GDB 36.0 Wrap Up: Two depth goals power the Oilers’ comeback and 3-2 OT win

3 years ago

Depth scoring pays the bills! Final Score: 3-2 Oilers

I can’t imagine that I’m the only one that’s still annoyed about the way the Oilers collapsed in the third period of Saturday’s game against the Leafs. With 20 minutes left to play, Edmonton was carrying a two-goal lead and in a great spot to collect a win, but rather than push forward and try to nail the coffin shut, the boys looked content to try and ride the clock out and they got burned for it. It was about as frustrating as a loss could get tbh. When it came to the rematch, I was looking for them to come into this thing with purpose and energy, and in the early going, things were looking positive. as the Oilers were able to cash in a goal from Archibald and grab themselves an early lead. The fun wouldn’t last for long, though, as the Leafs were dominant through the rest of the first period, erasing their early deficit and finishing the frame with a lead. Needless to say, this was rough to watch because the Oilers outmatched and outpaced at basically every level.

Moving into the second period, the Oilers had to do basically everything better if they had any chance of coming back in this game, and to their credit, they started the frame with plenty of promise but just weren’t able to get anything done on the scoresheet. As the game wore on, the Oilers seemed to get stronger by the shift, and I started to get hopeful that they’d be able to pull out the comeback. But even after plenty of time in the Leafs’ zone and firing more shots on net than they allowed, Edmonton went into the intermission down by a goal with time running out. In the third period, the Oilers did a great job of maintaining focus and continuing to battle for offensive opportunities, and it was great to see them get rewarded with a lucky bounce to tie the game. Once the score was knotted up, Edmonton had plenty of quality chances to grab the lead and steal a regulation win but it was simply not meant to be. Instead, it would take them only 17 seconds in the bonus period before Darnell Nurse completed the comeback with a much-needed overtime win.

At the end of the day, that is a huge comeback win for an Oilers team that desperately needed it against a club that’s had their number all season.

The wrap.

THE BRIGHT SIDE

@Josh Archibald got the Oilers on the board first after he made his way in alone on Hutchinson and beat him down low to the glove side. Archibald has been a little snakebitten for a little while not and it was nice to see him get on the board.
How many of you would have ever expected that it would be @Kyle Turris to tie the game up at two apiece (2-2)? I mean, yeah, Adam Larsson’s point shot took a luck bounce off Turris’ leg and into the net but that was the exact kind of bounce that they were not getting on Saturday.
@Darnell Nurse is having a hell of a season and he gave us another chapter tonight with his 12th of the year and the OT winner. Right before the final buzzer, Nurse had a chance to end it but just missed the net by the smallest of margins, but when given a second chance in OT, he made no mistake.
@Mike Smith was back in the crease and looking to avenge Saturday’s collapse, and from start to finish, the veteran netminder did all he could to secure this win. He made some big saves, some acrobatic saves, and provided his team with the foundation needed to complete the comeback. Smith finished the night with 29 saves and a .935 save%.
I can’t be the only one that would prefer to have @Tyler Ennis in the lineup over @Dominik Kahun, right?
I thought @Zack Kassian had a good game as he was throwing his body around and making a difference with his physicality any time he was on the ice. When Kass is at his best, he’s a menace on the ice and I would love nothing more than to see him regain that form with consistency.
The Oilers’ PK only faced one powerplay from Toronto but they did a good job of preventing them from getting a goal with it.

THE FACE PALMERS

Only moments after Archibald gave the Oilers the lead, @Mitch Marner tied the game up at one apiece with a beautiful individual effort that saw him weave through traffic and outwait a falling Smith. Frankly, we’re probably going to see this goal on the highlight reels for a while and it’s going to be annoying.
@Auston Matthews gave the Leafs the lead (2-1) with a perfectly placed snipe from the left circle that beat Smith over the glove hand and right under the bar. Frankly, I don’t know how much Smith really could have done because Matthews put that puck in as good of a spot as one can.
I think it’s worth repeating how badly I disliked the first period because the Oilers had the show run on them for 20 minutes there.
I’m not sure I buy that the Oilers deserved only one powerplay chance but that’s all they got and they were unable to score with it.
It’s not often that I think @Leon Draisaitl is a turnover machine but I would say that this was the case a little bit in the rematch. While normally a sublime passer, I thought Leon was trying to force things a little bit which is really unlike him. I’m not saying he was bad or anything like that, but I noticed more giveaways than normal.
Oilers got outshot by a 31-23 margin. We love the Corsi Gods and the Corsi Gods are unimpressed.
I hit the streets in search of Evan Bouchard but I still can’t find him. Don’t worry, though, I won’t give up.
Speaking of defencemen that aren’t playing right now, wouldn’t you love to know what Dave Tippett is thinking when it comes to Caleb Jones? I’m not talking about the answers he gives to the media after the morning skate, but the real issue he has with Jones’ game that’s keeping him a healthy scratch.
Did you think that I was going to send you off into a brisk March night without letting you know that the Oilers won only 44% of the faceoffs?

SCORING SUMMARY

#GOODCONTENT

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