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Instant Reaction: The Oilers are finally in the win column
Edmonton Oilers celebrate goal
Photo credit: © Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Oct 16, 2024, 01:30 EDTUpdated: Oct 16, 2024, 01:40 EDT
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Tuesday’s game was just what the Edmonton Oilers needed.
On Jan 9, 2023, the Oilers were getting destroyed by the Los Angeles Kings, eventually losing that game 6-3. However, they fought three times, with Jesse Puljujärvi, Zach Hyman, and Klim Kostin all dropping the mitts. Over their next 15 games, the Oilers went 9-1-5 to propel them to a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
That’s what Tuesday’s win felt like to me.
It felt like the first three losses all over again, as Matvei Michkov scored his first NHL goal after banging in the puck on the doorstep. After a lengthy review for goaltender interference, the goal stood and the Oilers headed back to the penalty kill, a common theme in this game.
After killing off the delay of game penalty, the Oilers returned to the penalty kill shortly after, with Michkov scoring his second of the game on a Leon Draisaitl-esque goal to give the Flyers a 2-0 lead.
The Oilers played good hockey in the second period for the first time all season as they rallied back to tie the game. Adam Henrique was the benefactor of a fortunate bounce, lifting the puck over the Flyers’ goalie to cut the lead in half.
Eight minutes later, the Oilers tied the game thanks to a nice hold at the line by Darnell Nurse, who found Jeff Skinner in the slot. The new Oiler made a quick pass to Connor Brown, who buried the puck to score his first goal of the season in only four games.
After a five-on-three kill towards the end of the second period, the Flyers restored their lead as Bobby Brink’s shot deflected off Mattias Ekholm and past Stuart Skinner to give the Flyers a 3-2 lead heading into the third period.
The Oilers had life in the third period, eventually tying the game with under four minutes left. Leon Draisaitl made a terrific no-look pass to Connor McDavid, who found Evan Bouchard wide open on the doorstep, sending the game to overtime.
It was in the extra time that the Oilers picked up their first win of the season. There was a non-call on McDavid on a Flyers’ breakaway. McDavid immediately turned that into a breakaway of his own, missing, but passing the puck back into the slot. When Draisaitl found himself all alone in front of the Flyers’ netminder in the slot, he made no mistake.

Takeaways…

On Sunday, Calgary Flames captain Mikael Backlund slashed Oilers’ netminder Stuart Skinner in the back of the leg, with no penalty on the play. No one stood up for Skinner, and the Oilers eventually lost that game.
They learned from their mistake on Tuesday though, as Sean Couturier ran over Skinner behind the net, leading the 5’10” Troy Stecher to drop the mitts with the 6’4” Couturier. Before the puck even dropped in the neutral zone, Corey Perry fought Joel Farabee to take him off the ice as well. Heck, even Mattias Janmark wanted to drop the mitts with Travis Konecny, who declined for good reason. It’s hard not to look at this as the spark that helped the Oilers get back in the game.
For the fourth time this season, an Oilers goal was called back as Zach Hyman nudged the Flyers’ netminder. Like the goalie interference call that was called back on Sunday, this one was pretty weak and fans weren’t happy, as the Oilers had three penalties called against them and a lengthy review that went against the Oilers.
With that being said, it wasn’t a perfect game from the Oilers by any means. The penalty kill still looks pretty rough, allowing two goals in the first three opportunities for the Flyers, but eventually dialing in to kill five of seven penalties, including a massive 5 on 3. On the other hand, the Oilers were 0/4 on the power play, which has been struggling all season.
The Oilers return to action on Thursday, as they’ll play their first road game of the season against the Nashville Predators at 6:00 PM MT. Unlike the Oilers, who now have a win this season, the Predators have lost all four games they’ve played this season, a common theme among contenders in the Western Conference.
If you enjoy my content, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.

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