GDB 24.0 Wrap Up: Edmonton Oilers fight back for Wild win over Minnesota
6 months ago
The Oilers are going streaking.
On Friday evening, the Oilers took on the Minnesota Wild and defeated them by a score of 4-3. This brought their record to 11-12-1, meaning they are just a game below .500, which didn’t seem imaginable after the first ten games or so. Moreover, their 23 points overlap both the Seattle Kraken and the Wild and are now just five points out of a wild card spot with two games in hand.
Let’s look at the Oilersnation’s Player of the Game, as well as things worth mentioning.
THE RECAP IS PRESENTED BY BETWAY
Oilersnation’s Player of the Game: Evan Bouchard
Is Evan Bouchard good at defence? It’s debatable, as he’s been better since the early portion of the season. What can’t be debated is his offensive ability, as it feels like the Oilers have finally developed a true power-play quarterback who could maybe put up 60+ points a season.
Bouchard added on to his point streak, scoring two goals with the patented Bouchbomb, while also picking up an assist. The first opened the scoring as the Oilers had some sustained pressure in a first period which they dominated.
The second goal was the go-ahead goal and the eventual game-winner, as he slapped the puck past Minnesota’s Marc-Andre Fleury.
Bouchard now has seven goals and 27 points in 24 games this season. For the role he plays, he’s been phenomenal.
Things worth mentioning:
Mattias Ekholm has been a great defence partner for Bouchard. The two-way player had a tough start to the season as he missed all of pre-season because of injury, but he’s really rounded into form since Edmonton figured it out. He was also chippy after the whistles, which I love.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also deserved to be our Player of the Game, as he had an assist on every single Oilers’ goal in by far his best game of the season. The longest-serving Oiler now has five goals and 23 points on the year. Keep Nuge forever.
Stuart Skinner didn’t have a great game on paper, allowing three goals on 17 shots for an .850 save percentage. However, only the first goal can really be blamed on him (if at all), as the other two, the Oilers missed coverage and the Wild were allowed to shot in the slot within 10 feet of the netminder. Over his last 11 games, Skinner is 9-2-0 with a .911 save percentage, but it seems like after two great saves, he has a save percentage around .850.
Connor McDavid scored a highlight reel goal… what’s new? After a brilliant cross-ice pass from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid cut across the ice, out-lasted Fleury, and tucked it by the veteran netminder. He also added an assist, giving him eight goals and 34 points on the season.
Leon Draisaitl scored from his office once again, as Nugent-Hopkins gave him a great dish that led to the one-timer goal. Draisaitl may not be as prolific as a goal scorer as Alex Ovechkin is, but that one-timer on the weak side is just as lethal. Draisaitl now has 11 goals and 31 points on the season.
Evander Kane may be getting a call from the Department of Player Safety, as he hit Jonas Brodin on the numbers against the boards. Seconds later, Ryan Hartman to a rather undisciplined roughing penalty on Kane, which led to the power play and Evan Bouchard’s second goal of the game.
Edmonton returns to action on Sunday as they’ll take on the New Jersey Devils. Like the Oilers, goaltending has been subpar for the team that was considered a contender heading into the year. If they win and push their win streak to seven games, Edmonton will be .500 for the first time all season, and will at worst, maintain pace with the final wild card spot.
Let’s go Oilers!
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