At least the point streak is still alive. Final Score: 2-1 Flyers in the shootout
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If there’s one thing we know all too well around these parts, it’s the importance of a good start. Over the years, we’ve watched plenty of games when the Oilers gave up the first goal and how playing catchup always forces them to take more risks than they otherwise would. So to see the Flyers get most of the work done early which included the go-ahead goal, it felt like a repeat performance of what we got on Tuesday night in Detroit. Again, it wasn’t like the Oilers played poorly by any means, but more so that they were just a little bit off in their execution. Too many passes were a foot too long or too short, there were opportunities to shoot the puck that were passed up in favour of more difficult plays, and I thought that if they could clean up those details over the final forty minutes that they’d be in a good spot to be competing for the win. The tricky part, of course, was whether or not they could make the necessary adjustments.
Heading into the second period, I think it’s safe to say that there was a tonne of room for improvement for the team that was trying to extend its eight-game point streak. More or less, the Oilers just needed to simplify what they were trying to do out there because they are the better team and that fact alone should earn them some chances. One thing they could not do, however, was to allow a second goal to widen the gap which made the Evander Kane marker at 1:56 so incredibly important. Instead of chasing, it was back to being anyone’s game and I was hoping that would also mean that the Oilers would take over the way we expected them. But as much as Kane’s goal was helpful, it didn’t dampen the Flyers’ spirit or drive even one bit. They kept sitting back in their trap-style defence to fish for turnovers, and if the Oilers coughed the puck up, Philly moved the play back up the ice with simple plays that were not only effective but also burned plenty of time off the clock. It was like the Oilers were playing in quicksand and struggled to navigate the roadblocks that the Flyers were throwing up everywhere.
Despite the sloppiness of their overall game, the Oilers still had a chance to pull in two points provided that they could win another period. Yet, to make that happen they were going to need to crank up their urgency levels because the passive game they were running with wasn’t going to get the job done. I’m not sure what exactly was going on with the boys in white but the engagement level wasn’t up to par. Thankfully, that started to change as the period wore on. With each passing shift, the Oilers finally started to move their feet and that led to a whole lot more action in the offensive zone. Wave after wave, the Oilers heaped pressure on the Flyers until Zach Hyman was eventually able to get a second goal past Hart. But as we’ve seen countless times already, the goal was challenged for goaltender interference and invariably called back because Hyman is cursed or something. And with neither side able to get anything else past the netminders before the buzzer, this game was off to the bonus period to see if we’d get a winner in sudden death.
After the OT period solved nothing, the game was off to the shootout where only Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was able to beat  Carter Hart while Morgan Frost and James van Riemsdyk were able to beat Skinner. If I’m being honest, the Oilers were lucky to get a point out of this game because it was not their finest 65 minutes of hockey, I’ll tell you that much. Again, it wasn’t that they were horrible or anything but rather that they weren’t sharp. They just didn’t have their ‘A’ or even their ‘B’ game but still managed to snag a point, which is a tough silver lining to swallow on a night when we should have been talking about a win.
The wrap.

THE BRIGHT SIDE

  • Evander Kane tied the game (1-1) early in the second period after McDavid dropped the puck to him in the high slot with plenty of time to walk in and bury his shot. McDavid pushed Philly’s d-men back with his speed and Kane made no mistake.
  • Connor McDavid’s point streak was extended to 15 games, giving him at least a point in 24 of 25 road games. Just ridiculous.
  • Despite not scoring, I thought Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a pretty solid game as his life probably could have gotten at least a goal or two based on the chances they manufactured. RNH in particular could have had one or two on his own with a little luck. Way she goes sometimes.
  • The Oilers were perfect on all three of the penalties they took, killing them all off with style.
  • I’m just going to go ahead and say that Stuart Skinner deserved a better fate after the performance he put in against the Flyers. From start to finish, he was the best player in a white uniform and it’s a bummer that the team in front of him couldn’t help him out with more than a single goal. For my money, Skinner is the only reason the Oilers were able to salvage a point after finishing the night with 35 saves and a .972 save%.
  • Getting that single point bumped them up into 3rd place in the Pacific Division.

PRESENTED BY BETWAY

THE FACE PALMERS

  • In my opinion, the Oilers played down to their competition and deserved the result they got. Frankly, they’re lucky to get a point out of that hot mess.
  • Kevin Hayes opened the scoring near the eight-minute mark (1-0) on a shot from the high slot that hit a stick on its way to the net, beating Stuart Skinner on the glove side. Isn’t it funny how turnovers near the opposing blue line always seem to end up in the back of your own net?
  • Carter Hart was endlessly annoying with his 34 saves and .971 save%.
  • At this point, I believe that coaches around the NHL and the league’s review room are all conspiring against Zach Hyman. I mean, how many times have his goals been challenged for whatever reason?
  • Is Leon Draisaitl hurt? He looks like he’s hurt. It’s either that or he’s battling a slump that is very un-Leon-like right now.
  • Make it another healthy scratch for Jesse Puljujarvi. The latest rumblings are that he could be hitting the waiver wire, and it’s honestly hard to imagine that this is the position we’re in at this point.
  • I’m not trying to get into a whole “the refs are terrible” thing, but how is it possible that the Flyers went an entire game without being called for a single penalty? It’s ridiculous.
  • Outshot 36-35 by a team that had no business outplaying them for most of the night.
  • While it’s not terrible by any means, the Oilers won only 48% of the faceoffs. Sad panda.

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST PERIODEDMPHI
7:50
Philadelphia
Kevin Hayes (16)
Assists: Travis Sanheim (12), Scott Laughton (18)
0
1
2ND PERIODEDMPHI
1:56
Edmonton
Evander Kane (8)
Assists: Connor McDavid (53), Mattias Janmark (10)
1
1
3RD PERIOD
No Goals Scored
OT SUMMARY
No Goals Scored
SHOOTOUT SUMMARYEDMPHI
Philadelphia
Travis Konecny Wrist Shot saved by Stuart Skinner
0
0
Edmonton
Connor McDavid
0
0
Philadelphia
Morgan Frost Goal Wrist Shot
0
1
Edmonton
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Goal Wrist Shot
1
1
Philadelphia
James van Riemsdyk Goal Wrist Shot
1
2
Edmonton
Leon Draisaitl Wrist Shot saved by Carter Hart
1
2

#GOODCONTENT

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