GDB 30.0 Wrap Up: Demko stole the show, Oilers fall 2-1 in Vancouver

3 years ago

The result makes the first goal that much more annoying. Final Score: 2-1 Canucks

It’s no secret that winning both games in a back-to-back set at the NHL level is not easy, but it was the result that we all needed the Oilers to achieve tonight against Canucks. I don’t care that Vancouver hasn’t played since Wednesday, they’re a banged-up team with dodgy confidence and that, to me, was a slight edge that the best teams use to their advantage. If the Oilers are going to hang with the best, I felt like this was another one they had to win. Besides, the boys have been solid in the second game of these back-to-back situations lately and I wanted to see them keep that streak going as well. Call me selfish, alright? My own personality warts aside, I thought the Oilers did a nice job of getting themselves engaged early, leading to another solid start with the only (read: major) downside being that they were unable to beat Demko despite having a handful of quality shots and chances. It was another strong period for our boys where they dominated the play and limited Vancouver’s ability to get much of anything going offensively.

Moving through the second period, the Canucks were able to settle things on their end and even out the play a little bit, while the Oilers continued with their attack in an attempt to solve Thatcher Demko. As was the case in the first period, Edmonton had plenty of clean looks on net and shifts that should have culminated in a goal but the Canucks were getting the goaltending they needed to ~~piss us all off~~ keep the score tied at bagels before eventually grabbing a lead for themselves. The Oilers were playing well but they were scoring about as well as I am*. The good news is that boys were unphased by their troubles finishing and they kept chipping away until they were eventually able to crack the code with a powerplay goal near the end of the frame that knotted the score and set us up for what was sure to be an exciting finish. And while the Oilers were strong through 40 minutes, I’ll admit I was concerned that they would start to run out of gas as the clock counted down. And even though that didn’t really happen — the Oilers we steady all night long — they weren’t able to get more than the one goal and they also weren’t able to keep the Canucks at bay. Frankly, it was almost a robbery.

In the end, sometimes you just have to tip your cap to a red hot goalie because if it had not been for Demko then we wouldn’t be talking about a loss right now. Onward and upward.

The wrap.

*Pandemic problems, ya know?

THE BRIGHT SIDE

@Leon Draisaitl tied the game (1-1) with a powerplay goal after Nugent-Hopkins set him up for a one-timer from his office along the right-side boards. To that point, the Oilers were getting frustrated by Demko so it had to bring a sense of relief to be able to get something past him.
Despite not scoring, Connor McDavid was excellent again. I also want to give him props for not losing his mind when you consider all of the uncalled abuse he has to play through on a nightly basis.
@Mikko Koskinen got the start and the task of keeping the winning streak alive, and I thought he played very well despite the result. Koskinen had to make some huge saves in this game and had it not been for that ridiculous first goal being allowed then I think we would be praising him for getting the team at least a point. Kostco finished the night with 26 saves and a .929 save%.
This was another monster night for @Darnell Nurse on the back end as he played a team-high 23:16 to go along with four shots on goal, two hits, and three blocks.
@Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ assist on Draisaitl’s goal quietly puts him on a three-game point streak.
Seeing as how the Oilers struggled mightily to score on a red hot Demko, they needed their powerplay to come through with a goal and they got one on the four chances they had with the man advantage. Obviously, they needed more than the one goal but it was simply not meant to be and we do still have to appreciate another special teams marker.
Oilers outshot the Canucks by a 35-28 margin, which is impressive considering they were supposed to be the tired team here. It didn’t matter in the end, but you know what I’m getting at.

THE FACE PALMERS

@Bo Horvat opened the scoring with a powerplay goal that came as a result of a scramble in the crease that had basically everyone on the ice hacking away at the puck before it finally crossed the line. Ridiculous.
@Tyler Meyers restored the Canucks lead (2-1) midway through the third period with a big blast from the point that made its way through a few moving bodies and up over Koskinen on the blocker side.
Thatcher Demko. Dude stopped 34 of 35 shots for a .971 save% and was arguably the biggest reason Vancouver won.
The Oilers were very unlucky to not get at least a goal in the first period because they had plenty of chances to make it happen, but I guess, sometimes you have to tip your cap to an opposing goalie that handled the pressure well.
The penalty kill got tagged with a goal (1/2) and it’s keeping the Oilers floating near the mid-70 mark in terms of their PK, which is nowhere near where they want to be or even where they were a season ago.
@Patrick Russell may never score an NHL goal. The guy has had a handful of chances this year that could have been goals but it is now my opinion that he may be cursed.
I haven’t complained about the refs in a long time but I need a minute to do it right now because I find it endlessly frustrating to have no idea what is and is not a penalty despite playing and watching hockey my whole life. The refs in this league are so inconsistent that it is absolutely shocking at this stage that the league does nothing to improve the situation.
Speaking of horrible reffing, what was the deal with John Shannon talking about how great the Canucks were doing at keeping McDavid quiet when the clips he chose to share were examples of blatant interference?
Ladies and gentlemen of Oilersnation, I present you with the last mention of the Oilers’ faceoffs wins for the week. *drumroll* They only won 40% of the draws, unfortunately.

SCORING SUMMARY

#GOODCONTENT

Talk to me, Twitter. Tweet at @Oilersnation and @jsbmbaggedmilk for your chance to land in the Best of the Tweets.

WRAP UP PRESENTED BY SHERWOOD FORD THE GIANT

For the best selection, deals and service around, look no further than Sherwood Ford. They are well-known for their “Giant Advantage,” and have been located in Sherwood Park since 2011. Their customers are important to and they firmly believe that the car shopping process should be fun and easy. That’s why Sherwood Ford is dedicated to making it quick and easy to find the car you want and the financing you need. Whether you prefer to shop online or in-store, Sherwood Ford will tailor the shopping process to you and their no-hassle pricing policy makes things easy. Visit SherwoodFord.ca to get started today.

News

Post Game