Troy Perlowitz Talks Highs & Lows of NHL's Early Season

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00:00We're getting the ice advice.

00:01Donnie Wrightside, Joe Winero.

00:02Let's welcome in Troy Perlowitz here.

00:03We need some NHL talk.

00:04We went to one of the experts, Troy.

00:06Thank you for joining us this morning.

00:08Thanks so much for having me on.

00:10I appreciate it, guys.

00:11Let's have some fun and talk some NHL action.

00:13Now, granted, it's still early in the season,

00:15and we know that the playoff race will start to ramp up in February, March,

00:18as we get to April.

00:19But some big games on the ticket last night.

00:22And one of the teams that we always love to talk about,

00:24one of the more exciting teams, is the Edmonton Oilers.

00:26Troy, they had a home game yesterday against the Sabres,

00:29lost that 4-3 in overtime.

00:31They now sit at 13-11 on the season.

00:34Expectations certainly much higher than 13-11.

00:36What are you seeing early season from the Edmonton Oilers?

00:39And, yeah, they lost in overtime yesterday.

00:41Yeah, it was an incredible night in the NHL last night.

00:44There were four game-tying goals scored in the last minute of regulation,

00:48in the last 15 seconds of regulation, which is incredible,

00:51including one in Edmonton.

00:52Look, it's been a little up and down for the Oilers this year.

00:55They had some injury issues, and that's caused some down.

00:59Conor McDavid and Leon Drysaddle haven't really got the point production yet,

01:04but I still trust them.

01:06You have to remember, when we're talking about teams like Edmonton

01:08and even Florida, those teams have played so many games in the playoffs

01:12the last two years.

01:13There's some injury issues and some just tired legs.

01:17For Florida, I mean, you lost Barkov for the entire year.

01:21Kachuk hasn't even played yet.

01:23Edmonton, it's going to be the same issues for them as there were last year.

01:27They dominated that game last night.

01:29I know they didn't win it, but they dominated that game last night.

01:31Scoring chances were almost 2-1 in that game.

01:34I think I trust them a lot more, especially getting Ryan Nugent Hopkins back

01:38to play in that top line with Conor McDavid and lengthens them a little bit.

01:42But that same issue about their goaltending, that's not going away.

01:45It's up and down.

01:47It could be good.

01:48It could be really bad.

01:49It's just kind of a rollercoaster ride with the Edmonton Oilers.

01:52But, man, do they have a ton of offense.

01:54If they get all their horses back, I really do trust them going forward

01:57to come out of that Western Conference.

02:00So, Troy, I had to actually look at this, clean my eyes, refresh the screen.

02:05Did Nashville actually beat Colorado last night?

02:09Is that – they actually lost a game last night?

02:13Is that – what is that, two on the season?

02:15They should just pack their bags now?

02:18Only 30 games – only 30 games into the regular season,

02:21and Colorado has only lost twice in regulation.

02:24It's just an amazing number.

02:26They lead the league in goals.

02:28They lead the league in goals against.

02:31You know, last night, a couple bad bounces.

02:34If you saw that goal in the third period that Nashville scored from the blue line,

02:38that doesn't happen often.

02:40It just reminds you that hockey is such a fast game.

02:42The puck just moves fast, and sometimes you get bad bounces.

02:47Colorado's just a juggernaut at this so far in the regular season.

02:49And Nathan McKinnon and Kale McCarr are both leading their respective positions and points.

02:55Yeah, I don't see Colorado – I think they're going to challenge that Boston Bruins record

03:00from a couple years ago in terms of regular season points.

03:03Remember, this is a team – only three teams in the modern era have ever led the league

03:08for an entire year in goals for and goals against.

03:11Colorado could be doing that.

03:13Remember, if you go back a year ago at this very moment for Colorado,

03:17their goalie tandem was Justice Ananen and Alexander Turgiev.

03:21They've really upgraded that position in the last year.

03:24It's really propelled their team.

03:26And we mentioned Nathan McKinnon.

03:28He's really found a lot of chemistry with Martin Nietzsche on that top line.

03:32Not a lot of teams can have the horses to contain them, and they look incredible.

03:36So I really think the regular season, Colorado's really a dominant team,

03:41and I don't see them falling off very much.

03:43The playoffs is where it begins here.

03:45And again, we're a couple months out from the playoffs.

03:47Some of these teams just trying to figure out exactly where they stand.

03:49The Colorado Avalanche right now are the favorites to win the Stanley Cup at a plus 390 price,

03:53followed by the Lightning, the Hurricanes, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Panthers.

03:57Then you have the Edmonton Oilers just on the outside there at about a 10-to-1 price.

04:00Before the season started, Troy, who did you like for the Stanley Cup?

04:03And also, what are you seeing now once we're in the month of December?

04:07I'm going to need you guys to trust me on this one,

04:09but I really did like the Avalanche coming into the season

04:11because of the goaltending that I mentioned.

04:14Yeah, there are two teams in the Western Conference,

04:18and we mentioned one of them, that do give me some concern.

04:21And we mentioned the Edmonton Oilers.

04:22I still think they're a really powerful team

04:24if they get the goaltending to back up their offense.

04:28The other team that was on that board that you saw there,

04:30the Vegas Golden Knights, they lost Mark Stone at the start of the year,

04:34and it really seemed to hurt their power play.

04:36They struggled of late, but they have points in 16 of the last 18 games.

04:42They're a really strong team.

04:44That power play is really great.

04:46And Jack Eichel is a superstar that not a lot of people talk about,

04:50how much speed he brings to the game and really lengthens that lineup.

04:53Mitch Marner has come in, off-season addition from the Toronto Maple Leafs,

04:58and he really lengthens that lineup.

04:59And he really brings a defensive mindset, which not a lot of people have to talk about,

05:04but he really makes that team a lot stronger on the defensive end.

05:08And I think Vegas is a team I'd be worried about.

05:11Vegas and Edmonton in the Pacific Division,

05:15if they get to the playoffs,

05:17and they're battle-tested teams who have won Stanley Cups before.

05:21So I think that's the Colorado.

05:22Once we get to the postseason, it might be a little different story.

05:26Should I not buy into what Dallas is doing right now here, Troy?

05:31I mean, it's not like they don't have the experience.

05:34I mean, even Casey DeSmith is winning games left and right.

05:37Yeah, you know, I mean, look at Dallas.

05:39It's a team of depth, right?

05:41Like, they don't really have one horse.

05:42They have seven horses.

05:44They're like Noah's Ark, right?

05:46They have two of everything.

05:47It's pretty incredible what they're doing.

05:49They got Thomas Harley back into the lineup.

05:51That was really great to see.

05:52You know, Dallas plays in that same division as Colorado.

05:56You know, they were a 2-3 matchup in the playoffs last year.

05:59I think there's really going to be a lot of incentive for both teams

06:03to try to get that top spot in the division

06:04and avoid each other in the first round of the playoffs.

06:08I love Dallas, man.

06:09I really love that team.

06:10I love Jake Ottinger and Nett.

06:12He's been a little shaky so far this start of the year,

06:15maybe looking towards the Olympic Games.

06:17I'm not really sure.

06:19But Dallas is a team I really like a lot.

06:21They just have to stay healthy because, like I said,

06:24they're a really deep team and they could score goals with anybody.

06:28Troy, the NHL, of course, every year gives out an MVP trophy.

06:30It is the heart trophy.

06:31It looks like it's a battle in the West right now.

06:33Nathan McKinnon, Connor McDavid, and Jack Eichel are the favorites right now.

06:36If we had to put a stamp on who's the best player in the NHL now

06:39and who's winning this, who's there for you, Troy?

06:42It's still probably Nathan McKinnon for me.

06:45He's just – yeah, he's going to have the point production to back that up.

06:49He has more three-point games than zero-point games this year.

06:52That's an incredible staff, and I just think that it shows you

06:55how the point production is really there for him.

06:57Those young kids coming up, though, it's really great to see.

07:00The league is in a great spot when Connor Bedard

07:02and Macklin Celebreni are coming up as possible MVP candidates.

07:06Love to hear it.

07:07That's Troy Perlowich.

07:08Catch him on the NHL.com, baby.

07:10That's an NHL expert right now giving you the information you need.

07:13Troy, thanks for joining us.

07:14We'll be right back after this short break.

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