No matter how well you play, it all comes down to goaltending.

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The Oilers were reminded of that fact in the second period of Wednesday's game against the Seattle Kraken. Despite outshooting Seattle 15-5 in the period, goaltender Olivier Rodrigue allowed four goals on five shots -- including two weak ones 35 seconds apart -- to give the Kraken a 4-2 lead.

That just about did it for Edmonton, who despite putting 30 shots on net couldn't crack a very solid Philipp Grubauer. Jaden Schwartz and Will Borgen added two more late in the third period to win the game 6-2.

It's unfortunate timing for Rodrigue, who's remained in camp to cover for Calvin Pickard as he recovers from a minor injury sustained in Saturday's win over Seattle. While Pickard is expected to be ready for the start of the season, this was a chance for Rodrigue to impress Oilers brass and perhaps earn some NHL time later on this season. That looks less likely after allowing 6 goals on 23 shots.

That implosion put a damper on what was a strong performance from the Oilers' skaters, particularly the second line of Leon Draisaitl, Jeff Skinner, and Viktor Arvidsson. The new trio was an offensive force, flashing impressive puck movement at five-on-five, including creating the Oilers' second goal of the game.

Also impressive was the man who scored that goal, Travis Dermott. The defenceman has made it nearly all the way through training camp as a PTO invite, never once looking out of place. Wednesday was his best performance yet, as he was extremely involved offensively, nearly adding a second goal late in the middle period.

That he did it all on his off-hand next to Darnell Nurse is even more encouraging, as it gives him a leg up on the seventh defenceman spot if he can handle both sides.

For Seattle, the win came at a high cost. Before the puck was even dropped, first-line winger Jared McCann left warmups with a lower-body injury. Then in the third period, Brandon Tanev took a Leon Draisaitl slap shot off the foot and left in considerable pain. For a team expected to be on the fringes of the playoff race, losing two left wingers to start the season could be a big problem.

Oilers Player of the Game: Leon Draisaitl

In a game between two nearly full NHL lineups, a top-five player in the league was the best player. Go figure. Draisaitl figured into both Oilers goals, notching a goal and an assist on the night. His line was electric at five-on-five, at times looking like they were running a powerplay.

Of course, Draisaitl knows all about the powerplay. The Oilers went 1-for-5 on the man advantage, with Draisaitl capitalizing on Seattle's chaos for one of his signature one-timers at the end of a 5-on-3.

Oilers Play of the Game

If Draisaitl, Arvidsson, and Skinner can sling the puck around like that with regularity, it's going to be a long season for Western Conference defencemen. And if Dermott starts chipping in on offence like that, watch out.

I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention Shane Wright's two-goal performance for Seattle, including this absolute beauty to put the Kraken up 2-0.

After a tough couple of years since being drafted 4th overall, it would be great to see Wright blossom into the star he looked like during his draft year.

The Oilers have, mercifully, only one pre-season game remaining, in Vancouver on Friday. Their regular season gets underway on Wednesday, October 9th, when they welcome the Winnipeg Jets to Rogers Place.

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