THE BRIGHT SIDE

• As if you weren’t here for the McPoints too. Watching Connor McDavid play and chase the Art Ross Trophy again is one of the few joys I have in my Oilers life right now. He is a beacon of sunshine on what was an otherwise dark season and he kept his roll going tonight with another goal. He just threw the puck at Georgiev’s skates and it snuck through on the short side, tying the game up at one apiece. Add two more McPoints to the pile.
• As we all know, tonight was Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ first game back after missing 18 games with cracked ribs and he didn’t wait to contribute. RNH was the business end of a beautiful dangle and passing play by McDavid that wound up right on Nuge’s stick and into the back of the net. I was already happy to see him back in the lineup and was ecstatic to see him score. Too bad the intermission panel ruined it by talking about trading him in the offseason.
• Despite allowing four goals against, Cam Talbot had a good game against the Predators but he just couldn’t keep the walls from caving in. The boys in front of him left him hanging on a few of those goals, so I was hoping he would be able to bounce back again tonight. Again, tonight’s game was not necessarily on Talbot but that third goal, the winning goal, was one that he has to stop. Even so, Dadbot finished the night with 31 saves and a .912 save%.
• Have I mentioned I’m a big JJ Khaira guy? Yuge Khaira guy.
• Ethan Bear had a much better outing in his second NHL game than he did in his first. That’s not to say that he was bad in his debut but you could tell that there were plenty of nerves at play, and he just looked calmer in the pocket tonight.
• So many hits. 29 to be exact. Too bad you can only hit guys when you don’t have the puck.

THE FACE PALMERS

• This 8:30 pm start just because of the 4000th outdoor game was crap, in my opinion.
• For the 13th time this season, the Oilers allowed a goal on the first shot of the game, spotting their opponent the lead in the first minute of the hockey game. This time it was Chris Kreider that was the beneficiary of some sloppy defensive work that gave him a wide open look at the net for his 12th goal of the year.
• Mika Zibanejad gave the Oilers back their one goal lead after the Oilers got trapped in their own zone without being able to clear the puck out. Cam Talbot made the initial big save but then the puck stayed in the zone and the Rangers were able to move it around effectively and eventually put a rebound into the net.
• Paul Carey put the Rangers up by two goals after he was able to sneak a stoppable puck through Talbot and had trickle over the line. Carey’s goal was the second Ranger goal in 1:16 and it negated the Oilers’ attempt a comeback.
• Are you surprised to hear that Georgiev got his first NHL win against the Edmonton Oilers? No, no you’re not, are you? Why can’t the Oilers beat backup goalies? What’s up with that? And to give the kid his first NHL win? Ridiculous year.
• It’s that special time in the wrap up where we get to check in on the Oilers’ special teams! *ducks flying fruit*
  • The PP went 0/2 on the night. The power play was gross again tonight with the cherry being the too-many-men penalty that came in the final moments of the game.
  • The PK went 1/3 on the night.
• If this season was a book, I think the title would be “Giveaways at the Blue Line.” The Oilers were sloppy in their own end all night and it gave the Rangers all kinds of space to move the puck around.
• Make it 29 straight games for Milan Lucic without a goal. If scoring slumps for $6 million wingers were a rock band then he would be the Rolling Stones right now.
• When I woke up this morning I didn’t want to see #BeetCast 30 in my future, but here we are. What a season. As always, you can join in the misery over on my Twitter.

SCORING SUMMARY

#GOODCONTENT