GDB 17.0 Wrap Up: Giveaways poked holes in the dinghy, Oilers fall 6-5 in series opener

THE BRIGHT SIDE

• Shortly after Winnipeg opened the scoring, @Alex Chiasson tied the game (1-1) after picking up a pass in flight along the left-wing and firing a shot that beat Hellebuyck down low. Chiasson wasn’t done with
• Over the last couple of weeks, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins hasn’t been able to bury any of his many chances and it always felt like he was due but we didn’t know when it was going to make it happen. Thankfully, after at least a dozen grade-A chances, RNH was able to sink a powerplay goal (4-2) after taking a cross-ice pass from McDavid that set him up with time and a lane. Nugent-Hopkins added a second goal to tie the game (5-5) after taking a second cross-ice pass, this time from Puljujarvi, and he fired a laserbeam past Hellebuyck on the glove hand side.
• After a run of four games without a point, @Kailer Yamamoto drew the Oilers back to within reach (4-3) by tipping Darnell Nurse’s point shot perfectly. Like Nugent-Hopkins, Yamamoto was getting his share of chances but he wasn’t able to get anything to work, and I’m hopeful that tonight’s goal will be the start of something.
• @Mikko Koskinen came into the game in what can only be described as unfavourable circumstances, and I thought he did a passable but not great job in relief of Mike Smith. Both goals that beat him were deflections that changed direction right in front of the net, so I’d have a hard time hanging both or either of them on Kostco. Frankly, I’m still annoyed with Kahun’s giveaway that resulted in Wheeler’s game-winner. Regardless, Koskinen’s night ended with 11 saves and a .846 save% in just over 35 minutes of TOI.
• With the pair of assists he ended with, Evan Bouchard now has four points in six games played since drawing into the lineup. From where I blog, I don’t know how you can ever take him out of the lineup.
• The powerplay came up with a big goal by the top unit (1/2 on the night) and it kicked off the comeback that should have worked if the Hockey Gords loved us.
• Oilers outshot the Jets 45-24 and it was honestly awesome to watch them approach the night with a shooter’s mentality.

THE FACE PALMERS

• @Mark Schiefele opened the scoring for the Jets (1-0) midway through the first period with a powerplay goal that came on a weak call, in my opinion. Regardless of my thoughts on the penalty, Winnipeg was rewarded for moving the puck around the Oilers’ zone effectively and you have to give Wheeler credit for setting Scheifele up on a tee for the one-timer.
• @Kyle Connor restored Winnipeg’s lead (2-1) after intercepting a weak clearing attempt from Kailer Yamamoto in the slot. Yamamoto took a swing at the puck to try and clear the zone but it didn’t get very far, granting Connor the moment he needed to capitalize. It was yet another instance where failing to clear the puck ended up in the back of the Oilers’ net.
• @Mason Appleton threw some sand in our eyes in the first minute of the middle frame (3-1) with a quick wrister that beat Smith through the five-hole, extending Winnipeg’s lead to a pair.
• Only moments after Appleton’s, @Nikolaj Ehlers took a cross-ice pass from Kyle Connor and ended Smith’s night with a perfectly placed snapshot to the top corner and increased the deficit to three goals. Frankly, at this point, I was thinking beets.
• @Mathieu Perreault scored the Jets’ third goal of the second period (5-3) in a similar fashion to Yamamoto’s goal that came moments before as he too tipped a point shot past the goaltender from right in the slot.
• Just over six minutes into the final period, @Blake Wheeler gave the Jets their third separate lead of the night with yet another deflection that came from the top of the crease, changing direction only feet in front of Koskinen. Kahun gets tagged with a costly turnover on this play and I don’t think he played a shift afterwards.
• @Mike Smith was back between the pipes for his third start in the last four games and I was very interested to see how the veteran netminder was going to follow up his shutout performance against the Montreal Canadiens. Unfortunately, on this night, it was not meant to be for Mike Smith. Now, I’m not going to say that everything that beat him was his fault, I actually think that the team was sluggish in front of him, but once the wheels started falling off there was no getting the game back under control — Tippett had to make the switch. Smith finished with seven saves and a .636 save%.
• @Dominik Kahun… you know what you did.
• Kyle Turris played only 6:53 tonight. Yikes.
• @William Lagesson left the game after playing only 6:47 and we didn’t get much of an update on what happened to him. I’ve thought Lagesson has been playing well recently and I hope whatever took him out is nothing too serious.
• The Oilers gave up two goals in under two minutes for the 10th time tonight. The T-E-N-T-H time in 17 games. Unreal.
• The PK allowed a goal against on only two Jets chances, which is going to bring the average down from the 75.5% they started with.
• SIX GOALS AGAINST ON 24 SHOTS IS A PRODUCT OF SO MANY AVOIDABLE MISTAKES BY PLAYERS AND INCONSISTENT GOALTENDING THAT I THINK I MAY GO CRAZY! End rant.

SCORING SUMMARY

#GOODCONTENT

WRAP UP PRESENTED BY SHERWOOD FORD THE GIANT