Shutting down the Oilers power play – at the blue line

It was probably the most frustrating Oilers power play so far this season. Just prior to the halfway mark of the first period, Aaron Volpatti went to the box for boarding. On the ensuing power play, despite eight attempts, the Oilers were never able to successfully complete a zone entry.

Justin Schultz (19) has just passed the puck to Jordan Eberle (14) at the top of the screen. Eberle is under a tight check and has held on to the puck for just a moment too long; he has no passing options so he’s going to try and skate it in.

Unsurprisingly, Eberle is taken out along the boards. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93) could probably make a fight of this if he skates at top speed toward the puck. He does not, and the Canucks clear easily.

This time it’s Hall (4) passing to Eberle. Once again, Eberle is being covered – the puck will be knocked off his stick and out of the zone in the next second, again preventing the Oilers from entering.

Having been rebuffed twice, the Oilers try something different – Hall attacks up the middle.

Hall, having gained the line, passes the puck to Eberle in coverage – and once again the Canucks easily gain possession and clear the puck. And that’s it for the first unit.

With Hall having gained the line successfully by going up the middle, Gagner (89) decides to do the same thing.

The Oilers look like they just barely go offside here (though the whistle doesn’t blow) but somehow Gagner, Hemsky and Hartikainen all decide they need to fill the same spot on the ice. In the confusion, the lone Canucks’ penalty killer takes the puck and backhands it out of the zone.

Having failed twice entering on the right wing, and twice entering up the middle, Sam Gagner passes to Nail Yakupov (64) on the left wing. The puck rolls of Yakupov’s stick and is quickly sent the other way by the Canucks.

Sam Gagner gains the blue line with speed… and Ales Hemsky (83) is offside. That’s it for the second unit.

Back to the first unit. Nugent-Hopkins has some difficulty with the pass from Schultz and tips it to Hall right after gaining the line. It’s probably not surprising that this pass never makes it to Hall, and the Canucks clear easily.

Justin Schultz tries to make a pass to Taylor Hall at the blue line, but the puck goes past and the Oilers end up getting called for icing. And that’s it for the power play.