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GDB 46.0 Wrap Up: Secondary scoring is beautiful, Oilers extend win streak with 5-2 win over Seattle

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baggedmilk
1 year ago
That’s a huge four-point swing. Final Score: 5-2 Oilers
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The last time the Oilers played the Kraken, we all ended our nights with a frustrating loss after the boys blew a two-goal lead, an angry Beetcast, and countless questions about what the hell is going on around here. It was the kind of loss that hurts more than normal because the Oilers gave themselves a strong start but completely fell apart over the final 40 minutes, and with the Pacific Division as tight as it is right now, the margin for error is getting smaller by the game. So when it came to the third installment of the season series, the opportunity was on the table to right that wrong from two weeks ago and also to claw back two points in the standings. We needed this one. But at the other end, the Kraken just wrapped up an eight-game winning streak and that only happens when a team is gelling, ya know? That’s what made their opening goal in the first few minutes anything but surprising, but to have the Oilers respond with a big goal from Connor McDavid to tie things up shortly after was a really nice counterpunch that was hugely important.
The score knotted at one after a period of play, it was still anyone’s game and I wanted nothing more than to see the Oilers find a way to seize control and start to turn the tides on their record at Rogers Place. And as just as we would have written it up, the Oilers got a depth goal from Derek Ryan in the first few minutes of the period to grab their first lead of the night and build upon the strong finish they had to the first. Not done there, Warren Foegele picked up a second goal from the bottom six after a wonderful second effort allowed for #37 to find a loose puck from his ass and still lift it up and over the goalie. Despite being outshot 14-9 overall in the frame, the Oilers found a way to keep pucks to the outside, killed off a couple of penalties, and wrestled the lead away with timely goals. More importantly, they got a pair of contributions from players that you wouldn’t necessarily expect, which is the exact way that Seattle ended up on their heater that just ended. That’s the beauty of goals coming from deeper in the lineup, amirite? I love it.
Heading into the third period up by a deuce, the Oilers were in great shape provided that they didn’t fill their trousers with poo again. We all know how things have gone around here over the past month or so when this club has had a two-goal lead at home, and there was no better time to end that streak of horrors than here tonight in this divisional battle. But if I’m being honest, I wasn’t feeling so good about that trend after Vince Dunn scored a stinker in the first minute of the period to cut the lead in half. Thankfully, Zach Hyman was credited with an equally ugly own-goal by Seattle only 61 seconds later and the insurance was restored. Hockey Gords giveth, Hockey Gords taketh away, I suppose. Continuing with the secondary scoring display, Ryan McLeod added a fifth Oilers goal at the midway point of the period to put his team up by a field goal and that was basically a wrap. After McLeod’s goal went in, you could almost see Seattle deflating by the shift, and the thing I loved most was that the Oilers didn’t give them any life while it was happening. At the end of the day, these are two big points against a team they needed to take them from, and the way the Oilers handled their business along the way was as encouraging as it was impressive. More games like that, please.
The wrap.

THE BRIGHT SIDE

  • Connor McDavid tied the game (1-1) on a coast-to-coast beauty after Justin Schultz fell — hat tip to Hyman —  at the blue line and gave the captain an open lane to unleash a snipe from the slot. This guy is on a heater of all heaters and I hope he never ever walks away from the table. We’re so blessed to watch him.
  • Derek Ryan gave the Oilers the lead (2-1) on a tap-in after he found a loose puck just laying in the crease behind Jones with nothing but six inches of ice standing in the way of the goal line.
  • Warren Foegele extended the lead (3-1) with a really nice second-effort chip shot from his butt after a scramble near the crease left a loose puck out front of Jones. TBH I have no idea how Foegele was able to get as much lift on that puck from the position he was in but dammit was I pumped for him to see the guy finally get one.
  • Only 61 seconds after Dunn narrowed the gap, Zach Hyman restored the two-goal lead with a free goal (4-2) after Draisaitl’s pass hit him in the skates and bounced to a Kraken defenceman who subsequently put the puck in his own net. Thanks for the freebie, sir.
  • Ryan McLeod further extended the Oilers’ lead (5-3) with another tap-in goal after Dylan Holloway’s shot rang off the post and sat wide open in the crease. Using his wheels, McLeod beat the Seattle defender to the puck and cashed in one of the easiest goals he’ll ever score in this league.
  • Playing in his fourth consecutive start and looking for his fourth straight win, Jack Campbell is looking to keep this winning streak going with a big matchup against Martin Jones. And just as he has in each of his last three starts, Soup was dialed in and making the kind of saves we expected him to make when we signed him. Outside of that stinker to Dunn — did anyone else notice that he changed gloves after — I thought Campbell was rock solid for the Oilers and absolutely deserved the win. Campbell finished the night with 29 saves and a .935 save%.
  • I wasn’t expecting a whole lot from Evander Kane after the guy missed 31 games with a horrific injury, but man was he ever buzzing out there in his first game back. Considering all of the chances he had, Kane could have had at least a goal or two that’s a pretty damned fine effort for a guy that was probably feeling pretty rusty. I was pumped to see him back on the ice.
  • I really like Philip Broberg’s night as he continues to round out his game. In 15:57 of TOI, Broberg registered two shots on net, one block, one takeaway, and a +4 rating.
  • A big shout out to Vinny Desharnais for picking up his second NHL assist. I’m going to keep cheering for the guy as I think it’s incredible anytime a 7th rounder makes it to the show.
  • Dylan Holloway quietly put up a two-assist night, giving him four points (1G, 3A) in his last four games.
  • The Oilers outshot the Kraken by a 33-31 margin and you love to see it.
  • I’m thrilled to report that the Oilers won 50% of the faceoffs. I’ll take it.

PRESENTED BY BETWAY

THE FACE PALMERS

  • Daniel Sprong opened the scoring for the Kraken (1-0) on the power play after his shot took an unlucky bounce off of Darnell Nurse and into the net. That’s rough luck.
  • Vince Dunn pulled the Kraken back to within a goal (3-2) on a long distance wrister from the high slot that bounced off of Campbell’s glove and into the net. That was a stoppable puck, I don’t know what else to say about this one.
  • The Oilers lost the special teams battle this evening as they went 0/3 on the power play while giving up one goal in four shorthanded situations.
  • I was sad to see Jesse Puljujarvi getting healthy scratched. I actually think he’s been playing a little bit better over the past few nights, but I’m not the one making the calls so we’ll see if this is just a one-night thing or if it leads us down the path to a bigger story.

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST PERIODKRAKENOILERS
3:11SeattleDaniel Sprong (15) (Power Play)
Assists: Justin Schultz (19), Andre Burakovsky (25)
10
14:08EdmontonConnor McDavid (38)
Assists: Leon Draisaitl (43)
11
2ND PERIODKRAKENOILERS
3:15EdmontonDerek Ryan (6)
Assists: Vincent Desharnais (2), Dylan Holloway (5)
12
12:30EdmontonWarren Foegele (5)
Assists: Leon Draisaitl (44), Zach Hyman (28)
13
3RD PERIODKRAKENOILERS
0:22SeattleVince Dunn (9)
Assists: Alex Wennberg (14)
23
1:23EdmontonZach Hyman (21)
Unassisted
24
9:18EdmontonRyan McLeod (6)
Assists: Dylan Holloway (6), Zach Hyman (29)
25

#GOODCONTENT

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