GDB 47.0 Wrap Up: Nice Kitty

THE BRIGHT SIDE

• Zack Kassian finally scored a goal that actually counted. After having his last two attempts called off, Kassian buried a feed from Connor McDavid to end the drought and break his own personal anti-goals streak. Before tonight’s goal, Kassian was on a 37-game goalless streak. To his credit he stuck with it and for that we salute you, sir. 
• Mark Letestu is a power play juggernaut. Ever since McLellan threw him out on the first unit the PP has looked so much better, and Letestu has been a big part of that mix. Elk Point’s favourite son scored his ninth goal and continued his fine season.
• Did anyone need a goal more than Jordan Eberle? Ebs scored a huge tying goal (his ninth) late in the third period which got the Oilers into overtime.
• Connor McDavid got his 100th career point with the assist on Kassian’s first-period goal. It took Connor 92 games to get to 100 points and I want you to take a minute to think about that. It’s amazing. Not that we should be surprised but Connor wasn’t done with the lone assist and he followed it up with another on Mark Letestu’s power play goal, then the game-winning goal (his 15th) in overtime with less than three seconds on the clock. Amazing night for the captain.
• Leon Draisaitl got an assist on Connor’s overtime goal and he also registered his 100th NHL point. 
• Cam Talbot was rock solid yet again. As usual, Dadbot was there to bail out his teammates when they needed him and he was able to settle things down. If it hadn’t been for Talbot then the Oilers likely wouldn’t have got the game into overtime. Dadbot finished the game with 28 saves and a .903 save%.
• Kris Russell was fantastic in overtime. I think he probably had more saves than Talbot in the extra frame and they were some big blocks. The fancies won’t like him tonight, but my eyeballs did.
• The power play scored a big goal in the first period and it didn’t take them long to do it. After only seven seconds Letestu finished off a McDavid passing play to give the Oilers a (temporary) two-goal lead.
• Another night at 50% in the faceoff circle. There’s improvement happening. 

THE FACE PALMERS

• I hate to admit it but the goal by Vincent Trocheck came from a hell of a shot. He beat Talbot clean over the glove and shoulder but I’m not sure that Dadbot had much chance anyway. As far as placement goes, that shot was near perfect. 
• Michael Sgarbossa scored his first NHL goal against the Edmonton Oilers, as is tradition. 
• Jujhar Khaira left the game in the first period after being hit in the corner. Khaira looked to wince a little bit after the hit and maybe it pinched something in his back? Shoulder? We wait. 
• The Oilers were on and off the gas tonight and it was frustrating to watch. There were shifts where they looked dominant and others where they gave up the puck and made the Panthers look better than they are. It was a lackluster effort and they’re lucky they didn’t get burned for it.
• I couldn’t tell you how many times the Oilers passed up chances to shoot the puck to look for the perfect play and, instead, gave the thing up but it was a lot. I don’t know when the backhand pass became the new thing to do but it killed the Oilers tonight. At some point, someone has to be selfish. 
• As always, we must take a moment to acknowledge the king of the offensive zone penalty, Benoit Pouliot. 
• The PK couldn’t bail out Pouliot after his holding-the-stick penalty and allowed the Panthers to tie the game up at two. They finished the night at 1/2 on the PK. 
• Shout out to the refs for completely screwing up a call on where to have a faceoff and the Panthers tied the game up as a result of it. The 2016-17 tour of terrible officiating continues. 
• The NHL had the Oilers listed with 23 giveaways but I think that’s low by a touchdown or so. 

SCORING SUMMARY

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