This is the reason exhibition hockey wasn't broadcast in the olden days.
Hard lesson for the Oilers young d-corp facing down the expansion team's good players who need to win and build relevance in this new market.
Kesselring looked good with the puck and jump into offensive play. Work in progress defensively. Lots of solid potential for this young guy to grow into. Niemelainen pretty good again tonight though seemed a bit slower on a back-to-back. Simply game though.
Broberg with big minutes. Though he was uneven. Early was a bit passive but I thought he had a solid assertive 3rd period. Still not mature man strength which is a challenge against apex talent and little to no physical game. Don't have to put people through walls but need to step up physically at times in NHL. Though credit for big PK minutes on a unit that held its own with the Krak 0-6 for the night.
Hard to find much to like on a bottom six/twelve forward group. Benson brought it again with a feisty, pest game and clearly improved skating. Credit this guy for putting it on the line to fight for a job. Petrov with a little flash of skill. Janmark was pretty good until he wasn't. But solid size and generally good two-way game. Virtanen missed a grade A opportunity in the kill zone. Early return on the second chance granted isn't looking good. Will get more runway unless the reported social media post of more scandal landing with this player puts a mercy kill on redemption street. No hunger, no job Jake.
As above this game as lineups were constructed was going to be about gaging young Oiler defenders and how they could stand up to a more NHL regular season lineup. The forward bottom six heavy talent didn't really get anything done offensively. Kept to the perimeter and little finishing ability.
EDIT: Pre-season for all of us. Hamblin (not Petrov) and (Matvey? haha) Peters looked okay as a AHL depth guy getting action. Too many football numbers...
