GDB 27.0 Wrap Up: Stars @ Oilers

8 years ago

I’m not sure that we deserved it, but we’ll definitely take it. Final Score: 2-1 Oilers in OT.

The last two times I’ve had bad feelings about a game (Pittsburgh and Boston) the Oilers were somehow able to pull out a win, so I was feeling good about my bad feelings for tonight. Why would I feel bad about playing against the Stars? Dallas is, essentially, the anti-Oilers. They’re a highly skilled team that has actually figured out how to use that skill to put up offense, and beat (basically) anyone that stands in their way. To put it another way: when Ales Hemsky is playing on your fourth line you’ve got a pretty good team.

In any case, the Oilers have been finding ways to play decently well against top opposition, all season long, and I was expecting more of that tonight against Dallas. I’m not sure how you can play well against the best teams in the league, and lay a turd on the ice for everyone else, but here were are. Tonight’s game should not have ended the way it did, but I’m very thankful for the win. This game showed what it’s like for a goaltender to walk in and steal two points. which is exactly what Nilsson did.

What happened tonight is not a sustainable way of winning hockey games, but for one night that doesn’t matter. For as many moral victories as we’ve suffered through it’s nice to see the Oilers win a game they may not have deserved to win. The Dallas Stars were the better team tonight, but what matters most is the final result and that is a win for the Oilers. I think if you asked Todd McLellan he will take the two points, but wouldn’t be overly happy with how the game went. For once, I’m okay with that. Far too often these type of games go the other way so it’s good for our mental health to have the Oilers win one for a change.

We wrap

THE BRIGHT SIDE

Regardless of how poorly the Oilers are playing I will always love those magical Rexall beers.
Taylor Hall’s goal (his 10th) was a thing of beauty. It happened right in front of me and I wasn’t sure that he would have a good enough angle to get the shot away but he did, and he buried it.
It’s almost amazing to me that Darryl started the year in the AHL. This kid has progressed so much faster than I could have imagined he would, and it’s been one of the few bright spots early in the season. Long live Darnell Nurse!
Leon Draisaitl was hockey’s equivalent to Danny Ocean in the overtime period. He was lifting pucks, and causing mayhem, throughout the extra frame and fed Jordan Eberle for the winner.
Jordan Eberle looked like he was going to be snake bitten again tonight, but that overtime winner (his fourth of the season) was an absolute laser beam. He desperately needed that one.
JJ Khaira played well tonight and it was nice to see Todd McLellan reward him with a bump to the first line. It’s a bummer that his assist on Taylor Hall’s goal was taken away. I’m not sure how long he’ll stick with the club, when everyone gets healthy, but he’s making a great first impression.
Anders Nilsson stole the show tonight. He was absolutely brilliant. Within the first few minutes of the game he stopped breakaways from both Tyler Seguin AND Jamie Benn. If not for Nilsson this would have been a much different game. He was amazing. Nilsson finished the night with 42 saves and a .977 save%.
No points for Hemsky. Take that, former Oiler curse!

THE FACE PALMERS

Listening to the Taylor vs Tyler hot takes in the stands was about as irritating as things get. Some of the reasons people think Tyler Seguin is better than Taylor Hall, that I heard tonight, include the fact that he has a harder image because of his tattoos. Makes sense. *shoots self*
Mark Fayne did not have a great night. He played less than 10 minutes, and it wasn’t really surprising that McLellan stapled him to the bench.
Oilers got dominated for long stretches of the game. They were very lucky that Anders Nilsson was standing on his head and stole them the win. From where I sat, the Oilers didn’t deserve to win but they did and that’s all that matters.
Getting outshot 43-24 is very very bad. If not for the exemplary play of Anders Nilsson this one could have gotten ugly.
Power play was 0/3 on the night. The Oilers need to find a way to get the PP going if they’re going to keep building on this winning streak and climb out of the NHL basement.

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST PERIOD
14:49	EDM	Taylor Hall (10) ASST: NONE	1 – 0 EDM
2ND PERIOD
18:23	DAL	Mattias Janmark (5) ASST: Jamie Oleksiak (2), Vernon Fiddler (7)	1 – 1 Tie
3RD PERIOD
NONE
OT PERIOD
00:45	EDM	Jordan Eberle (4) ASST: Leon Draisaitl (11)	2 – 1 EDM

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