GDB +13.0: Oilers fall in game seven
By Zach Laing
6 years agoFinal Score: 2-1 Ducks
First off, I want to thank everyone at the Nation Network for bringing me in this year as a writer and now News Director.
Second, I want to thank you, the reader for reading content across the network all year long. We couldn’t do it without you.
This one stings and it will for a while. The Oilers were outmatched for the majority of the game and struggled to get things going when they needed to most.
After all, this was an Oilers team who exceeded the expectations of many. I for one didn’t see us getting to game seven of the Stanley Cup finals when the season began months ago.
From start to finish, this was a season I won’t soon forget. The excitement of the playoffs was real. The excitement of having the second best team in the Pacific Division was real and this will be an Edmonton Oilers team that will be dominant for years to come.
The Oilers are young and despite being a very good team, they are not yet great. That will come as this team ages.
I don’t doubt for a second that in the future the Oilers will be able to hoist Lord Stanley’s mug and it may be sooner than you expect.
Tonight, the game started at a solid pace, with both teams getting physical early. The Oilers outshot the Ducks and three and a half minutes in, Shea Theodore slid the puck into his own net.
Drake Caggiula was given credit for the tally, giving the Oilers the early lead.
An early highlight was Cam Talbot playing defence, pulling his best Dominik Hasek impression as he slid far out of his net to clear a puck to the side. The Oilers defenders got caught out of position but the Dadbot himself was able to make up for it.
The Oilers controlled the first 10 minutes of play, which was highlighted by another great Talbot move stopping a high shot then collapsing down on the loose puck.
Following Talbot’s snowman save, the pace seemed to shift a bit towards the Ducks — as could be expected.
It led to a great Ducks chance and Cam Fowler was able to slide a point shot past Talbot — the catch was that Fowler had just hopped off the bench to come in and take the shot, but the puck had slid outside of the Oilers zone, effectively making the goal mute.
The first period as a whole from the Oilers was about as perfect as could be.
The second saw the Oilers with a strong start in the first five minutes limiting the Ducks attempts. The Ducks got their first power-play attempt of the game when Eric Gryba dropped Ryan Kesler at the side of the Oilers net.
Talbot certainly earned his nickels as he made a few more big saves on the shorthanded chance.
Their power-play gave them some momentum, and minutes after the kill a scramble in front of the Oilers net ended with Andrew Cogliano scoring his first goal of the playoffs.
It took a few more minutes before the Oilers were able to weather the Ducks’ storm with some good chances of their own.
In the second, the Oilers went without a shot attempt between 3:05 and 11:40, then 14:00 and 19:32. It certainly didn’t bode well for the Oilers.
The Ducks brought their momentum into the third frame, and three and a half minutes in Nick Ritchie found himself uncovered in front of the Oilers net. His shot found the top corner over Talbot’s shoulder, giving the Ducks a 2-1 lead.
From there out, the Oilers were unable to muster much. They surged late when a 6-on-5 turned into a 6-on-4 thanks to Corey Perry’s broken stick, but the Ducks were up to the task.
The Oilers struggled through most of the night after a really great start. The Ducks power-play in the second frame seemed to really give them life and they never turned back.
Give them credit — the Ducks played one hell of a series. They are a good team who has been through all this before.
We’ll be back.
THE BRIGHT SIDE
May 10, 2017; Anaheim, CA, USA; Edmonton Oilers goalie Cam Talbot (33) blocks a shot against the Anaheim Ducks during the second period in game seven of the second round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
- Cam Talbot had a great night. He really was this game’s MVP and kept the Oilers in a tight one all night long.
- This is the first of many deep playoff runs.
THE FACE PALMERS
May 10, 2017; Anaheim, CA, USA; Edmonton Oilers players react following the 2-1 loss against the Anaheim Ducks in game seven of the second round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
- It’s quite simple: The Oilers got knocked out of the playoffs.
- After all, the Oilers weren’t able to do enough to get back on the score sheet after giving up the Cogliano goal.
SCORING SUMMARY
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST PERIOD
| TIME | TEAM | DETAILS | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03:31 | Edmonton | Drake Caggiula (3) | 1-0 |
2ND PERIOD
| TIME | TEAM | DETAILS | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08:55 | Anaheim | Andrew Cogliano (1) ASST: Ryan Kesler (6), Brandon Montour (5) | 1-1 |
3RD PERIOD
| TIME | TEAM | DETAILS | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03:21 | Anaheim | Nick Ritchie (2) ASST: Sami Vatanen (1), Corey Perry (7) | 1-2 |
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