The Flyers never saw the rope-a-dope coming. Final Score: 4-2 Oilers
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Losers of their last four games, the Edmonton Oilers had no choice but to come into tonight’s rematch against the Philadelphia Flyers with a bee in their bonnet and a bounce in their step. I wanted them to be mad about the way things are going, and I wanted to watch them take it out their rage on a Philadelphia team that not only sucks in general terms but was coming into town on the second half of a back-to-back set. Instead, what we got was a team that looked tentative at best and disinterested at worst, offering not much more than a passive attack at any given time. That’s why when the Flyers opened the scoring on a stinker by Noah Cates, it almost felt fitting that the Oilers allowed a goal that so aptly reflected how they were playing as a whole. Amazingly, the boys bailed themselves out almost accidentally with a late power play goal by Tyson Barrie to knot up the score and set the table for a reset after the intermission.
Lucky to be tied after 20 minutes, the Oilers needed to get both their legs and hands going because there was not a whole lot going on for them in the first period. They were dull in every way, and that wasn’t going to fly any longer if the actual goal for the evening was to get out of this slump. Yet, for the second period in a row, the Oilers were completely out of sync and unable to string much of anything together outside of building a list of reasons why the Rogers Place faithful might boo. And you know what, based on the way things were going, they were going to deserve it too. So when Owen Tippett restored Philadelphia’s lead on the back of a tough turnover by Ceci in the defensive zone, it was hard to get too upset about it because the whole game was annoying up to that point. As much as we should probably give Philadelphia credit for the way they were locking things down, my reality says that the Oilers are the better team here, and having them down in this hockey game was simply unacceptable. 
Down by a goal with 20 minutes to play, it wasn’t like the Flyers were carrying an insurmountable lead but the Oilers would certainly need to come up with something better than the turd sandwich they were serving up through the first two-thirds. And since the Oilers had more skill in their lineup, there was really no reason to write them off but they would need to find a spark. Almost right on cue, Stuart Skinner made a huge save in the opening minutes of the period to keep the gap at one, and that stop really seemed to light the fuse because the Oilers wrestled the game away from there. It was almost like the Oilers snapped out of their slumber and realized that they could win this game if they actually tried. Over the final 17 minutes or so, the boys were basically doing as they pleased in the offensive zone and that dominance led to goals at even strength and on the power play. With three goals in just over 11 minutes, the Oilers went from trailing to comfortably in the lead in a flash, and even though no one will say that this was the prettiest win we’ll ever watch, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a big one.
At the end of the day, the Oilers picked up two points against a team they needed to beat and that’s what matters most even if the start to the game wasn’t what we would have wanted.
The wrap.

THE BRIGHT SIDE

  • With only three seconds left in the first period, Tyson Barrie tied the game (1-1) on the power play with a sneaky wrister from the high slot that made its way through a few bodies before beating Hart up and over the glove. Up to Barrie’s goal, the Oilers had only mustered a measly four shots on net so his late marker could not have bailed him out anymore.
  • Leon Draisaitl tied the game (2-2) with a power play goal after a beautiful passing play that saw Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid move the puck with precision before setting up the former MVP with a gift from his office.
  • Connor McDavid gave the Oilers the lead (3-2) after his centering pass attempt from the side of the net took a friendly bounce off the sliding defender and through Carter Hart. But considering the way McDavid had taken over the third period, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that the goal was the result of a magic spell or some kind of witchcraft. McDavid added a second goal (4-2) into the empty net in the dying moments to seal the deal and lock in the win.
  • Stuart Skinner was back between the pipes and tasked with ending the four-game slide. But while I don’t think anyone would say they were pumped about the start of Skinner’s game, you do have to love the way he bounced back from allowing a softie. Save by save, Skinner kept his team in the mix and there were none bigger than the pad save in the third period to keep the boys to within one. Thankfully, Stu’s teammates in front of him took over from there and rattled off a trio of goals to give him all of the support he needed to lock in a huge win. Skinner finished the night with 24 saves and a .923 save%.
  • With the assist on Leon Draisaitl’s power play goal, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins set a new career-high with 70 points. I’m so proud of my boy.
  • Big news! Vincent Desharnais was back in the lineup and the Oilers get back in the win column. He’s magic, this guy.
  • Big shout out to Devin Shore’s face for taking the high stick that led to a four-minute power play. I know it hurts right now, Shoresy, but the boys picked up a big goal so I’m awarding you an honourary third assist.
  • As we’ve come to expect, the Oilers’ power play came up big again tonight with a pair of goals on the four chances they got with the man advantage.
  • Not to be outdone, the penalty kill was just as good as they were able to kill off all three of the shorthanded situations they faced. Great night for the PK crew.
  • The Oilers may have only put up 10 shots through the first two periods, but they still managed to outshot the Flyers by a 27-26 margin when all was said and done.
  • You gotta love reading that the Oilers won 55% of the faceoffs they took, including the one that led to Barrie’s goal late in the first. Faceoffs matter.
  • In the first period, they gave Jack Michaels a little bit of love on the broadcast for calling his 1000th game with the franchise after replacing the legendary Rod Phillips on the mic, and I was happy to see it because I’m a big fan of the way he calls Oilers games. Jack Michaels gets the blood pumping and he’s a lot of fun when he gets wound up.

PRESENTED BY BETWAY

THE FACE PALMERS

  • Noah Cates opened the scoring (1-0) on an absolute stinker, his wrap around somehow fooling Skinner despite being in the proper position.
  • Owen Tippett restored Philly’s lead (2-1) with a pretty deflection from the slot after a brutal turnover by Cody Ceci resulted in the Flyers turning the puck around taking full advantage of the opportunity. Ceci had all the time in the world to make a play with the puck but he instead threw a pass into Broberg’s skates, and I still don’t understand what he was looking at there.
  • I’m not going to lie to you fine Wrap Up readers, I was endlessly annoyed when the Oilers had only 10 shots after 40 minutes. I was dumbfounded.
  • The NHL site had the giveaways listed as 21 for the Oilers, and that actually feels about right. For the first 40 minutes, the Oilers were giving out turnovers like a charity raffle.

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST PERIODPHIEDM
10:01
Flyers
Noah Cates (9)
Assists: Wade Allison (5), Nicolas Deslauriers (6)
1
0
19:57
Oilers
Tyson Barrie (10) (Power Play)
Assists: Leon Draisaitl (50)
1
1
2ND PERIODPHIEDM
11:37
Flyers
Owen Tippett (16)
Assists: Kevin Hayes (31), Olle Lycksell (1)
2
1
3RD PERIODPHIEDM
6:49
Oilers
Leon Draisaitl (34) (Power Play)
Assists: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (43), Connor McDavid (61)
2
2
12:39
Oilers
Connor McDavid (43)
Assists: Leon Draisaitl (51)
2
3
17:35
Oilers
Connor McDavid (44) (Empty Net)
Assists: Darnell Nurse (23)
2
4

#GOODCONTENT

Talk to me, Twitter. Hit me up at @jsbmbaggedmilk and Wanye at @Oilersnation and you could find yourself landing in this very spot. 

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