That’s what first place in April looks like. Final Score: 3-2 Oilers
When the season started would you have imagined that the Oilers would be battling for the division lead this late in the season? And it’s not even a bad April Fools Day joke! Its’s amazing. If the Oilers could’ve found a way to beat the Ducks in regulation it would have given them sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division but they still get the tie breaker because of ROW (Regulation and Overtime Wins) Right from the jump, Edmonton looked like they wanted this win. They had a great start with plenty of scoring chances, and the Ducks were lucky to get out of the period down only one goal. That said, Edmonton was generous with some prime scoring chances in their own right and had it not been for Cam Talbot they could have also found themselves down early.
As the game progressed and the Oilers continued to pour on shots at the net, you could sense the tension building on the ice and in the crowd. With first place on the line, every mistake seemed amplified and the stress from these late season games are a feeling that we haven’t felt in a long time. With the game tied headed into the third period, it felt like a ‘show-me’ moment for the Oilers as they looked to close out a big home game against a potential playoff opponent. Not only did they do that, they actually had to come back from behind before being able to close it out. That’s no small feat. As far as character wins go during the 2016-17 season, this one has to be near the top of the list. This was a huge win.
The Oilers crawled out of a third period deficit to beat a division rival, they extended their winning streak to five games, and they’ll wake up tomorrow atop of the Pacific Division. Is this real life?
The wrap.
THE BRIGHT SIDE
- Who else would you expect to open the scoring at this point other than Connor McDavid with his 29th goal of the season that extended his point streak to 10 games with another three point night. The kid should win the Hart, he’s going to win the Art Ross, he’s must see TV, and Connor McDavid is literally my whole world right now.
- How about the little dangle by Patty Maroon before feeding the puck out from to McDavid
- Milan Lucic scored a huge power play goal (his 19th) late in the third period to tie the game up at two goals apiece. Up until then, the power play hadn’t been great but it came through in a big way right at the perfect moment.
- Leon Draisaitl scored the OT winner off of a beautiful setup by Connor McDavid. Connor set Leon up on a tee and Big Sexy made no mistake of smashing it home.
- Both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl extended their point streaks to 10 games tonight. Did they just become best friends? YUP!
- Cam Talbot made some huge saves tonight and he gave his team the best chance to win that he could. After years of being unsure whether or not the goalie would stop the puck it’s sure nice to have Dadbot locking the net down on a consistent basis and he’s been doing that all year. Talbot was solid and made some huge saves despite what the .889 save% would have you believe.
- The power play missed three big chances to score in the first two periods and the game could have been over early, but they got one when they needed it most. The PP finished 1/4 on the night.
- Andrej Sekera has been great all season and he was quietly solid again tonight. Sekera is really good at picking his spots to jump into the play and it usually ends up being productive. He deserves more credit.
- Shout out to Ryan Kesler for missing a wide open net and hitting the crossbar in the third period. That was really cool of him to do for us.
- Outshot the Ducks 37-18 and deserved to win this hockey game.
- Be one of the first 150 people to grab RIPDOD Party tickets and you’re entered to win a party package from platinumlimos.ca
THE FACE PALMERS
- Honestly, I’m not even mad about Ryan Getzlaf’s goal. He ripped a clapper from the point and he put it in the absolutely perfect spot. When you add the screen in front of Talbot I don’t know what else he could have done to stop it.
- Bieksa going yard sale at least once per game is a movie that we’ve come to expect over the years and he didn’t disappoint tonight.
- The penalty kill couldn’t get the job done as they allowed goals on both******** of the Ducks’ attempts.
- John Gibson had the horseshoe lodged between his cheeks as he was getting all kinds of luck with bounces tonight.
- It was annoying how many shots the Ducks were able to block (30) tonight. Edmonton had some good chances that ended up being blocked and it had happened way too much for my liking.
- The Oilers need more from Nuge and Eberle if they’re going to make some noise in the playoffs. This team is relying too much on the McDavid line and that’s not a great blueprint for long term success.
- I need to figure out a way to find a sponsor for my ref complaints. I’ve made so many bullet points about the refs being garbage for both teams that I should probably find a way to monetize it. Mercy.
- 42% in the faceoff circle tonight. Didn’t matter. Still need to get better.
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST PERIOD
| TIME | TEAM | DETAILS | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19:11 | EDM | Connor McDavid (29) ASST: Patrick Maroon (15), Adam Larsson (14) | 0-1 |
2ND PERIOD
| TIME | TEAM | DETAILS | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03:27 | ANA | PPG – Ryan Getzlaf (15) ASST: Jakob Silfverberg (24), Cam Fowler (27) | 1-1 |
3RD PERIOD
| TIME | TEAM | DETAILS | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08:53 | ANA | PPG – Patrick Eaves (29) ASST: Antoine Vermette (18), Jakob Silfverberg (25) | 2-1 |
| 18:02 | EDM | PPG – Milan Lucic (19) ASST: Leon Draisaitl (46), Connor McDavid (64) | 2-2 |
OT PERIOD
| TIME | TEAM | DETAILS | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01:26 | EDM | Leon Draisaitl (28) ASST: Connor McDavid (65) | 2-3 |
BEST OF THE TWEETS
@OilersNation "I'd like to thank the Ducks for that portion of my paycheque that flows from them deciding that I wasn't good enough to play for them"
— David Smitten (@DavidSmitten) April 2, 2017
Hey guys it doesn’t get any better than this pic.twitter.com/xonlxQUoXI
— x – Ryan (@IAmByks) April 2, 2017
@OilersNation Live the stress.own the stress. Feel the stress. I am the stress
— x- Mikel (@celtic642) April 2, 2017
Connor McDavid tightens his grip on Art Ross Trophy with three more points. Has 94 with four games remaining. Next stop 100 points.
— Robin Brownlee (@Robin_Brownlee) April 2, 2017
In terms of not being ready, if it's against Calgary I'll be as composed and in control as the first time I tried to take off a bra
— Matt Henderson (@Archaeologuy) April 2, 2017
Talk to me, Twitter. Tweet at @OilersNation and @jsbmbaggedmilk for your chance to land in the Best of the Tweets.
THE #RIPDOD PARTY
As if you didn’t already know, the Decade of Darkness party will be happening at the Pint Downtown on Saturday, April 8th, with doors opening at 5pm and the hockey game starting at 8pm. Aside from making sure we’re all well hydrated, we’ve got the usual swag bags planned along with raffles, giveaways, and more.
Your $30 ticket gets you:
- Limited Edition Violent Gentlemen/Oilersnation hat for the first 90 through the door
- Limited Edition Violent Gentlemen/Oilersnation collaboration shirt for everyone else
- Limited Edition Decade of Darkness collector’s cup
- Gift cards from Oodle Noodle, the Pint, Jiffy Lube, United Cycle and more
- Access to the Decade of Darkness NationGear pop-up shop
- A chance at the 10 days of Clinchmas giveaways.
You’ve all suffered more than enough throughout the 10 years of darkness, and now we want to reward you for your loyalty with the 10 days of Clinchmas. Each day until the event we’ll be adding new prizes that will be available to win with the raffle ticket you’ll be given at the door. Get tickets while you can.
Sekera is the unsung here and ebs and Nuge need to start producing. I expect some unknown Oiler stepping it up in the playoffs and winning the Pisani cup. Who could it be?
My payment picks would be Kassian or Cagguilia.
Damn spell-check.
When I post a comment I wish it wouldn’t fire me back to the top of the page.
Oilers need to blow it up and do a proper rebuild.
Oilers had more shots, more hits, and had long stretches of outplaying Anaheim. Home ice will be very important vs the ducks if we play them, it could decide the series. It would be nice to rest a few guys next week, here is hoping for some rough games for the rest of the division down the stretch. Great game Oilers! If we can just get a second line next year watch out!
Lots of feedback about Ebs & Nuge. I have to agree that both have to pick it up. Last night’s game was pure playoff style. We will need more than the one line threatening the opposition. Outside of that, the excitement in this game was pure gold. I want more!
Go OIL!
Eberle and Nuge have proven this year it’s time to cut bait on them. Their fans, if there are any left, can be comforted by the thought that we really don’t have any choice. The “star” money they are being payed is needed for our real stars. I hope they can get rid of them both (will they really be missed) so Leon’s contract can be front loaded for the first year freeing up space when the REAL hit takes place.
People complaining all year about Lucic. His goal and timing of it is exactly why the Oilers got him last summer.
Exactly. He was brought in to be a play-off performer.
Attitude, toughness, team player, and big plays. I love that guy.
I love the balance of this team. Speed, skill, strength, toughness. Chia had a plan but I think he surprised himself on how quickly it’s come together.
Love it when the opposition pays us to beat them!
So, I see that the Devils are last in the East.
Odd. What with Hall pushing the river.
Looooooooool “pushing the river”
I do not miss hearing that garbage!
I just touched Hulk Hogan’s nipple to get here…and I liked it!
Chia has sooo much work to do this summer
Just a few examples,
Trade and/or replace:
Eberle
RNh
Russell
Hendricks
Gryba
And he has to do it using less cap – especially future cap dollars – in order to have enough dough to sign draisaitl macdavid etc.
That’s off-season worry. Did you hear the Oilers made the playoffs?
serious gord? …why 14 and 93 ?
Dumping Eberle and Nuge would leave enough $ to give Leon $7M and Connor $12.5M which I figure would be enough. And what would we have to replace? A checking centre and a marshmallow that can’t score. I keep harping on it, but I’ve really had enough of those two. They’ve been in the league for 6 and 7 years and getting paid $6M/yr each and they play like they don’t care. You look at the bench during a game and everyone looks like they’re having the time of their lives. Eberle and Nuge look like they’re at a funeral. I don’t care that they’ve improved defensively. Even the best teams have to battle for pucks or play defense 40% of the time. I’ll honestly be happy if they get traded and we don’t have to eat any salary. Maybe we could trade them to NJ and reunite the three kittens. Do you ever see Connor or Leon playing soft? Or not coming back to play Defense? They make mistakes, but it’s not through the lack of effort. It’s a 200ft game now. The sense of entitlement that they present is why if I saw Tambellini on the side of the road with a flat, I’d stop and slash his other 3 tires. I keep hearing about them being a checking line. YOUR SECOND LINE IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A CHECKING LINE!!!! That’s your third line. And I find zero fault with any of the other players on the team. I love this team. This is the team I thought Eberle, Nuge and Hall were the start of. They play with fire, and grit, and above all passion. All except those two. And the time for excuses is over. I know Nuge was rushed, and I know that Dumbellini over payed him and that’s not Nuge’s fault. But he’s been in the NHL for 6 years and if you’re not going to bring it by now, you’re not going to, or you don’t have it to bring. As far as Eberle is concerned he’s been in the league 7 years, and was not rushed. He had 76 pts. In his second year!!! And is now on pace for his worst year!!! And played his way off the McDavid line. If you can’t score with Connor there’s something wrong, WITH YOU!!! Last year Blog Man Ry posted a video saying Hall and Eberle played themselves off of the team, and he was right. It is time for the last residue from the Dark Years to be gone as well. My Oilers are led by players that love to play. My Oilers fight like demons for the puck, and for each other. My Oilers are a team. Nuge and Eberle are not on my team anymore.
I still think there is a place for The Nuge, they should be able to resign him for much less next time around. He does a lot of things well defensively, and maybe he’ll catch some of the Fire offensively one day when the confidence comes back. All those years of getting crushed take their toll, give him a chance to recover and believe again.
Sorry, but there’s no time. If Nuge scores 80pts next year, Edmonton would still have to trade him. (It’d be nice, we’d get a boat-load). He’s signed through 2019-2020 and we need the cap space for Connor. McDavid is going to get $12.5M/yr for 8 years. Where else is the space coming from? Lucic isn’t getting traded. Pouliot’s cap is going to be need for Kassian, Maroon, and Nurse. And as I see it, Nuge is a small sacrifice to make Connor happy. And as far as getting crushed is concerned, he’ll never be better protected than he is now. Too much losing, improper development, rushed into the league before he was ready, I get it. It’s not entirely his fault. But $12M is a huge overpay for Nuge and Eberle, and that money is needed for Leon and Connor. And before you say Connor would take a haircut to play on a winner, 12.5 million is haircut, because half the teams in the league would gladly pay him max dollar, and I don’t want a salary dispute with him. When Orr walks into Chiarelli’s office and says what Connor wants, the ONLY answer is, “okay.”
Dumping eberle and rnh will not be simple at all. Probably a Sizeable chunk of salary will have to be retained or some real liabilities Taken on either way precious little salary will be freed up.
And of course you need to aquire a second line centre and winger.
This is a down year for Nuge but I don’t think you get rid of him this year. There is far more upside to keeping him than trading him and 2nd line centers are not cheap. Move on Ebs and give Nuge another winger that will battle against the boards and can finish. He will be fine. Then we just need the winger, and only if JP isn’t ready.
Leon is a centre
There are teams desperate for offense that might take a chance on them. You might be right, maybe they’re untradable. I trust Chiarelli to take care of it, unlike his imbecilic predecessors.
Great win and fun game to watch. Leavins, at Cult of Hockey gave Eberle a 7 [game grade].Not sure if thats out of 10 or 100? Eberle and Nuge better get their act together …. they are paid $12 million to score some goals and not play diddly winks along the boards all game long.No room for cupcakes during the play offs.
You can’t expect a lamb to play like a lion. Those two are not fierce enough to be Oilers. Hell, I don’t think they’re fierce enough to be Oiler fans.
Clinchmas is a special time of year. Good for the Oilers to turn things around.
I thought Eberle had some good looks that he could have cashed in on and there were a couple of times I thought Nuge could have laid the body but didn’t take advantage of the time to make the hit.
You mean Eberle and Nuge disappointed? Next you’ll be saying water is wet.(No insult to you, I’m sick of the $12M kittens.)
For me last night was the best and most exciting Oilers game since game 6 in 06. Getting tears over here.
…is there a YouTube Tutorial on how this site works ?…man it’s whacky in here !