GDB 31.0 Wrap Up: Brutal mistakes in the defensive zone allowed the Blues to come back, win 4-3 in the shootout

1 year ago

I’m so annoyed. Final Score: 4-3 Blues in the shootout

Welcome to our Oilers game day content presented by NHL lines site Betway!

Even though the St. Louis Blues came into this game with a 3-6-1 record over their last 10 games, I was nervous about giving them life if the Oilers couldn’t manage to start the game on time. Given their struggles, I thought this was another opportunity for the Oilers to flex on a struggling team provided that they could put in a 60-minute effort, which, of course, we know is easier said than done. So when Zach Hyman opened the scoring just over a minute into the period with a power play goal, it was hard to imagine a better start than the one the Oilers got. Not only did they get an early goal to set the tone, but the boys were also moving their feet in a way that suggested they were on their game and that was very exciting. Unfortunately, the good vibes died shortly afterward after a costly error by Darnell Nurse below his own goal line gave the Blues an avenue to get themselves back in the mix. As much as I thought the Oilers had a solid first period, it was frustrating to see them shoot themselves in the foot with mistakes that were, in my opinion, completely avoidable.

Tied at one with the game still wide open, the Oilers needed to be the ones to score the next goal and wrestle control back into their corner. They couldn’t let the Blues grab a lead they didn’t deserve, and that’s why I personally felt as though the next goal could end up as a crucial juncture in this game. Thankfully, Connor McDavid apparently had the same idea as he treated us to yet another masterpiece goal to restore the lead and send the Rogers Place faithful into a frenzy. I don’t know what planet this guy is from or what kind of magic is fueling him, but McDavid has cranked his play up to a level that is almost unimaginable here in 2022. And as it turns out, that second goal proved to be a big one as it was the only marker scored in the second period and gave the Oilers back their lead despite the Blues nipping at their heels. Unlike what we got in the first, St. Louis played with a whole lot more jam in the middle frame and showed why they would not be an easy out regardless of what their record says.

Up by a goal with 20 minutes to play, the Oilers were in a good spot to pick up the win but it certainly wasn’t going to be easy. We all knew that the Blues would push as hard as they possibly could to get the game tied, and the Oilers needed to be ready to weather that storm. And as sure as the sun will come up each and every day, the Blues hit the ice will all kinds of pace as they worked for the equalizer that just didn’t materialize. And after trading goals in the span of only 43 seconds, the Oilers went from having some insurance on the board in the form of Yamamoto’s second goal of the year to being right back in a tight race to the finish line. It was the kind of heart attack finish we haven’t seen in a while, and with the ice titling back-and-forth, it was going to take everyone crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s to close out this game. Unfortunately, Darnell Nurse didn’t seem to get the memo as another costly giveaway in his own zone afforded Tarasenko a lane to cash in the tying goal with only 19 seconds left on the clock. He had more than enough time to make a play, but Nurse duffed it.

With the bonus period underway, it looked like the Oilers were going to save Nurse’s ass with a game winner from Leon Draisaitl only to have the goal called back on a nonsense offside call. Once that happened, I figured the universe was against us in this one and my theory proved to be correct as the Blues ended up completing the comeback in the shootout on a clutch goal from Jordan Kyrou. At the end of the day, mistakes cost the Oilers a win and it was the same guy that was responsible for both.

The wrap.

THE BRIGHT SIDE

Failed to load video.

Zach Hyman opened the scoring (1-0) just over a minute into the game with a power play goal after he picked up a loose puck in front of the net and slipped a backhander through Jordan Binnington. For a guy that hadn’t scored in a while, our man is rolling now and I love it.
Connor McDavid restored the Oilers’ lead (2-1) on the power play with yet another coast-to-coast rush that saw him fly down the wing before shelving a shot up and over Binnington on the blocker side. He’ll never say it but can’t convince me that Connor doesn’t want the Rocket Richard Trophy.
Kailer Yamamoto extended the lead (3-1) with a perfectly executed deflection in front of the net after he got his stick on Tyson Barrie’s point shot, beating Binnington up and over the glove. After going goalless to start his season, Yamo has really picked up since coming back from injury and I could not be happier for the guy.
Stuart Skinner was back between the pipes for his 17th start of the season and tasked with turning the Oilers’ win against Nashville into a mini streak, and from the opening puck drop, Stu was up for the challenge. Unfortunately, Stu couldn’t cover up all the mistakes that were going on around him and probably deserved a better fate than he got. Skinner finished with 29 saves and a .906 save%.
You’ve gotta give Tyson Barrie some love for the sneaky little three-point night he put up, don’t you? I think so.
Sometimes I think back to the Eakins era and how frustrating it was to have the Oilers go through power play after power play without being able to score, and how different that is from where we’re at now. It’s wild to think about, ya know? I mean, to have us go 2-for-5 on the night would have been unheard of back then.
Not to be outdone, the Oilers’ PK was excellent in this game and managed to kill off 4-of-4 shorthanded situations they faced. As far as upgrades go, I couldn’t think of anything else the current roster could do to help themselves more than improving the PK rating.

PRESENTED BY BETWAY

THE FACE PALMERS

Failed to load video.

Jordan Kyrou tied the game (1-1) near the midway point of the first period after Darnell Nurse coughed up a horrific giveaway below the goal line — he basically got robbed of the puck without much of a fight — only to have it end up Kyrou’s stick in the high slot with all the time in the world. This goal was 1000% avoidable in every single way.
Before the Rogers Place announcer could even finish the Yamamoto goal call, Robert Thomas pulled the Blues back to within one (3-2) after he took a pass in the high slot and ripped a shot up and over Skinner’s glove hand. Not a whole the goaltender could do about that one as Thomas placed his shot perfectly.
With only 19 seconds left on the clock, Vladimir Tarasenko tied the game (3-3) after another horrific giveaway by Nurse in his own zone afforded the Blues
I don’t know if Darnell Nurse is trying to play up to his contract value or something, but he’s trying to overcomplicate so much of his game that it’s causing countless mistakes that he wouldn’t otherwise be making. He was every shade of horrible in this hockey game, and frankly, he should be demoted in the lineup. If Jay Woodcroft is going to bench Evan Bouchard for mistakes then I don’t see any reason why Nurse should have gotten a shift in overtime.
Oilers outshot 32-27 despite leading in this department for most of the game. As much as I’m annoyed with Darnell Nurse, the Oilers had a two-goal lead in the third period and shouldn’t have been in that position in the first place.
Making matters worse, the Oilers won only 47% of the faceoffs.

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST PERIOD			STL	EDM
1:03	Edmonton	Zach Hyman (14) (Power Play) Assists: Leon Draisaitl (31), Tyson Barrie (18)	0	1
6:47	St. Louis	Jordan Kyrou (11) Assists: Pavel Buchnevich (12), Brayden Schenn (15)	1	1

2ND PERIOD			BLUES	OILERS
4:42	Edmonton	Connor McDavid (27) (Power Play) Assists: Tyson Barrie (19), Stuart Skinner (1)	1	2

3RD PERIOD			BLUES	OILERS
10:36	Edmonton	Kailer Yamamoto (2) Assists: Tyson Barrie (20), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (21)	1	3
11:25	St. Louis	Robert Thomas (7) Assists: Ivan Barbashev (9), Jordan Kyrou (14)	2	3
19:40	St. Louis	Vladimir Tarasenko (9) (Shorthanded) Assists: Jordan Kyrou (15)	3	3

OT SUMMARY
No Goals Scored

SHOOTOUT SUMMARY
Edmonton	Shootout attempt by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins misses	0
St. Louis	Shootout GOAL scored by Jordan Kyrou on Stuart Skinner	1
Edmonton	Shootout attempt by Connor McDavid saved by Jordan Binnington	1
St. Louis	Shootout attempt by Vladimir Tarasenko saved by Stuart Skinner	1
Edmonton	Shootout attempt by Leon Draisaitl saved by Jordan Binnington	1

#GOODCONTENT

Talk to me, Twitter. Hit me up at @jsbmbaggedmilk and Wanye at @Oilersnation and you could find yourself landing in this very spot.

BETTER LAIT THAN NEVER

Have you ever moved across the country to a suburb you didn’t research and then claim a city you didn’t actually live in was lame? Seems silly, right? Of course. That said, I sure did have a whole lot of fun making fun of the lady that did exactly that in the latest edition of Toronto Life magazine. Subscribe to Better Lait Than Never for FREE on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts from!

Editorials

Featured

Oilers Talk