The debate has been raging for a week or so now.
Are these Oilers for real? Fair enough I guess given a 2-game losing streak thanks to a pair of shut-outs.
Well, tonight Edmonton ran its record to 8-2-1 with a breathtaking come-from-behind, 4-3 Overtime win over a certain Stanley Cup contender…the big, fast, skilled Washington Capitals. So yeah…maybe they are.
The Oilers entered tonight’s play not having scored a goal of any shape or description in 152 minutes and 28 seconds. A fortunate bounce after a good Darnell Nurse rush broke that goose egg in the 1st. The Caps scored twice in a span of just :47 to take the lead, then a Ovechkin power play marker looked like it may be enough. 3-1 Caps after 2.
But a couple of key 3rd Period saves by Mikko Koskinen turned the tide, then McDavid and Draisaitl took over. Boom, boom, it was 3-3 and off to overtime we went, where the Dynamic Duo ended it in style.
Wow, what a game. Here’s the tale of the tape:
MIKKO KOSKINEN. 7. A big 1st Period stop on Ovechkin suggested this might be a good night for the keeper. I didn’t like the 1-1 much and I don’t imagine that Koskinen did either. He let up for a split second and paid for it when the spin-around shot by Jakub Vrana sailed over his shoulder. But Koskinen made two key saves in particular that I felt turned the tide in the 3rd. First he stoned Stephenson and then Ovi just a shift later. The momentum swung on those saves. It was mostly all Oilers the rest of the 3rd. Paddled the puck on the one Capitals chance in O/T before the puck was sent in the other direction toward victory. Saved 25 of 28 to run his season W-L record to a franchise record 5-and-0. Andy Moog held the old Oilers record.
CONNOR McDAVID. 8. Was “just ok” for the 1st 40 minutes of this game. But next to no one will remember that after a super-nova 3rd Period/Overtime performance. Assisted on the Leon Draisaitl goal to draw the game close at 3-2. Stuffed home the tying goal at 18:22 of the 3rd and with the Oilers net empty. Then a spectacular give-and-go on a 3-on-1 overtime rush ended with Draisaitl drilling home McDavid’s return pass for the win. Played 27:22, +4, 16-9 on face-offs. Head earlier rung the cross-bar in a sweet headman pass by Ethan Bear. No call on a 2nd Period rush to the net when Gudas hacked him across the forearm. Also no call on a 2nd Period grab by Dmitry Orlov. Played a role in 10 Grade “A” scoring chances as charted by The Cult of Hockey’s David Staples. As good of a 25 minutes as a player is likely to serve up this season.
LEON DRAISAITL. 8. Leon’s pass set Darnell Nurse loose on a LHS rush which led to the 1-0. Drew a 1st Period PP. Stripped Ovechkin of the puck on a smart 1st Period stop. Drilled the puck past Braden Holtby short-side on a set-up by McDavid for the 3-2 after being sprung on a nifty neutral zone pass by Zack Kassian. Then Leon brought home the 2nd of the club’s 2 points on the night with a Rembrandt of a give-and-go with Connor McDavid in O/T. After retrieving the puck behind his own goal line Leon powered down the right side like a locomotive then passed, stopped, and shot. Draisaitl’s 8th regular season career overtime goal sets a new Edmonton franchise record. Equalled his 50-goal scoring counterpart on the score sheet in an epic head-to-head but earned 1 more point in the standings. A head-to-head win for Draisaitl, no?
ZACK KASSIAN. 7. Made an excellent play on the wall that led to the 1-0. A good 2nd Period take-away. Robbed on a late 2nd Period 3-on-1 when he wristed a feed from McDavid toward a gaping net but Braden Holtby was equal to the task. Was positioned perfectly after a smart back-check in his own zone to foil a Ovechkin chance. A 2-assist night proving yet again that Zack kassian is more than capable of playing effectively with 2 of the best players in the game.
DARNELL NURSE. 7. He opened the scoring with a strong drive to the net. Yes, Nurse maybe got a little lucky on the deflection but as any player at that level will tell you…you gotta get there to score it and Darnell did. 6 shots. A bit slow to his man in coverage on the 1-1. A giveaway on a separate play in the same frame. But then had a great chance on a last-minute 2nd Period opportunity set up by Neal and Nugent-Hopkins. Played 25:33. He and Bear were the club’s best pairing over-all.
ETHAN BEAR. 7. After a well-played 1st Period, Bear had his man in front but Alexander Ovechkin wrestled his stick loose long enough for an elite tip to run the score to 2-1. Also had a 2nd Period giveaway. A slick exit pass sprung 29 & 97 for a good chance late in the 2nd. Stuffed Ovechkin on a dangerous chance next shift. Sent McDavid in alone again on a 3rd Period sortie. A key punch along the wall by Bear on the equalizer that he won’t get an assist for but the goal doesn’t get scored without it. Also had a big 3rd Period shot block, one of six (6!) on the night. Played 26:48 to lead the D-core in TOI.
RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS. 5. Braden Holtby gloved Nugent-Hopkins’ best chance of the game on a nifty back-hand at the end of a 3rd period sequence. 3 shots in 18:32. 42% on the dot. Part of the sequence on the 3-3. Was quiet-ish. I felt he was out-played by his linemates and a pretty clean sheet defensively.
JAMES NEAL. 6. A 3rd Period post by James Neal left the score 3-2. Neal also had 3 shots on goal and played with an edge all evening, especially on the forecheck with an equally determined Chiasson. Earned the primary assist in the 3-2 with a smart pass that McDavid managed to squeeze through Holtby.
ALEX CHIASSON. 6. Played a really heavy game along the walls and down deep in the Cap’s zone. Not fancy but highly effective. Earned an assist on the 3-2 by keeping the play alive behind the net. 2 shots in 14:04. CF of 18-15, 54.5%. Chiasson and Neal are a heavy load on Nuge’s flanks.
OSCAR KLEFBOM. 7. Had a nasty giveaway on a 1st Period PK but took it right back seconds later. It was one of 2 giveaways on the night. But Klefbom played a ton (25:54) and by-and-large was very good. A clever play behind his own goal line started off the sequence that led to the 3-2. Beat Wilson in a footrace to force an icing in 3-on-3 Overtime. 3 shots and was +1.
KRIS RUSSELL. 6. Very good particularly over the first 40, with numerous smart defensive plays and a few good offensive decisions as well. Huge desperation play in his own zone on Verana on a 1st Period PK was his high-light. 2 hits, 2 blocks and a shot in 16:33. The puck was more often headed in the right direction with him on the ice than not.
RILEY SHEAHAN. 4. Lost the face-off on the 3-1 and was just 40% on the night. One shot, one hit, I believe his 8:19 TOI was a season low. Maybe his least impressive outing of the year.
JUJHAR KHAIRA. 4. A good stick in a 2nd Period PK. Had 2 hits but also 2 giveaways in just 9:26. Can’t get on track.
JOSH ARCHIBALD. 5. Over-committed on a 2nd Period Capitals PP, leaving Alex Ovechkin all alone behind him and with time on his hands. Ovi scored on a sublime shot that the greatest goal scorers in the game take. Too bad as Archibald and Sheahan had just performed well on the PK on the previous sequence. Decent 3rd Period chance on a set-up by Nurse. A shot, a hit and a block in 10:22. Flashes, but not enough.
BRANDON MANNING. 5. Solid over two periods then mostly sat in the 3rd. 2 shots, 2 hits and a block in 9:51. I saw him sit primarily because down 3-1 the puck-movers were getting the minutes. Had a CF over 61%. Holding his own.
MATT BENNING. 6. Took a costly penalty for closing his hand on the puck along his own blue-line, as it eventually led to the 3-1 power play marker. But handled a heavy load in his own end, ending with a sparkling CF of 18-8 in All Events and was +1 (again). Matt Benning doesn’t get a lot of credit but is giving up very little in reliable minutes.
MARKUS GRANLUND. 5. Puck-over-glass penalty handed the Caps a 1st Period Power Play. A give-away. But was generally speaking on the right side of the puck and seemed to have a little chemistry with Sam Gagner. Played just 8:04 but was “o.k.”.
SAM GAGNER. 6. Sam Gagner clearly gave the Bottom-6 some juice in his first few shifts and produced two Grade “A” scoring chances before the game was 5 minutes old. His best opportunity came on a set-up by Granlund. Kept the momentum up next shift, leading to the 1-0 by Nurse. 3 shots in 11:01.
PATRICK RUSSELL. 4. Super-quiet and seldom used. A give-away in 5:52, all 5×5.
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October 25, 2019 at 12:48PM
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