Things quickly got out of hand near the end of Saturday’s matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks, and the fun part about that is that we didn’t have to wait long for the rematch. Everyone wanted to know how these two teams would respond to the late fireworks from five nights ago. And while moments of spiciness bubbled up, the most important business happened on the scoreboard to the tune of a 6-2 Oilers win.

The only thing I disliked about Leon Draisaitl’s performance last night is that more people out east probably didn’t stay up to watch it. With No. 97 out a few more days and the team needing everyone to step up, Draisaitl stepped up as he always does. The three points against Vancouver give Draisaitl 11 points in five games without McDavid in the lineup, so anyone who suggests he’s only good because of Connor just doesn’t watch him play. But what’s most impressive about his season is how he’s completely dominant anytime the puck is on his stick, and it doesn’t matter where he is on the ice either.

Whether hitting someone with a bonkers backhand pass like the one that sent Zach Hyman in for his first goal of the night or scoring a big goal on the power play, Draisaitl is making an impact as a playmaker and goal scorer on a level I don’t know that we’ve seen before. He has so many weapons to burn to with when the puck is on his stick, and all of them can end up as a goal or an assist that are equally beautiful. It’s a double threat that puts him head and shoulders above most of his peers and a major reason why I think he’s going to win his second Hart Trophy when June rolls around.

When I noticed that Zach Hyman was playing his first game with a normal visor instead of the bubble windshield, I flashed back to the moment when Evan Bouchard hit him in the face. I’ve never broken my nose, but I can’t imagine what taking a clapper to the beak must have felt like. I would still be lying on the ice if that happened to me. All you’d see is a crumpled man whimpering softly in a pool of his own tears. So, to have Hyman shed the bubble and cash in two big goals was yet another reason to be impressed by a guy who is arguably the best free agent signing of all time.

It’s also not lost on me that he picked up his 16th and 17th goals of the season, which puts him back on pace for a third consecutive 30+ goal season. That’s not a bad spot to be after the wild drought he battled early in the season when nothing was going in for him despite a laundry list of quality chances. The two goals he scored against Vancouver looked a lot more like the touch he had when he put 54 goals up on the board a year ago. I never expected him to get back there again this season, but I think we would all appreciate a little more of that 50-goal touch in the back half of the season.

I hated Corey Perry for most of his career. For all of the reasons that Canucks fans are mad at him today, I watched him do those exact wormy tactics to the Oilers. The guy has a PHD in getting under the opponent’s skin, and he was living rent free in Vancouver after a Conor Garland-induced scrum resulted in the future Hall of Famer pinning Quinn Hughes to the ice like a child. It was one of the old school moments where Perry went after the opponent’s best player to signal that the Oilers weren’t afraid to target Vancouver’s best if they think screwing around with Connor McDavid is acceptable.

Even funnier was how Perry completely ignored every Canuck that tried to fight him for shaking Hughes around a little bit even though nothing really happened outside of holding him down. Instead of engaging or fighting, Perry did nothing more than run his mouth, smile in everyone’s faces, and keep his gloves on his hands. That strategy seemed to break a few brains on the Canucks’ bench because they wound up taking penalties and misconducts on their way to falling further out of a playoff spot. It was unbelievable to watch. Like I said, I used to hate Perry for the things he did on the ice last night, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a whole lot more fun when he’s on your side.

How can I not give a shout out to my man Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for also doing his part to step up in Connor McDavid’s absence? On a night when he was tasked with handling the puck more on the power play, RNH came up with a big PP goal to put the Oilers up by five goals in addition to the primary assist he picked up on Draisaitl’s first period marker. The Oilers stunk with the man advantage when the Capitals were in town, and a big part of the Oilers’ adjustment for Vancouver was to have RNH distribute the puck more. From my side of the TV screen, I would say that he answered the bell.

Those two points give Ryan Nugent-Hopkins eight points in his last 10 games and 15 points in his last 20. Getting him going after a poor start to the season is a win for the Oilers that’s quietly flying under the radar, and it will be crucial for the team’s success that he keep it going down the stretch and into the playoffs. The Oilers are 11-1-1 in games when he scores, and we need him to keep chipping in. The only down side I saw in RNH’s game was that we didn’t get the chance to watch him tune up Pius Suter when it looked like they might go in the second period.

1. Just to get this out of the way early, it was annoying that Connor McDavid wasn’t back on the ice for this game. Not just because I think the three-game suspension was heavy but also because the league missed out on a chance to get everyone watching a game they expect to boil over. Even if nothing happened at all, the spiciness from Saturday’s game would have drawn in so many eyeballs, but instead, they willingly missed out on an opportunity to get people excited.

2. I loved the way Adam Henrique picked the puck up behind the net and made a quick move to slide it through the goaltender’s legs before Demk0 could reset. That was a goalscorer’s goal by Uncle Rico, and I love the way he’s starting to chip in with more offence as the season rolls along. Henrique’s first period marker — his 7th of the season, I should add — gives him four in his last nine games. I do love me some depth scoring.

3. How about Cal Pickard? Every fourth game, he jumps between the pipes and gives the Oilers everything he’s got. And once again, Pickard came through with a quality performance that was all you can ask from your backup. Pickard stopped 24 of 26 shots to finish with a .923 save percentage, and while he wasn’t as busy as his counterpart, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t called upon to come up with some key saves to lock in the win.

4. How about a second career assist for Noah Philp on a spinning no-look pass to Zach Hyman for his second goal of the game. Philp showed some touch on the goal too, and I loved the way ZMH was excited for him to make such a pretty play.

5. Kasperi Kapanen continues to be a sneaky good waiver claim for the Oilers, as he scored his sixth goal of the season to make it a 6-2 game and spiritually nail the coffin shut. If I were a betting man — I am — I’d bet that Kapanen finds a way to stick in the lineup when these games start to get more meaningful.

6. I cannot stress enough how much better the power play looked on Thursday against the Canucks than it did when the Capitals were in town earlier in the week. After going 0/3 against Washington, the Oilers’ top unit responded with a pair of power play goals on the four chances they had with the man advantage. You obviously can’t run the same plays without Connor McDavid in the lineup, and I like how the coaching staff made adjustments to better fit the pieces they did have.

7. I love three things in life: A nice sandwich, my dog, and telling you that the Oilers won 43.3% of the faceoffs. I’m sad about the result, but happy about the process.

We’re beyond excited to announce our latest partnership with Odd Company Brewing to bring you the all-new Nation Beer Everyday Lager! Whether you’re watching the big game, chilling with friends, or just kicking back after a long day, this crisp, refreshing lager is the perfect choice. It’s the brew you can count on anytime, anywhere. So, why not make it your next game-day tradition? Nation Beer Everyday Lager is available now at Odd Company Brewing and through Liquor Connect. Don’t miss out—grab yours today and take your beer game to the next level! Cheers, Nation Citizens!