What happened…
Matt Benning gets a helpful bounce off the end boards to open the scoring in Edmonton! ?#IceSurfing pic.twitter.com/0QVCXcvDh1
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 14, 2018
Double digits in goals for @max_domi.
Pretty sure it's safe to say he's enjoying life in Montreal. #MTLvsEDM pic.twitter.com/KFCBUQ1d2s
— NHL (@NHL) November 14, 2018
It's becoming a classic, @cmcdavid97 ➡ Leon Draisaitl. #MTLvsEDM pic.twitter.com/RH3PvXV5IU
— NHL (@NHL) November 14, 2018
Tous les buts inscrits par @shawz15er cette saison ont permis d'égaler le pointage.
Every goal Andrew Shaw has scored this year has been an equalizer. We think we'll get him a tie for Christmas.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/XgKZCF3ceB
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 14, 2018
Hard work gets rewarded! ?♂️ #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/sxGYsZCmcW
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 14, 2018
Sneaky wrister™ strikes again! #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/7XV7wLgUY2
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 14, 2018
By the numbers…
Thoughts…
- The Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl connection was dominant last night. Putting those two together is always a recipe for success… when they’re on the ice. The key here is whether or not the rest of the team can stay above water in the ~40 minutes those two are watching from the bench at the same time. Last night, they did.
- The fourth line was excellent and energetic yet again against Montreal. It seems this trio has simplified things as they’re now aiming to pay physically and make life difficult for the opposing team. They’re playing a more simple, north-south game with a lot of physical play, which is a recipe for success for a fourth line. They were Edmonton’s best line in terms of shot attempt differential, letting Montreal fire only seven shot attempts towards the net while generating 17 of their own.
- The third line was still largely devoid of offence last night, but at the very least, they don’t give anything up the other way. The Lucic/Strome/Rattie trio only allowed Montreal to get three high danger chances when they were on the ice. You’d like to see them chip in with some offence, but if they can thrive as a defensive group, that’s better than nothing.
- Mikko Koskinen had another strong game. He stopped 27 of 29 shots, and while he had quite a bit of room for error, the game could have gone a little sideways in the second period before the Oilers broke away. He did a good job of keeping things calm in net, allowing the Oilers to open up and really control the game offensively.
- Back to the McDavid line, everyone knows him and Draisaitl are going to work magic together. The interesting part of the line last night was Drake Caggiula, who had probably his best game of the season. He was all over the place, playing gritty on the backcheck, playing pesky on the forecheck, and driving the net to open space for his two elite linemates. He might be The Answer for this top line.