After last night, that ELPH was pleasantly unexpected. Beers all around! Final Score: 2-1 Ducks.
Today’s game was almost like a science experiment. I had to watch to see if the Oilers could find a way to match their mind numbingly awful performance from yesterday. If they were able to, I may have had to rethink the impossibility of catching Buffalo in the McJesus race. With the start they had tonight, I think the Oilers might get closer to Buffalo than we had originally thought. A Taylor Hall and Jeff Petry-less Oilers is a scary thought for the rest of the season.
Despite the awful start, the Oilers were able to wake up in the 2nd. Between the 1st and 2nd, the Oilers looked like a different team. I bet it was coffee enemas. Anyway… The Oilers tied the game early in the 2nd period on Teddy Purcell’s 8th goal of the season, of a great little backhand pass from Nail Yakupov. Actually, the Purcell-Roy-Yak was producing chances all night long. Here’s hoping that MacT can get Roy locked up shortly.
The 3rd period seemed to pick up where the 2nd period left off. The action was end to end with a touch of sloppiness that only 2 teams on the 2nd of back to back games can provide. Case and point was the 2nd Ducks goal which ended up being the winner. Scrivens took in a weak shot, bobbled and dropped the puck only to have Schultz inadvertently kick it in. If that’s not the Oilers season in a moment, then I don’t know what is.
Even though the Oilers lost tonight, this loss was infinitely easier to take than last night’s loss. The Oilers actually showed some willingness to battle, and engage. That being said, a loss is a loss and we’re one step closer to the dr…. OMG THE OODLE NOODLE DELIVERY GUY IS HERE!
We wrap.

THE BRIGHT SIDE

  • Teddy Purcell’s goal (his 8th) came from a great little backhanded passing play from Nail Yakupov. Again, the line of Purcell-Roy-Yak was producing chances all night long. 
  • The Oilers have 6 guys out with injuries, and they were able to stick around with the Ducks. It was nice to see the team put in a better effort in the 2nd half. 
  • Ben Scrivens played reasonably well in the 2nd half of a back to back. I’m sure he would love to have that 2nd goal back, but what can you do. Most of the night, he seemed to be controlling his rebounds a lot better tonight, and he kept the Oilers in it. Scrivens finished the game with 19 saves and a .905 save%.

THE FACE PALMERS

  • What a start! You have to love seeing the Oilers down by a goal just 45 seconds into the game. Luckily the end wasn’t as bad as the beginning.
  • When things go bad for Justin Schultz they go really bad. The 2nd Anaheim goal went in off Jultz’s skate when he was trying to make a play defensively. To be fair to Schultz, Ben Scrivens probably shouldn’t have let the puck in the first place.
  • Seriously, Ben. I love you, but you have to hang on to that puck.
  • John Gibson is exactly the kind of young goalie prospect that the Oilers needs. He’s annoyingly good. He finished with 26 saves and a .963 save%.
  • The only two games next week come against Minnesota and St. Louis. That should be fun! 

SCORING SUMMARY

From TSN.ca….

BEST OF THE TWEETS

You know you’re hiliarious, now you need to show me. Tweet your Oilers related jokes and one liners to@jsbmbaggedmilk or @OilersNation for your chance at landing in the best of the tweets. Let’s make smiles, here people.

PHOTOSHOP CONTEST LAST CALL

I extended the photoshop contest deadline for entries because, frankly, they were too funny to stop. Next week is also a light Oilers week, so I thought we could all use a little entertainment during the week. So fire up your photoshop machine and get the awkward family photos coming in. To submit an entry, you can email it to me at baggedmilk@oilersnation.com. I’m looking forward to this.