The Edmonton Oilers badly needed a win. Not just for a shot at the playoffs, but to build on something after they’ve given up the lead in the third period repeatedly.

Minnesota is a team they’re chasing in that ridiculously bad Wild Card race in the Western Conference. A loss in regulation would have put them eight points behind Minnesota, and that’s with St. Louis winning their game in overtime against Tampa. If they want to have any chance at the playoffs, this is a game they had to win.

This game was painful. Talbot performed much better after a catastrophic third period against Chicago, but how are two teams in the playoff hunt so boring to watch?

THE BRIGHT SIDE

• The first shot on goal went in. Good news: it wasn’t on the Oilers’ net. Darnell Nurse’s offensive game continues to develop as he scores his seventh goal the season.
• An early goal and a power play? Who are these guys?
• The Oilers weathered a storm when Adam Larsson lost his stick in the defensive zone. Alex Chiasson gave Larsson his stick, but luckily the puck stayed out of the net.
• The second period starting with some life. These Minnesota games can be dull, but the first few minutes had Minnesota and Edmonton trading a bunch of chances.
• Talbot had a good start. He needed to better in the third period of that Chicago game, even with the Oilers’ poor defensive play, but no goals in the first was a solid recovery period.
• Ty Rattie gets his fourth goal off a sweet pass from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. He’s taken some punishment the past few games.
• The Oilers have some bad contracts, no doubt about that, but the Wild have Ryan Suter and Zach Parise signed for six years after this season. They’re still really good players. Suter plays an insane amount of minutes and Parise is on pace for 72 points, but they’re both 34 years old and have a bunch of miles on them already.
• The power play is running hot. Draisaitl scores after an iffy play on Kris Russell and the Oilers have some breathing room in the third period.
• The Anaheim Ducks lost 4-0 to the Ottawa Senators tonight. Randy Carlyle is still their head coach. Life is wild.
• Zack Kassian had two points. Keep building that trade value, Zack.

THE FACE PALMERS

• Ken Hitchcock was hit with a puck and left the bench during the Oilers power play in the first period when Erich Fehr cleared the puck. Ouch.
• Through 40 minutes the Oilers had 11 shots. That’s not enough, especially when you have the lead. You can’t sit on the lead. The Oilers should know this very well by now.
• You knew something was getting called after they let the Zack Kassian shove on Parise go. You’re up 3-1, you have to be more disciplined than that.
• The Oilers were outshot 35-22. They managed to pull out the win, but you’d like to see them control play more.

SCORING SUMMARY

No Minnesota shots yet on Cam Talbot but this is the longest the Oilers have gone without giving up a goal since before the All-Star Break.

— Terry Jones (@byterryjones) February 8, 2019

No way Chia could have taken a direct shot that deflected into the press box like Hitch just shook off on the bench #grit

— Wanye (@WanyeGretz) February 8, 2019

Same pic.twitter.com/Kaun2sQf8r

— Jeanshorts (@JSBMjeanshorts) February 8, 2019

Fun Dubnyk fact. I met him once in the Calgary airport bathroom when he was in between NHL jobs. I wished him good luck, and then we both washed our hands.

— Chris Scheetz (@ChrisScheetz) February 8, 2019

Oilers score first for firstbtime since at Vancouver, 7 games ago. A.k.a. the last game they won

— Bruce McCurdy (@BruceMcCurdy) February 8, 2019

Good evening @frank_seravalli. Zack Kassian has four points in his last six please. Please add him to your trade board and I will leave a Pepsi and a cheese steak for you and all your reindeer

— Dennis King (@DKingBH) February 8, 2019

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins FINALLY reaches 50 points.

— Lowetide (@Lowetide) February 8, 2019

#Oilers will start the 3rd with a two goal lead! pic.twitter.com/X8bKMZGps4

— Hernan Salas (@HernanDaMan) February 8, 2019

Edmonton expected to get hit with 10 cm of Oilers jerseys tonight https://t.co/EuoXbHxNfj pic.twitter.com/PTRS2tebR2

— The Beaverton (@TheBeaverton) February 8, 2019

Miiiiiiight want to look at bringing Talbot back on a buy-low, show-me contract

— Cam Lewis (@cooom) February 8, 2019

Source: NHL, Official Game Page, 2/7/2019 – 9:00 pm MST