GDB 26.0 Wrap Up: Thanks Calgary, Oilers end their losing streak with 3-2 comeback win

THE BRIGHT SIDE

• @Jesse Puljujarvi evened the game up (1-1) after he drove to the front of the net and found a loose puck near the post that he was able to elevate up and over Markstrom’s pad. Up to that point, the Oilers were really struggling to get much of anything done offensively and it wasn’t surprising to see
• Before the game, I thought that @Kailer Yamamoto needed a lucky bounce or something because the kid works so hard on a nightly basis but just was not getting rewarded for his efforts. Those fortunes changed in the third period when Leon Draisaitl found him in the slot with a no-look pass that he wasted no time of burying past Markstrom to tie the game up for the second time (2-2).
• The Flames had to know they weren’t going to keep @Connor McDavid off of the scoresheet. After three straight games without a point, the captain responded with a dominant performance that saw him put up three points, including the game-winner (3-2) later in the final period.
• It’s clear that @Mike Smith is the starter for this hockey team right now and that means it was also up to him to put in a start that would provide his team with the foundation they needed to get back in the win column. And as hoped, Smith was fantastic between the pipes for the Oilers and he bailed them out on more than one occasion as it took them some time to get their legs moving. Smith finished the night with 34 saves and a .946 save%.
• You guys know how much I like shots on goal and @Tyson Barrie was basically firing from the parking lot any time he had the puck on his stick. I mean, the dude had EIGHT SHOTS ON NET, which is bananas for a defenceman. Now, I’m not so narcissistic as to think that he did it all for me but I have no proof that he didn’t do it for me either.
• No wrap up is complete without me telling you that the Oilers won 56% of the faceoffs, and there you go.
• @Gaetan Haas appreciation post!
• Nothing quite like seeing a couple of first-period fights between these two clubs to set the tone for the evening, ya know?
• I loved that the Oilers did a tribute to Walter Gretzky before the game.

THE FACE PALMERS

• @Johnny Gaudreau opened the scoring (1-0) with a powerplay goal after he was the business end of a nice passing play in the Oilers zone that gave him the chance to tee off in a shot that Smith wasn’t able to handle.
• Were you surprised to hear that @Noah Hanifin scored his first goal of the season against the Edmonton Oilers? Probably not, right?
• I did not like the Oilers start and thought that they were not nearly as prepared to play as were the Flames. Thankfully, Smith was dialled in and able to cover up many of those mistakes but there were some tense moments happening in the early going.
• It would have been really nice if the powerplay would have been able to come up with something, but they struck out on both opportunities with the man advantage.
• On the other side, the Flames were also able to score on one of their three chances with the man advantage, making this a forgettable night for Edmonton’s special teams.
• @Ethan Bear played the second fewest minutes on the Oilers’ defence (13:56) as it seems to be taking him more time than we’d hope to get back up to speed.
• What happened to @Kyle Turris? I mean, I know guys tend to slow down as they get older but this dude has fallen off a cliff in a way I would have never expected.

SCORING SUMMARY

#GOODCONTENT

WRAP UP PRESENTED BY SHERWOOD FORD THE GIANT