THE BRIGHT SIDE
- Edmonton desperately needed a goal to tie the game up and it was the captain that made it happen. Connor McDavid hit the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career by floating alongside the play and pouncing on the loose puck that was laying there for him. Connor added an assist on one of Lucic’s third-period goals which gets him to 97 points on the year.
- Milan Lucic was a monster tonight. What else can you say about a guy that scores a natural hat trick (21, 22, 23) in the third period to not only tie the game but also win it and give his team some insurance. Lucic was only an assist away from another hat trick of the Gordie Howe variety after also letting the fists fly with Micheal Haley in the first period. Looch was chucking fist kisses like Haley owed him money and it seemed to spark the boys after a sluggish start. As always, you can check out Lucic’s fight on his player page over at HockeyFights.com. Great night for Lucic.
- Oscar Klefbom quietly got himself four assists on the night which gives him 36 points on the year. This guy might be one of the best defencemen in the league that no one is talking about.
- Cam Talbot wasn’t overly busy tonight but he came up big when they needed him. Actually, I’d argue that he was better than his stats as he made some huge saves, including a penalty shot in the third period. Dadbot finished the night with 13 saves and a .857 save%.
- That was a good night for the EberNucic line and the Oilers are going to need them to keep it up.
- The Oilers got another big third-period power play goal which tied the game and kept them hot with the man advantage. Edmonton finished at 2/5 with the man advantage.
- Just as the PP came up clutch as did the PK. Edmonton killed off all four of San Jose’s power play chances and didn’t really give them many chances at all.
THE FACE PALMERS
- Joel Ward’s first-period goal should have never happened if the refs had been doing their job. Connor had the puck, got tripped clear as day, and the play continued down to the other ice where Ward ended up getting the puck through Talbot with a tip. Complete bullshit.
- Edmonton was dominating the second period, limiting the Sharks to very little scoring chances. That was until Brent Burns threw a floater from the blue line into traffic and it somehow made it’s way through the maze of bodies and beat Talbot. Lame.
- The Oilers basically started the game shorthanded and it gave the Sharks all kinds of chances to take an early lead. Actually, the Oilers gave up too many power play chances in general. Fortunately, the Sharks couldn’t get anything done on any of their four chances as the PK was rock solid.
- How many ways are there to say that the refs are terrible? I feel like I’ve run out of adjectives. Can I give an assist to them? Because I feel like I should. Garbage. All garbage.
- The Oilers went 42% in the faceoff circle but still won the game. Doesn’t mean they can’t improve.
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST PERIOD
TIME | TEAM | DETAILS | SCORE |
---|---|---|---|
06:08 | SJ | Joel Ward (10) ASST: David Schlemko (16), Marc-Edouard Vlasic (21) | 0-1 |
2ND PERIOD
TIME | TEAM | DETAILS | SCORE |
---|---|---|---|
04:40 | EDM | Connor McDavid (30) ASST: Oscar Klefbom (21), Adam Larsson (15) | 1-1 |
12:30 | SJ | Brent Burns (29) ASST: Tomas Hertl (12) | 1-2 |
3RD PERIOD
TIME | TEAM | DETAILS | SCORE |
---|---|---|---|
04:26 | EDM | PPG – Milan Lucic (21) ASST: Oscar Klefbom (22), Connor McDavid (67) | 2-2 |
07:57 | EDM | Milan Lucic (22) ASST: Oscar Klefbom (23), Jordan Eberle (31) | 3-2 |
16:31 | EDM | PPG – Milan Lucic (23) ASST: Mark Letestu (19), Oscar Klefbom (24) | 4-2 |
BEST OF THE TWEETS
When the cops come into your work to warn you about the playoff crowds on whyte… THE HYPE IS REAL GUYS.
— ? x – k.dawg ? (@kirstenwanvig) April 6, 2017
Lucic punched Haley in the face 9 times. #Oilers #EDMvsSJS @OilersNation
— NHL Oilers Stats (@NHLOilersStats) April 7, 2017
The game isn’t over but the board of directors has given their approval. You just can’t deny this performance. #IABPOTD pic.twitter.com/ur2pom8pCw
— x – Ryan (@IAmByks) April 7, 2017
If all Lucic needs to get fired up is to rifle some body shots, I'll gladly donate some ribs before game 1! #goilers @OilersNation
— Ryder (@ryderfm) April 7, 2017
@OilersNation "LOOOOOOOOCH" pic.twitter.com/EU3mBlyi1Y
— Eric Johnson (@EricJJohnson79) April 7, 2017