I hope you bet the over. Final Score: 7-5 Jets
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Did anyone else have flashbacks to the all-Canadian Division when you saw that the Oilers were playing the Jets in a home-and-home series this weekend? As I was writing this morning’s GDB, I chuckled to myself about how odd that season was with the seven Canadian teams playing against each other over and over again. Two games in a row? That was nothing. But to have these two squads get back after it so soon meant that we could be in line for a spicy one. Even though we didn’t get much for hostility in the first period, what we did get was an early goal from Leon Draisaitl to give the Oilers the early lead they wanted. The bad news was that the Jets didn’t crumble like they did last night. Instead, they actually got better as the period rolled along and they turned that hustle into a pair of goals that got them their first lead of this two-game set.
Heading into the second period, there was plenty of room for improvement from an Oilers side that couldn’t sustain much pressure in the latter half of the first period. So when they started things off with a cheap penalty on Zach Hyman, I was worried that the Jets would be extending the lead on the back of a soft call. I was like, “oh no, what happens if Winnipeg scores one more goal.” What I didn’t expect, however, was that the period would erupt with goals to the point where no lead was safe nor did anyone watching know what the hell was coming next. There were goals aplenty, lead changes, costly errors, and not a save in sight if you’re an Oilers fan, making this 20-minute segment feel like a rollercoaster of emotions that ranged from elation to complete dismay. Given that the boys put three goals on the board during the frame, you’d think that we’d be celebrating the offensive success but what actually happened was yet another missed opportunity to seize control of the game because we couldn’t get a save.
Down by two goals with a period left to play, the Oilers easily had the offensive skill needed to claw their way back but the question was whether they could prevent Winnipeg from getting anything else. I mean, if they could find a way to get an early one then who knows, right? So when Nick Bjugstad pulled the boys back to within one with his first goal as an Oiler, it was fair to wonder whether they might be able to actually pull this thing off. They would probably needed a little bit of luck, but dammit, it was doable. Shift by shift, the game flowed back and forth with both sides manufacturing quality scoring chances with neither being able to get one through. But despite their best efforts and a handful of quality looks on Hellebuyck, the Oilers just couldn’t find a way to tie the game for a third time before Dylan Demelo eventually closed things out with an empty net goal.
The wrap.
THE BRIGHT SIDE
- Leon Draisaitl opened the scoring with a power play goal (1-0) only 1:43 into the game after Hyman’s shot kicked out to him near the crease, leaving the former MVP with a wide open net to sink the rebound into. Leon added a second goal early in the second period (3-2) after he danced around the Winnipeg defender and fired a beautifully placed backhander up and over Hellebuyck’s shoulder. Make that two nights in a row where he’s threaded the needle like that. Draisaitl completed the hat trick (4-4) with a power play goal after parking himself in front of the net and getting his stick on the McDavid centering passing and redirecting the puck through the goaltender.
- Mattias Janmark tied the game (2-2) with a shorthanded goal after he and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins broke into the Winnipeg zone on an odd-man and executed the play perfectly.
- How about Nick Bjugstad scoring a big goal (6-5) in the third period to keep the Oilers alive in his debut with his new club? That’s one way to endear yourself to your new teammates and fanbase, amirite?
- How about Evan Bouchard quietly picking up a trio of assists as he works to figure out how to handle the extra responsibilities left in Tyson Barrie’s absence.
- I know it’s only been three games but I love the way Mattias Ekholm plays defence. The big man has been a better two-way guy than I expected, and he seems to do a nice job of picking his spots for when to jump on. He and Bouchard were the only Oilers defender without a minus rating on the evening.
- Once again and for always, I love the Edmonton Oilers’ power play. Tonight, the boys were able to cash in two goals on three chances with the man advantage.
- I can’t even appreciate that the Oilers won 50% of the faceoffs.
PRESENTED BY BETWAY
THE FACE PALMERS
- Just past the midway point of the first period, Mark Scheifele tied the game (1-1) after he perfectly timed his approach to the crease and got his stick on Demelo’s point shot, deflecting the puck downward but still over Campbell and into the top half of the net.
- Josh Morrissey gave the Jets their first lead of the series (2-1) after his point shot somehow made its way through traffic, pinballed around a couple of times, and passed Campbell who couldn’t see much of anything. Make that back-to-back goals for Winnipeg where their shots changed direction before beating the goaltender. Morrissey added another goal (6-4) late in the second period with a blast from the point that made its way through a high screen and past Campbell on the blocker side.
- Moments after Draisaitl reclaimed the lead, Adam Lowry tied the game once more (3-3) with a third deflection goal that came after he got his stick on on Barron’s point shot.
- Only 22 seconds after Lowry tied the game, Kyle Capobianco gave the Jets the lead (4-3) wrister from the right circle that beat Campbell up and over the glove. While there wasn’t much Soup could do on the first three Winnipeg goals, I think he should have had this one.
- With the sixth goal of the period, Morgan Barron (6-5) gave the Jets the lead for a third time after a brutal giveaway by the Oilers led to him walking in all alone on Campbell, beating him with a deke through the legs.
- Dylan Demelo picked up the empty netter (7-5) to seal the deal with less than a minute to play.
- Jack Campbell was back in the crease for his 30th start of the season and first since he allowed far too much against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Feb. 25th. Unfortunately, it did not go well. Jack Campbell’s last appearance with a save% over .900 was February 7th against Detroit. He’s been in net for the Oilers six times since then. I’m not saying that all six goals he allowed tonight were his fault, but I don’t think I’m talking out of school when I say that he certainly didn’t help out his reputation around here. Campbell finished the game with 32 saves and a .842 save%.
- Darnell Nurse, Brett Kulak, and Vinny Desharnais shared the green jacket among defenders with each guy wrapping up the evening with a -2 rating.
- Unfortunately, the penalty kill got tagged with one goal in three shorthanded situations and that goal proved to be the game winner.
- The Oilers were outshot by a 39-35 margin and while that’s not outlandish or anything, it does hurt when you can’t necessarily trust anything that’s being thrown on net.
SCORING SUMMARY
| 1ST PERIOD | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Edmonton | Winnipeg | |||
1:43 | Oilers | Leon Draisaitl (39) (Power Play) Assists: Zach Hyman (43), Evan Bouchard (19) | 1 | 0 |
11:34 | Jets | Mark Scheifele (36) Assists: Dylan DeMelo (17), Nino Niederreiter (12) | 1 | 1 |
15:09 | Jets | Josh Morrissey (14) Assists: Neal Pionk (18) | 1 | 2 |
| 2ND PERIOD | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Edmonton | Winnipeg | |||
2:57 | Oilers | Mattias Janmark (6) (Shorthanded) Assists: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (48) | 2 | 2 |
6:12 | Oilers | Leon Draisaitl (40) Unassisted | 3 | 2 |
6:54 | Jets | Adam Lowry (8) Assists: Morgan Barron (9), Brenden Dillon (16) | 3 | 3 |
7:16 | Jets | Kyle Capobianco (2) Assists: Blake Wheeler (30) | 3 | 4 |
9:18 | Oilers | Leon Draisaitl (41) (Power Play) Assists: Connor McDavid (70), Evan Bouchard (20) | 4 | 4 |
10:45 | Jets | Morgan Barron (6) Assists: Josh Morrissey (51) | 4 | 5 |
19:58 | Jets | Josh Morrissey (15) (Power Play) Assists: Kyle Connor (41), Mark Scheifele (21) | 4 | 6 |
| 3RD PERIOD | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Edmonton | Winnipeg | |||
2:55 | Oilers | Nick Bjugstad (14) Assists: Devin Shore (5), Evan Bouchard (21) | 5 | 6 |
19:25 | Jets | Dylan DeMelo (3) (Empty Net) Assists: Vladislav Namestnikov (10) | 5 | 7 |
#GOODCONTENT
39! pic.twitter.com/xDv3jH7aPH
— Kennedy (@kennedystrash) March 5, 2023
With the NHL always looking to increase scoring, a team being shorthanded for the full two minutes of a minor penalty, even if a goal is scored, makes a lot of sense to me. And it would be so much fun to see this Oilers power play take advantage of a change like that.
— Ryan Batty (@ryan_batty) March 5, 2023
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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