After a strong performance in Vegas to get back in the win column, the Edmonton Oilers faced a mammoth test in Game 2 of their road trip when the team landed in Denver to face the league-leading Colorado Avalanche. And while the first matchup of the series was a lopsided disaster, the second round certainly lived up to the billing. From start to finish, the Oilers and Avalanche put on a show that was both stressful and infinitely exciting. Only this time, it was our boys that came out on top, closing out a massive 4-3 win over a team that doesn’t lose in regulation very often. Two massive points, my friends.

Why can’t we have nice things? After only 1:35 in TOI, Colton Dach left the bench in clear pain and was quickly ruled out for the night not long after. If you haven’t been keeping track at home, we got just over 16 minutes worth of Dachness before a collision with Josh Manson clearly landed the wrong way. To watch it on TV, the hit didn’t look too crazy, but as we’ve learned many times over the years, most recently with Zach Hyman, what looks like a minor hit can end up being more serious. Of course, at the risk of getting Darren Dreger mad at me for diagnosing from my couch, the best I can say is that Dach did not look good. As you can see in the video above, our new friend was feeling a few shades less than his best when he left the bench.

Unfortunately, the Oilers were also without Ty Emberson for the final 40 minutes, as he did not join his teammates on the bench for the second period. While we don’t know exactly what happened or the severity of the injury, losing Emberson for any length of time would be big hit to an Edmonton back end that is just starting to find its way. Through the 60 games he’s played, Emberson has averaged 16:00 on the third pairing that gets the bulk of its starts in the defensive zone. If he’s hurt for a while, that leaves Spencer Stastney to slot in on that right side, or even more chaotic, Darnell Nurse could wind up there. Parking my own fears and imagination for a minute, what we know for sure is that the Oilers’ depth took a hit last night in Colorado with Dach and Emberson both leaving the game.

And since the first two injuries weren’t enough, Connor Ingram was forced out of the game after Nathan MacKinnon ran him over in the crease in what was a massive collision. Ingram went down hard, MacKinnon got tossed, and the Oilers were down a third man in a span of only 40 minutes. This one, though, is a massive blow. Ingram had basically taken over the starting duties in net, and losing him for any length of time with Tristan Jarry still a question mark could be devastating. At this point, we haven’t had either Ingram or Jarry grab the reins between the pipes, but if that gash on the former’s head means he’s out of the lineup any length of time then we’ll really have no choice. Needless to say, even with the win, this was not an ideal night for the roster.

As much as I just complained about Tristan Jarry’s consistency issues in the last paragraph, I also want to give him a shout out for his work in relief of Connor Ingram that locked in the win. Coming into the game cold against the best team in the NHL is an impossible task, and I thought Jarry did a great job of getting up for the task. The guy had to be sharp almost from the first second he was on the ice, and he carried on at that level for the entirety of the 20:26 he played. Yeah, I know he gave one up to Valeri Nichushkin on a tipped shot that beat him over the shoulder, but he more than rebounded with timely saves when the Oilers needed him down the stretch. Despite playing just over a period, Jarry faced 12 reasonably dangerous shots and deserves a big dose of credit for the way he shut things down late.

It’s not like the Avalanche rolled over and showed their tummies once Nathan MacKinnon got the boot, and it would not have been surprising if Jarry had struggled under the circumstances. Instead, he jumped in, gave a clutch performance, and gave his teammates the foundation they needed to complete the win. I know I wasn’t the only one who was nervous to see him the enter the game, so it’s only fair to give Jarry his due for the way he handled the pressure. Not only that, his .917 save% in relief was his best since shutting out the Canucks way back on January 17th. I know it’s only one night and just over a period of play, but if ever there was a win that could boost Jarry’s confidence, you’d have to think shutting down the league leaders would be as good of an option as any.

Did you really think we’d see a two-goal game by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and that I wouldn’t mention him in my post-game wrap? Unless you’re new here, you know nothing gets my Oilers Kool-Aid flowing quite like a big night for my man, and last night’s performance against the Avalanche was the best he’s had in a while. Even with my unconditional love for Nuge, it was hard not to want more from him than the three goals and five points he’d registered in the nine games leading up to Tuesday. That’s not enough production from a guy who plays the minutes he does at even strength and on the power play, which made his standout night against the Avalanche all the more important.

If the Oilers are going to take advantage of a brutal Pacific Division and force their way up the standings, they’ll need Nugent-Hopkins playing his best at both ends of the rink. We know RNH is always going to give it his all on the defensive side of his game, but we also need him putting pucks in the back of the net. With his 16th and 17th goals on the board, Nuge is looking good to register his seventh 20-goal season of his career, and I’m hopeful last night’s confidence booster can be the start of putting him well past that mark with 17 games to play. With 17 left on the schedule, it’s hard to think of many players who could have a bigger impact on the stretch run than a streaking Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. I know I’m always the optimist when it comes to Nuge, but it’s hard to imagine that those two goals didn’t feel like a bunch of weight off of Nuge’s shoulders. Dare to dream? I don’t think it’s a reach.

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