Edmonton Oilers Penalty Kill

The crutch of the Edmonton Oilers, killing penalties and a #1 goaltender.

Edmonton’s penalty kill percentage is 62.2% through 12 games played, ranking them 15th out of 16 playoff teams, and the worst penalty kill percentage amongst active playoff teams. As many players, coaches and fans have heard “special teams win games” while Edmonton has won their last two playoff series, the Western Conference finals game one on Wednesday night was a good indication that special teams will win them games deep into the stretch.

Edmonton may have been able to have a bad penalty kill and get away with it vs the Los Angeles Kings and the Vegas Golden Knights. The Kings were ranked 16th in the playoffs among playoff teams with a 61.5% penalty kill, while the Kings power play was great their penalty kill was an issue. Now Edmonton is facing the best power play team amongst active playoff teams and the 2nd best penalty kill team amongst active playoff teams.

If you see this penalty kill early on in the first period of Wednesday night’s game one of Dallas vs Edmonton you would think to yourself, perhaps the Oilers penalty kill improved during their little break they had.

One thing that made Edmonton successful on their first penalty kill was their diamond they had going in the neutral zone, forcing Dallas to slow down upon entry and their ability to close out time and space immediately upon Dallas possession.

Off Dallas attempt of entry, they drop it and Wyatt Johnston goal is to get inside the blue and push it outside and then set up high and go from there. Edmonton denies that entry, by simply just swarming on the puck carrier, staying tight in their diamond and upon loose pucks Edmonton pounced on them quickly.

Fast forward to Dallas 2nd power play attempt, which Dallas ended up changing their entry and Edmonton found themselves with little to no answers.

It seems like Edmonton runs the 1-1-2 penalty kill and I have expressed my opinion on the penalty kill format so we will save that for another time. Dallas gets into the zone goes high immediately. Which forces Edmonton’s penalty killer Janmark to go out and pressure Miro Heiskanen (#4), Heiskanen ends up pushing it back down the wall to Granlund on the left flank (Dallas #64). Janmark continues his route down to Granlund and pressures the puck carrier. With a ton of ice open high, Granlund goes back to Heiskanen and now Janmark is way too low and out of position, so he releases to the middle, so in a 1-1-2 when this happens the middle guy, goes to the puck carrier high which was Conner Brown (EDM #28) in this scenario. Brown takes an inside to down route to deny a pass to the weakside flank, which now Janmark released to the middle, if you pause it at 0:18 you will see Janmark and another Oilers defenseman (EDM #25 Nurse) screening their own goalie, on top of Dallas net front presence. Heiskanen, just puts one to the net, goes untouched, into the back of the net and that began Dallas' comeback. This is why I personally believe the 1-1-2 is horrible, simply because, the top guy and the middle just run in and outs and the two players at the net either are causing a distraction for their own goaltender, attached to the crease so when the flanks get the puck, they are flat footed and in a terrible position to engage.

Dallas gets in cleanly, okay not the end of the world, they then recover their own rebound and at 0:11 Jason Robertson has enough time to settle the puck down and find a passing option. On the penalty kill, if the puck is below the goal line someone needs to engage and make a hit, make a pin, do something. But Edmonton does not do anything, and it comes back to the bite them. Robertson goes to the flank (Marchment #27) who bumps it to Seguin (#91) who bumps it to Heiskanen. Now at this point the puck is moving so quickly in a small space, and Edmonton penalty killers are SUCKED to one side, Janmark (#13) and Brown (#28) are so far engaged on the left side of the ice. When the puck goes to Heiskanen high and he pushes it over to Granlund on the right flank. Brown simply cannot get over in time to pressure the shot, forcing Jake Wallman (#96 EDM) to leave the net front and pressure Granlund. While doing so, Edmonton cannot move Robertson from the net front, Wallman goes to a knee to block the shot, so now Edmonton goal tender is screened by Robertson and Wallman on a knee, by the time he reads Granlund’s shot it is too late. In their 1-1-2 this is exactly what happens when the two top guys (Janmark and Brown) get out of position, the net front guys have to go and attack the flanks in these situations. Forcing a screened goaltender, a player flat footed and having to block a shot and giving the shooter way too much time to pick his spot and shoot.

Dallas last goal and game winning goal was off a face-off play that Edmonton had no chance on.

If I am Edmonton, I am throwing the 1-1-2 out the window as soon as possible. Their 78.2% penalty kill in the regular season was good enough for a 16th ranked penalty kill and their 62.2% penalty kill percentage in 12 playoff games is the worst amongst active teams. It simply is not working, and Dallas is going to absolutely eat Edmonton alive if they stick to this penalty kill format.