Noah Philp Makes Big Strides As Oilers Drop Jets Rematch

Stuart Skinner's first game of the season did not go to plan, as the Oilers lost ---- to the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday night.

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Part of that was to be expected. The Oilers iced a lineup with only six NHL regulars against a Jets lineup that was nearly ready for opening night. In the pre-season, winning can take a back seat to development and scouting.

Part of tonight's plan was a stress test of sorts for players on the bubble of the NHL roster. James Hamblin, Noah Philp, and Lane Pederson entered this game with a chance to earn a spot on the team's fourth line. What better way to prove yourself than against a real-life NHL first line?

To that end, Philp stood out. He played in all situations: setting up Drake Caggiula with a couple of golden chances on the powerplay, both starting a penalty kill and subbing in as a faceoff specialist, and winning puck battles at both ends of the ice at 5-on-5.

Philp was especially impressive in the third period when he was promoted to a line with Mattias Janmark and Connor Brown. Philp looked extremely comfortable between two NHL wingers, forcing a turnover in the 3rd period that led to the Oilers' only goal of the game.

Of course, when you lose ----, there have got to be some weak performances. Defender Ty Emberson had a particularly difficult night, as miscommunication and a poorly timed line change led to the Jets' first goal. Emberson's had a solid training camp, never standing out but generally playing a solid, quiet game on the blueline. His job isn't in jeopardy, however, as he's penciled in as Darnell Nurse's partner on the second defensive pair.

Oilers Player of the Game: Stuart Skinner

It's usually a bad sign when your player of the game only played the first two periods, but 1) it's pre-season, and 2) Skinner really was quite good, despite the scoreboard.

Skinner was shelled in his pre-season debut, facing 27 shots in two periods before being replaced by Collin Delia for the third period. Despite allowing four goals on those 27 shots, none of the goals were Skinner's fault as the Jets just outplayed the Oilers. The score could've been even more lopsided without several big stops from Skinner.

Despite not exactly starting in the shallow end of the pool, Skinner more than held his own in his first game action of the season. That's all you can ask at this point in the pre-season as he prepares for a big year ahead of him.

Oilers Play of the Game

It's tough to find big plays in a 6-1 loss, but Skinner supplied a few for the Oilers in his 40 minutes of play.

The Oilers will be back at home on Saturday night for their fifth pre-season game, as they welcome the Seattle Kraken.

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