from the injured list.
Nola is lined up for the series finale Sunday at Washington. The 32-year-old right-hander is coming back from a right ankle sprain.
Thomson said he isn’t sure how long he is going to use the six-man rotation.
“Once for sure and then we’ve got some other ideas how to attack this thing as we move forward,” he said.
Philadelphia starters lead the majors with 687⅓ innings pitched. Sánchez is up to 150⅔ innings, and Wheeler is at 144⅔.
“Just getting some of these guys some extra rest ’cause we’ve been grinding on them pretty hard all year,” Thomson said before the opener of a four-game set against the Nationals. “The one downside to it is you’ve got to take somebody out of your bullpen, so you’re a little short there but we’ll just have to figure it out.”
Nola hasn’t pitched in the majors since May 14. He posted a 2.19 ERA in three rehab starts with Triple-A Lehigh Valley while striking out 17 batters in 12⅓ innings.
The San Diego Padres placed right-hander Michael King on the 15-day injured list Thursday because of left knee inflammation.
King (4-2, 2.81 ERA) had just come off the IL on Saturday, allowing two runs in as many innings of a no-decision against the Boston Red Sox.
It was his first start since May 18 as he dealt with shoulder inflammation.
Now, he’s back on the IL with a knee issue in a move retroactive to Monday.
It’s a setback for a red-hot Padres team, who will carry a five-game winning streak into a weekend showdown against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. First-place San Diego is one game ahead of L.A. in the NL West.
King had been scheduled to start the series opener Friday.
In the corresponding roster move, the Padres recalled right-hander Randy Vásquez from Triple-A El Paso.
While the Milwaukee Brewers keep on rolling, another Wisconsin business is stocking up on beef and buns.
For the third time in its history, George Webb Restaurants will make good on its promise of giving away free hamburgers as part of a longstanding promotion to celebrate the Brewers winning 12 consecutive games.
The free burger giveaway will be held Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. CT at all 23 of the restaurant’s locations throughout Wisconsin. Vouchers for a burger at a later date will be available at all locations starting Friday.
“Hungry fans are welcome to stop by any location for a free, juicy burger and some camaraderie with fellow baseball fans,” the restaurant said on its website.
Starting way back in the 1940s, when Milwaukee was home to the minor league Brewers of the old American Association, George Webb promised free burgers if the local baseball team won 17 consecutive games.
The promotion dropped to 13 games by the time the Braves made Milwaukee a big league city in 1953, but that franchise couldn’t make it happen before departing for Atlanta in 1966.
George Webb changed the promotion to 12 games when the Brewers moved from Seattle in 1970. In 1987, the Brewers opened the season with 13 wins in a row, and more than 170,000 burgers were given away to mark the occasion.
The Brewers accomplished the feat a second time in 2018, closing the regular season with eight victories followed by four playoff wins. That streak led to 90,000 free burgers being given away in addition to 100,000 redeemable vouchers.
Prior to reaching the magic mark on Wednesday, the Brewers had come close on a few occasions, including an 11-game winning streak earlier this season.