Four games into the 2020-21 WHL season and the Edmonton Oil Kings are riding high with an undefeated record of 4-0. No time is being wasted in picking up where they left off last season.
The Oil Kings matched up against the Lethbridge Hurricanes and the Medicine Hat Tigers to begin the season. The season-opening series against the Hurricanes was an offensive explosion as the Oil Kings flattened their southern opponents 7-1 and 7-2 in two games.
In the two-game series against the Tigers, the Oil Kings once again triumphed and put together two more solid wins. The scores in those games were a bit closer, resulting in 4-2 and 3-1 final scores.
What is working?
Some early takeaways thus far in the shortened season are quite evident.
The Oil Kings mean business. It cannot be easy to walk into a WHL season as a player, with less preparation time than usual, and produce right off the bat, fulfilling every single expectation. As can be expected, there are cobwebs and rust to shake off.
But the Oil Kings appear to be fully dialed in already. A key factor to the Oil Kings’ terrific start is how well their top players are performing and producing.
Dylan Guenther is leading the charge with 10 points. His skating and finesse are out-of-this-world. He is a remarkable offensive talent who is just getting warmed up.
New addition and 21-year-old WHL veteran Kaid Oliver is already getting himself comfortably acquainted in Edmonton. He has nine points in four games and is showing signs of another breakout campaign after scoring more than 40 points in each of his last two WHL seasons.
Star forward Jake Neighbours is off to a great start as well as he has seven points in four games. The top-six is getting the job done for the Oil Kings.
But behind all that front-end firepower, the Oil Kings have some serious depth throughout the lineup. They are getting contributions from everywhere.
Matthew Robertson has been rock-solid on the blue line, providing a stable veteran presence and some offence. He has four assists in the first four games.
Jalen Luypen has had the magic touch on his stick as he has three goals and five points in four games. His energy level on the ice, especially when he scores can easily inject life on his team’s bench when they need it most this season.
Sebastian Cossa is looking sharp between the pipes. In four games, he has made 93 saves, has a 1.50 goals-against average, and a 0.939 save percentage. If he can continue to deliver with his stellar play, the Oil Kings will reach incredible heights this season.
What to expect moving forward
Since the 2018-19 WHL season, which saw the team make it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Oil Kings have been building their foundation as a contender and consistently trending upward. We are already seeing signs of career years for a number of different players on the roster.
With such a unique season here before us, it all boils down to who can stay the course of winning or who can get red-hot at the opportune time. The grind of a hockey season still exists whether you play 72 games or 24.
The sample size is small but so far so good for the red, white, and blue.
