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KRAKEN THIS MORNING: Sizing up the Oilers (3/31) · Seattle Kraken Audio Network

0:01
Speaker 1: Welcome to Kracking this morning, a presentation of the Kraken
0:05
Speaker 1: Audio Network Ken Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM.
0:10
Speaker 1: Here's Mike Benton's.
0:12
Speaker 2: Finally here, the finale of the six game road trip
0:15
Speaker 2: and for the Kraken time to make the jump now
0:17
Speaker 2: for the Stanley Cup playoffs. With ten games to play
0:20
Speaker 2: and just two points back, that's their gap for the
0:24
Speaker 2: final wildcard spot in the West. This should be a
0:27
Speaker 2: great one. The Crack and take on the Edmonton Oilers,
0:30
Speaker 2: final match up of the regular season between the two teams.
0:33
Speaker 2: It's gonna go down this evening at six pm Pacific time.
0:36
Speaker 2: Airtime coverage five thirty for your pregame shows served up
0:40
Speaker 2: by Frostbrewed cors Light Choose Chill on the Global Credit Union.
0:43
Speaker 2: Cracking Audio Network Ever fits you. Al Katiski in the
0:47
Speaker 2: booth in Edmonton, I got you by the way right
0:49
Speaker 2: from the starts with pregame show and leading up to
0:52
Speaker 2: postgame coverage a half hour after the final horn, We're
0:56
Speaker 2: gonna hear from Cracking and coach Lane Lambert in just
0:58
Speaker 2: a bit covering more from the road trip, a growth
1:01
Speaker 2: in culture, plus our conversation with Tom Gozzola of Edmonton
1:05
Speaker 2: Sports Talk Radio. Where the Oilers stand right now on
1:08
Speaker 2: their side of the regular season, that's left over the
1:11
Speaker 2: goaltending tandem, questions, Leon Dreich, Sidle out of the lineup,
1:15
Speaker 2: and much more heading into this matchup coming up at
1:19
Speaker 2: Rogers Place. The Kraken previously on Saturday getting so close
1:23
Speaker 2: to swiping two points out of Buffalo, though falling three
1:27
Speaker 2: to two in a shootout. They got goals from Bobby
1:30
Speaker 2: McMahon and Chandler Stevenson, but a two to zhing lead
1:34
Speaker 2: said the crack and had to push a little bit
1:36
Speaker 2: more and Buffalo had enough time to make their comeback.
1:39
Speaker 2: Rasmus dahl Lean cut the lead to one on a
1:41
Speaker 2: late second period power play goal. Peyton Krebs tied the
1:44
Speaker 2: game with eight twenty one left in regulation, and then
1:48
Speaker 2: the Sabers needed only two rounds to dispatch goals on
1:51
Speaker 2: Philip Greenbauer closing it out Uko Pecca Lucanan with the
1:54
Speaker 2: winner on a thirty two save effort, though Grewbauer was
1:58
Speaker 2: terrific on his side, making thirty four saves. Nonetheless, the
2:02
Speaker 2: Kraken is still facing a road trip where they can
2:04
Speaker 2: only gain max a two to two and two record.
2:07
Speaker 2: All things presuming they find a way to grab their
2:10
Speaker 2: first win in Edmonton since January third of twenty twenty three,
2:15
Speaker 2: but potential good news hitting the Crack and roster. Beginning
2:17
Speaker 2: on Monday, Jayden Schwartz was seen back on ice taking
2:21
Speaker 2: reps out of the non contact jersey and back in
2:24
Speaker 2: a regular jersey as well. Plus Shane Wright also showing
2:28
Speaker 2: up very promising signs after he left the game in
2:31
Speaker 2: Buffalo off a high hit late first period with Logan Morrison,
2:35
Speaker 2: who didn't get in a game here for this most
2:37
Speaker 2: recent stint sent back down to ahhow Coachella Valley before
2:42
Speaker 2: we get to Tom Gozola. The Krack and reconvening for
2:45
Speaker 2: practice Monday at Kraken Community ice Plex and afterward. Here's
2:48
Speaker 2: reaction from krackenhead coach Lane Lambert meeting with the media
2:52
Speaker 2: young players conveterans.
2:53
Speaker 3: Where do you see as far.
2:54
Speaker 2: As like the groundwork being with the culture stead.
2:57
Speaker 4: Front, Well, it's uh, you know, it's just expected.
3:02
Speaker 5: You know. We we talked about that a little bit
3:04
Speaker 5: at the start of the year, and we've had guys
3:05
Speaker 5: step in for other guys, uh, you know, for the
3:09
Speaker 5: most part all year long. Great job by both of
3:12
Speaker 5: those guys. Certainly, Berkeley gave us a spark, and you know,
3:15
Speaker 5: those were two big men going at it with Reagan Stanley.
3:18
Speaker 5: So we're a team. We stick together, and we did
3:22
Speaker 5: a good job of that. We're looking as guys right
3:24
Speaker 5: now from like a passion and energys season, I think
3:28
Speaker 5: we uh lass, you know, certainly if I go back
3:31
Speaker 5: to the last three games and you know, notwithstanding the
3:35
Speaker 5: other ones, I think, you know, I think our energy
3:37
Speaker 5: level or our passion level, our compete level is high.
3:40
Speaker 5: I feel like we're starting to get back a little
3:43
Speaker 5: bit of what our rhythm was before the break, which
3:46
Speaker 5: is nice to see. We're making more plays, you know,
3:49
Speaker 5: we just have to keep it going.
3:51
Speaker 2: Change towards out there regular Darcy. Is he getting closer?
3:54
Speaker 5: He is getting closer yet he'll be coming on on
3:58
Speaker 5: the trip with us, and we'll make a decision.
3:59
Speaker 3: From there, yea, and share right like he's all as long.
4:04
Speaker 5: He was out there, Yeah, And for him, we'll just
4:06
Speaker 5: see how he feels, you know, later on to day
4:08
Speaker 5: after practice, Plain practice has been at a premium all season.
4:13
Speaker 4: For today, I.
4:14
Speaker 3: Felt like you were also feeding that level of intensity
4:16
Speaker 3: that's needed was that punnier approach of the group today.
4:19
Speaker 3: Energy signed more.
4:20
Speaker 4: So than that as well. Yeah, I just you know,
4:24
Speaker 4: it's obviously late.
4:26
Speaker 5: We you know, just came off a road trip, flew
4:28
Speaker 5: all the way home for one day, you know. Uh,
4:32
Speaker 5: just we just got to make sure that we had
4:34
Speaker 5: some focus in practice today. I thought our energy was
4:36
Speaker 5: pretty good, you know. And you know it's up to
4:40
Speaker 5: us coaches and the coaching staff.
4:42
Speaker 4: To demand out of them and they do a good
4:44
Speaker 4: job of responding.
4:45
Speaker 2: All right, final match up of the season coming up
4:47
Speaker 2: with the Kraken and the Edmonton Oilers, and as we
4:51
Speaker 2: get closer and closer to April, the stakes are raised.
4:55
Speaker 2: This is going to be a fun one going down
4:57
Speaker 2: at Rogers Place. Joining us now to talk about it
4:59
Speaker 2: in a crack in this morning is Tom Gozola, host
5:02
Speaker 2: on Edmonton Sports Talk Radio. By the way, you can
5:04
Speaker 2: find them at Twitter and exit. Tom Gozola. Hi, Tom,
5:08
Speaker 2: it's about springtime now. How are you?
5:10
Speaker 3: Hi'm Mike.
5:11
Speaker 6: I'm well, thanks, good to be on with you. Always
5:13
Speaker 6: a pleasure, you know that. I like that you mentioned
5:17
Speaker 6: springtime because we just had a snowfall over the weekend
5:20
Speaker 6: and as much as we wanted to be spring. Winter
5:23
Speaker 6: keeps coming back up, and it's like a gut punch
5:25
Speaker 6: every time. I think this is our fourth iteration of winter,
5:29
Speaker 6: even though we're right into spring now.
5:31
Speaker 3: So thank you for reminding me.
5:32
Speaker 6: You've been here enough to know, yes, that this can
5:34
Speaker 6: happen in Alberta.
5:36
Speaker 3: Yes, soon enough, we'll have spring. I'm pretty sure.
5:40
Speaker 2: It actually hit us with freezing temperatures here in Seattle
5:43
Speaker 2: the other day. One of these days we're going to
5:46
Speaker 2: get down to the single layer. I don't know when,
5:48
Speaker 2: but you reminded me about my laught trip to Calgary
5:50
Speaker 2: back after New Year's Day and the minus temps hit
5:54
Speaker 2: you right in the face like a tidal wave. Tom,
5:58
Speaker 2: give us the pulse and the state of the Edmonton
6:00
Speaker 2: Oilers right now, with eight games to play on their side.
6:04
Speaker 6: The Oilers right now, they are starting to pick it up. Actually,
6:08
Speaker 6: I mean, this has been a team all season long
6:11
Speaker 6: that we've wondered if they'll be able to put together
6:15
Speaker 6: a stretch of games where they actually have a legit
6:17
Speaker 6: winning streak.
6:18
Speaker 3: Heading into this game, they've won.
6:21
Speaker 6: Three in a row for just a second time this season,
6:23
Speaker 6: which is insane considering it's a team that's gone to
6:26
Speaker 6: back to back Stanley Cups and then, you know, as
6:30
Speaker 6: a conference final appearance in the last four years, lost
6:33
Speaker 6: in the second round to the Vegas Golden Knights. And
6:36
Speaker 6: you know, has McDavid in dry Cydle and Evan Bouchard
6:39
Speaker 6: who's an elite offensive player from the back end, and
6:42
Speaker 6: they have just completed their second winning streak of the
6:46
Speaker 6: season and we'll see if they can continue it against
6:48
Speaker 6: the Kraken on Tuesday. But it's been a team that
6:52
Speaker 6: can't get any traction going and something that's been discussed
6:55
Speaker 6: in the room.
6:55
Speaker 3: I mean, the players are saying, it'd be nice to
6:57
Speaker 3: win a bunch of games in a row. Here's an opportunity.
7:00
Speaker 6: They look at Seattle and understand how important this game
7:03
Speaker 6: is for the Kraken, and they also look at what
7:06
Speaker 6: they're trying to accomplish it that is, try to win the division,
7:09
Speaker 6: which I know the probability of it isn't that high.
7:11
Speaker 6: Three points back of the Ducks going into action on
7:15
Speaker 6: Monday night, you know, depending on what happens between the
7:17
Speaker 6: Ducks and the Leafs on Monday night. The Oilers, you know,
7:21
Speaker 6: have not won a division since nineteen eighty seven, and
7:25
Speaker 6: it's still a bit of a potential for it to happen,
7:30
Speaker 6: but I think more so they want to be playing
7:33
Speaker 6: good hockey going into the postseason, and they've sort of
7:36
Speaker 6: shown that incrementally.
7:37
Speaker 3: You're seeing them play a responsible game.
7:40
Speaker 6: It's kind of been reflected in their last ten with
7:42
Speaker 6: the six to three and one mark in the three
7:44
Speaker 6: game winning streak.
7:45
Speaker 3: But it doesn't mean they're back.
7:47
Speaker 6: I know, like once a week we always say after win,
7:49
Speaker 6: are they back, and the next game they usually let
7:52
Speaker 6: everybody down.
7:54
Speaker 4: Yeah.
7:54
Speaker 2: I think it raised a good point there, tom as
7:56
Speaker 2: far as I think where matters go in my head.
7:58
Speaker 2: In two separate parts. First off, I mean one of
8:01
Speaker 2: the all time quotes from Connor McDavid talking about this
8:04
Speaker 2: pillow fight that is right now in the Pacific Division.
8:07
Speaker 2: So I think it leads me to wonder based on
8:09
Speaker 2: the fact that Edmonton is three points back of Anaheim,
8:12
Speaker 2: who has just taking a rocket ship it feels like,
8:15
Speaker 2: compared about a couple of years ago, now to top
8:17
Speaker 2: spot in the Pacific Division. Vegas fired their head coach
8:22
Speaker 2: with eight games to play. Nashville has crept back into
8:26
Speaker 2: the wildcard picture the Kings, and now the crack is
8:28
Speaker 2: still battling it out with them right now for wildcard
8:31
Speaker 2: spot number two. I think, first off, to me, what
8:35
Speaker 2: surprised you the most about the Pacific Division this year
8:39
Speaker 2: in general? And secondly, where's the bar set right now
8:43
Speaker 2: for Edmonton based on how matters have shaken out? Are
8:47
Speaker 2: we talking about second round this year, conference final this year,
8:51
Speaker 2: or Cup final or bust?
8:53
Speaker 6: Okay, Well, I'll start with the Pacific Division. I'm surprised
8:58
Speaker 6: that an Edmonton or of Vegas hasn't played to the
9:04
Speaker 6: potential that they, in my opinion, could, and that goes
9:08
Speaker 6: off of their recent history and what they've been able
9:10
Speaker 6: to accomplish in recent years and going into the season,
9:14
Speaker 6: I looked at the Pacific and I thought, you know,
9:16
Speaker 6: Calgary would even be a little bit more competitive. I
9:18
Speaker 6: didn't think much of Vancouver. I thought Seattle will be
9:21
Speaker 6: right in the mix. The Ducks, I thought would be
9:24
Speaker 6: right in the mix, a little bit pluckier than years past,
9:27
Speaker 6: especially with Joel Quinville, the additions of a bunch.
9:29
Speaker 3: Of really good veterans, so.
9:31
Speaker 6: I expected them to be feisty, intonacious, which they have been. Unfortunately,
9:35
Speaker 6: the other teams have been so weak that it's the
9:38
Speaker 6: Ducks that are that are.
9:39
Speaker 3: Kind of leading to charge of Kings.
9:41
Speaker 6: I don't know, Like personally, we've seen so much of
9:43
Speaker 6: the La Kings, especially in the postseason here in Edmonton.
9:46
Speaker 3: Over the last four years, that.
9:49
Speaker 6: With it being a year of transition with Kenny Holland
9:51
Speaker 6: taking over, I thought maybe.
9:53
Speaker 2: The Boilers could charge the King's rent at this point
9:56
Speaker 2: in Rogers' place.
9:58
Speaker 3: Very well said so true, but I didn't.
10:02
Speaker 6: I thought the Kings would be exactly where they are, so,
10:04
Speaker 6: I mean it kind of halfheartedly got some of it right,
10:07
Speaker 6: But yeah, I thought Edmunds in r Vegas would be
10:09
Speaker 6: the front runner with you know, Seattle and Anaheim kind
10:12
Speaker 6: of in the mix and maybe La but maybe a
10:14
Speaker 6: bit of Calgary, but certainly not Vancouver.
10:17
Speaker 3: But it's it's been a pillow fight.
10:21
Speaker 6: When McDavid called it that, you know, it was very appropriate,
10:24
Speaker 6: and when we were calling it a turtle derby, I
10:26
Speaker 6: thought it was very appropriate.
10:27
Speaker 3: And it's still kind of is it's.
10:29
Speaker 6: It's it's by far the weakest division in the NHL,
10:32
Speaker 6: and there's disappointment, I think it admitted because of the
10:36
Speaker 6: opportunity that presented.
10:38
Speaker 3: Itself for a team like the Oilers to just take.
10:41
Speaker 6: The Division and have that first place locked up, and
10:45
Speaker 6: that has not been the case. I mean that's kind
10:47
Speaker 6: of been part of the frustration with the Oilers is
10:49
Speaker 6: they don't take advantage of their opportunities. And so that's
10:53
Speaker 6: kind of where the Oilers are at in regard to
10:56
Speaker 6: the Pacific Division and the fans sentiment.
10:58
Speaker 3: And where the team's talking about how they're playing is
11:02
Speaker 3: they should be better. And lately we've been.
11:06
Speaker 6: Seeing some more responsible, veteran professional games from the oil
11:11
Speaker 6: and it's kind of looking like they're getting back to
11:15
Speaker 6: being that businesslike team that knows how to play at
11:19
Speaker 6: this time of year, and that's been encouraging for the
11:21
Speaker 6: fan base. I think it's been encouraging. Inside the locker room,
11:24
Speaker 6: there's been some strife this year. I mean, trading Stut
11:28
Speaker 6: Skinner for Tristan Jarry was not a great deal for
11:32
Speaker 6: the Oilers. I mean, Jarry has become the backup. He
11:35
Speaker 6: lost the starting job to Connor or Ingram. Ingram wasn't
11:38
Speaker 6: even in the NHL.
11:39
Speaker 3: To start the season.
11:40
Speaker 6: The Oilers pulled off a trade with Utah to get
11:42
Speaker 6: him early in training camp, and he missed some time
11:47
Speaker 6: and then went down to Bakersfield did not play particularly well.
11:50
Speaker 3: His numbers were atrocious.
11:52
Speaker 6: Everybody that covered and watched the team down at Bakersfield
11:55
Speaker 6: said he earned that, you know, eight sixty save percentage
11:59
Speaker 6: and I think his his goals against was well above three.
12:02
Speaker 3: And they just said his game wasn't there.
12:05
Speaker 6: And then when he got called up to Edmonton, you know,
12:07
Speaker 6: he's been pretty steady for him. He's the starter for
12:09
Speaker 6: the orders now. And then giving up Skinner and kol Ak,
12:15
Speaker 6: it was just salting the wound when Colorado picked up
12:18
Speaker 6: Kolak from Pittsburgh for a second rander, And I think
12:21
Speaker 6: it was Samuel Gerard, like, it's just asset management came
12:25
Speaker 6: under fire here and you know how much of a
12:26
Speaker 6: powder cake this market is, Mike anything and everything is
12:30
Speaker 6: under the microscope, and there was an issue. And when
12:35
Speaker 6: Paul Coffee had to be brought back, you know, did
12:37
Speaker 6: he really want to come back? Doesn't seem like it.
12:41
Speaker 6: Did the coaching staff want him back.
12:43
Speaker 3: No, not really. But when the guy.
12:45
Speaker 6: Who's writing the checks wants him back, it says, I
12:47
Speaker 6: need some stability on the bench, and I think Paul
12:50
Speaker 6: Coffee's the guy that's That's.
12:52
Speaker 3: What everybody has to deal with.
12:54
Speaker 6: And you know, it's it's been all right, Like there's
12:56
Speaker 6: been some improvement with the defense, you know, I'd make
13:00
Speaker 6: the case that some of it is the personnel. Getting
13:03
Speaker 6: Connor Murphy at the deadline or just before it has
13:06
Speaker 6: helped solidify the order. Second pair with Darnell Nurse, the
13:10
Speaker 6: first pair of Bouchard neck Home has been pretty steady,
13:12
Speaker 6: and then the third pair with Ty Emerson and Jake Walman,
13:17
Speaker 6: you know, seems to be playing better. But this this
13:19
Speaker 6: is a flawed team, and so there's been frustration along
13:23
Speaker 6: the way. But they're kind of where I thought they
13:24
Speaker 6: would be a step back season because two long years
13:28
Speaker 6: of hockey and some shuffling with the personnel. It's tough
13:35
Speaker 6: to overcome, and they're doing their best to do it.
13:38
Speaker 2: If the playoffs began tomorrow, Tristan Jari or Connor Ingram
13:42
Speaker 2: who starts gaming has to be Ingram.
13:45
Speaker 3: I mean Ingraham.
13:47
Speaker 6: They finally came out and said Chris Noblock said Ingram's
13:50
Speaker 6: their number one.
13:51
Speaker 3: He's been the steadier of the two.
13:55
Speaker 6: It feels like Jari's game has gotten to a point
13:58
Speaker 6: where he's trying to rebuild it right now, and he
14:01
Speaker 6: gave the Orders a good performance in Utah last week,
14:03
Speaker 6: which was encouraging. Prior to that he had barely played
14:07
Speaker 6: in the last couple of weeks.
14:08
Speaker 3: He got to start in Dallas.
14:10
Speaker 6: Where he got sheld for seven and then the night
14:13
Speaker 6: prior to that, he played in Colorado in mop up
14:16
Speaker 6: duty because Connor Ingram got hit by Nathan McKinnon had
14:20
Speaker 6: to leave the game and Jarry put in a good
14:22
Speaker 6: period in a bit where it looked like he might
14:25
Speaker 6: have been on the up and up, but the next
14:27
Speaker 6: night out he got his butt handed to him by
14:29
Speaker 6: the Dallastars, which has happened by the Stars doing it
14:32
Speaker 6: too many teams this season. So there's no ambiguity to
14:37
Speaker 6: who's the starter and who's the backup. And you know,
14:39
Speaker 6: the five point five million dollar goalie is the backup
14:42
Speaker 6: right now, and Connor Ingram, who's on a pretty team
14:44
Speaker 6: friendly deal with the Mammoth picking up some of the contracts,
14:49
Speaker 6: has clearly taken the number one job.
14:51
Speaker 3: So that's where we're at.
14:52
Speaker 6: And Mike, you could look at the numbers that Connor
14:57
Speaker 6: Ingram's got and when you compare it to what Stu
14:59
Speaker 6: Skinn had done in Edmonton, they're very similar, and so
15:03
Speaker 6: that's kind of added insult to injury with this deal
15:05
Speaker 6: as well. But where Ingram has been pretty solid is
15:12
Speaker 6: he doesn't have the peaks and valleys that Stu Skinner
15:14
Speaker 6: was having. He's generally very steady, and even with Tristan Jari,
15:19
Speaker 6: we've seen some peaks and valleys, and the consistency is
15:23
Speaker 6: all the orders are looking for, and it's been Ingram
15:25
Speaker 6: who's been given him that.
15:26
Speaker 2: Tom Gazzol joining us right now on Cracking this morning
15:29
Speaker 2: ahead of the Crack and then the Edmonton Oilers again
15:31
Speaker 2: tonight's six pm Pacific time. Leon Dryseidel my goodness to
15:36
Speaker 2: say what he has done against the Kraken, calling it
15:39
Speaker 2: video game numbers might not be doing a justice thirty
15:43
Speaker 2: four points in fifteen games, but then again, a lot
15:46
Speaker 2: of teams have also taken a hit against sim where
15:49
Speaker 2: it just kind of feels like Bulldozer meets Tulip. But
15:52
Speaker 2: dry Cidle is off with the remainder of the regular season.
15:55
Speaker 2: How has Edmonton handled this with him injured and out?
15:58
Speaker 6: That was a beautiful descriptive by the way, Yeah, Flower
16:01
Speaker 6: getting run over by vehicle and don't worry, like to
16:05
Speaker 6: the Crack and faithful dry sitlesk ask how Nashville's fans
16:08
Speaker 6: feel about Leon dry Sttle. He's done it for a
16:11
Speaker 6: while now to a number of teams anyway. Yeah, they've
16:16
Speaker 6: been okay without him. You know, some people wonder out
16:19
Speaker 6: loud and rightly so has it forced your orders to
16:21
Speaker 6: play a better team game and not just rely on McDavid.
16:24
Speaker 3: And dry Sitle? And I think there is some merit
16:26
Speaker 3: to that.
16:28
Speaker 6: You know, we've seen them roll three lines more consistently,
16:32
Speaker 6: even dipping into rolling four lines as opposed to going
16:35
Speaker 6: nuclear as we like to call it here, where you.
16:38
Speaker 3: Know, if they get behind in a game, Chris.
16:41
Speaker 6: Snabloc has done what every other order's coaching this time
16:45
Speaker 6: frame has done, and that's go to McDavid and dry
16:47
Speaker 6: Sitle because they are so good together, they're so potent offensively,
16:51
Speaker 6: but you don't have that option right now. So they've
16:54
Speaker 6: had to rely on it at least three lines a night,
16:57
Speaker 6: and then dipped into the fourth line a little bit more.
17:00
Speaker 3: And that's gotten guys more engaged in games.
17:03
Speaker 6: And when you have veterans in the lineup, good NHL players,
17:06
Speaker 6: that's what they want.
17:07
Speaker 4: They want to.
17:08
Speaker 6: Be tapped on the shoulder and expected to provide something
17:12
Speaker 6: to the team and that's how they build confidence.
17:15
Speaker 3: And so we've kind of seen a little bit more
17:16
Speaker 3: of that now. Don't get me wrong. They want Leon
17:18
Speaker 3: dry Saddle back in the lineup, but they don't want
17:21
Speaker 3: to rush this injury. He is back in town.
17:23
Speaker 6: I saw him the other night at the game, and yeah,
17:27
Speaker 6: fully expect him to be The expectation, at least from
17:30
Speaker 6: what I'm told by the team, is that he's ready
17:31
Speaker 6: for the playoffs.
17:33
Speaker 3: Hopefully it's tracking that way, but the Kraken won't have
17:36
Speaker 3: to deal with him on Tuesday.
17:38
Speaker 2: Sounds like Trent Frederick will not play in this game,
17:40
Speaker 2: according to reports, as Edmonton again has won three in
17:44
Speaker 2: a row coming off the win over the Anaheim Ducks.
17:46
Speaker 2: From the oiler standpoint, Tom wants the pug drop. What's
17:49
Speaker 2: their biggest key here for this game.
17:51
Speaker 6: They're good with the lead, Mike when they when they
17:53
Speaker 6: get the lead, They've been very good this season. So
17:55
Speaker 6: I think you'll take away any hopes of the krack
17:58
Speaker 6: and putting together a quote on quote good road game.
18:02
Speaker 6: You know, I'm sure the Seattle will want to take
18:04
Speaker 6: the crowd out of it early. All those cliche things
18:06
Speaker 6: that a road team can do. Effectively. I take with
18:12
Speaker 6: the oil the five on five scoring has been a
18:14
Speaker 6: little bit better with Dry Siddle out all at that
18:17
Speaker 6: as well, the power play, even though it's top in
18:19
Speaker 6: the league, is not as efficient without them.
18:23
Speaker 3: Not a surprise.
18:25
Speaker 6: The PK has been pretty suspect this year, although in
18:28
Speaker 6: the last little bit it's been much better. I think
18:30
Speaker 6: a lot of that has to do with Connor Murphy
18:33
Speaker 6: helping out Jason Dickinson as well, another defensive minded player,
18:38
Speaker 6: good veteran player that the Oilers added at the deadline,
18:41
Speaker 6: and we're starting to see the effects of those two
18:44
Speaker 6: on the PK.
18:44
Speaker 3: Especially so.
18:47
Speaker 6: For the Oilers, I think it's just another solid, as
18:49
Speaker 6: close to sixty minute effort as you can get.
18:52
Speaker 3: Listen, Mike, they're going to get the offense.
18:54
Speaker 6: I mean, when you've got McDavid, you've got Matts Savoy,
18:57
Speaker 6: who's catching fire right now. Vasilli pod Colson has been
19:00
Speaker 6: shipping in. Ryan Nugan Hawkins has been pretty steady all season.
19:04
Speaker 6: Zach Hyman, who we haven't even mentioned yet, has a
19:07
Speaker 6: thirty goal season. He's only played fifty five games. I mean,
19:10
Speaker 6: he's put together a hell of the season. So if
19:12
Speaker 6: you take care of your own end. There's a high
19:16
Speaker 6: probability that things in the offensive zone will take care
19:19
Speaker 6: of themselves with this Oilers team.
19:20
Speaker 3: And I think.
19:21
Speaker 6: That that responsible type of game will be priority number
19:26
Speaker 6: one because when when the Orders are playing responsible veteran hockey,
19:30
Speaker 6: they'll get they'll get the lead after they build up
19:32
Speaker 6: their opportunities, and as long as they get continue to
19:36
Speaker 6: play well defensively, they should be just fine.
19:38
Speaker 2: Tom, appreciate this. Let's talk sooner than later here and
19:41
Speaker 2: in the meantime, cheers to shorts weather finally coming right
19:46
Speaker 2: around the corner here. Thanks Bud, appreciate.
19:48
Speaker 6: You'll I'll go trudge through the snow and my shorts
19:51
Speaker 6: mic for you.
19:53
Speaker 2: Oh that's great, Tom, Thank you very much, crack and
19:56
Speaker 2: looking to forward to two and two split with Edmonton
19:58
Speaker 2: in this regular season SERI with Edmonton. They won the
20:01
Speaker 2: first match up three to two back on October twenty fifth,
20:04
Speaker 2: fell for nothing in November to the Oilers, and then
20:08
Speaker 2: absorbed a nine to four loss in Edmonton back on
20:11
Speaker 2: December fourth. Edmonton has suffered their struggles on the power play,
20:15
Speaker 2: just four of twenty eight in their last ten games,
20:18
Speaker 2: but don't be fooled by the overall scope. Without question,
20:21
Speaker 2: a big key for the Kracket is staying out of
20:23
Speaker 2: the penalty box. With Edmonton leading the NHL in power
20:27
Speaker 2: play percentage thirty point two percent on the entire season,
20:32
Speaker 2: yet they are hampered in a bit in the absence
20:34
Speaker 2: of Leon Dreich title who leads Edmonton and right now
20:37
Speaker 2: tied for third in the NHL with sixteen power play goals.
20:41
Speaker 2: Next closest to him Connor McDavid with eleven and oh hey,
20:45
Speaker 2: speaking of McDavid, very much of the conversation once again
20:48
Speaker 2: for the art Ross and the hard trophies as well.
20:51
Speaker 2: He leads the NHL right now with one hundred and
20:54
Speaker 2: twenty four points in seventy four games, three ahead of
20:58
Speaker 2: Nikita Kucharov, who the Crack became very familiar with earlier
21:02
Speaker 2: this past month. So the Kraken we'll get to work
21:05
Speaker 2: on trying to contain Edmonton tonight six pm Pacific time,
21:09
Speaker 2: once again aritime covers of five point thirty. We certainly
21:13
Speaker 2: hope that you can join us. Big thank you again
21:15
Speaker 2: to Tom Gazol for joining us and for kracking this morning.
21:18
Speaker 2: I'm Mike Benton. Have a happy Tuesday. You're home for
21:21
Speaker 2: the Kraken. Sports Radio ninety three point three kJ R FM,