GDB 59.0 Wrap Up: Bruins @ Oilers

9 years ago

Martin Marincin in the shootout – just like they drew it up! Final Score: 4-3 Oilers in the shootout.

This morning, Jason Gregor wrote about how the Oilers are 0-2-1 in the first game back after a road trip. As if that’s not bad enough, the Oilers’ game is nationally televised tonight and we all know how that’s been going lately. With a track record like that, how could you not get excited about tonight’s Oilers and Bruins game? That’s the great thing about sports — the Oilers came out like a house on fire in what was maybe the most unexpected start of the season.

The Oilers came to play tonight, and were able to translate that into an early two-goal lead. Frankly, it was nice to see. Normally, the Oilers dig themselves a hole before the game has even really begun. Tonight was another one of those nights where sports doesn’t make any sense and you have to love it. The Oilers haven’t beaten the Bruins at Rexall since 2000, and at the beginning of the second period you almost thought that they may finally pull it off. Fast forward 10 minutes and the Bruins had roared back to tie the game at 3-3.

The third period ended up being a much tighter affair. To me, the Bruins looked like they were playing to get points in the standings, and trying to gain some momentum to recover from the bad start to their road trip. To the Oilers credit, they were able to bounce back and play a solid period after that debacle in the first period. The third period solved nothing, and neither did overtime, so this one got settled in the shootout. The shootout was a long one, and nobody even scored a goal until Martin Marincin scored the winner in the 12th round! That truly was the participation ribbon of shootouts.

We wrap.

THE BRIGHT SIDE

Nail Yakupov scored his 9th goal of the season, and extended his point streak to six games. He’s got the joy back in his face when he scores. It’s not just a sense of relief that we’ve seen in recent memory. This kid is worth hanging on to. The Oilers will be made to look like fools if they trade him.
Speaking of Yakupov, does MacT need to re-sign Derek Roy based solely on his ability to play with Yakupov? He was on waivers earlier this year. What would be the risk? The Oilers can’t keep depending on rookies (McJesus aside) to play in the second line centre spot. Derek Roy is the Yakwhisperer.
Nice power play goal by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (his 16th) on a sweet little pass from Teddy Purcell.
There was a linesman named Steve Miller officiating tonight. I wish him well on his midnight toking.
Sportsnet ran a nice feature on Andrew Ference, and it told the story of how he stayed in touch with a young girl named Maggie from when he was in Boston. Ference made, and is making, a difference in a sick girl’s life just by giving her his time. You can question his play on as a defenceman, but you can’t question his character as a human being. Seems like a quality person to have as the captain of a team full of kids.
It was good to see Matt Hendricks back in the lineup!

THE FACE PALMERS

The Oilers are 13-11-1 against the East. For the Buffalo Sabres to be as bad as they are is a testament to their awfulness. Tim Murray’s tank game is strong.
The Oilers gave up a two-goal lead in one minute and 35 seconds, in the second period. Gross.
It was a nice change of pace to see the Oilers drop a turd in the middle of the game rather than during the first 10 minutes. That minute and thirty-five was ugly.
Jeff Petry looked like he took a shot in the ribs, and he left early. If he’s hurt for any length of time, MacT had better put the full court press on signing him. Not being able to trade Petry because of injury, and losing him for nothing would be 10 shades of incompetent for Craig MacTavish.
Terrible luck for Anton Lander to get knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury. He was starting to turn the corner, and hopefully he won’t be out long.
These points in the standings aren’t going to help us catch Buffalo.
Long shootouts make me miss tie games. That being said, it was funny to see Martin Marincin score the winner in the 12th round of the shootout.
I couldn’t help but wonder if Ben Scrivens was actually ready to come back, or had to come back a little bit early because Viktor Fasth is out. Scrivens played well, but it all seems too convenient.

SCORING SUMMARY

From TSN.ca

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THEOILERSRIG.COM MS FUNDRAISER

Another shout out goes to the Oilers Rig for the fundraiser they’re holding at Brewsters on Saturday, February 21st to help raise money for Multiple Sclerosis. Last year, they raised over $2000 for MS research and with the auction items they’ve got this year I’m hoping we can help launch them past that. I’m hoping that a bunch of you guys can make it out and bid on the great auction items they have.

What’s on the dock? How about a signed Connor McDavid team Canada jersey, a Ryan Smyth autographed farewell canvas, a Warren Moon autographed photos, and a lot more? The point is, they put together a really collection of items to be auctioned off for a great cause. They’ll also have trivia and prizes to keep everyone entertained and alert while the event is happening.

If you don’t have plans set for February 21st at 4pm, you do now. Shout out to our friends at the Oilers Rig for raising money for such a great cause. If you’re looking for more details on the event, the article explaining everything you need to know is here. You can also hit up any of the writers at the Oilers Rig for details, and I’m sure they’d be happy to help.