The Edmonton Oilers have a very tough five-game stretch on their schedule, which started Tuesday with a visit from the Tampa Bay Lightning. While some suggest the Lightning aren’t the team they once were, I see a roster still ripe with point producers, and the Oilers had to navigate that tall order. But much like that large coffee you may be enjoying as you read this, the Oilers crushed it with one of their best 60-minute efforts of the year, extending their winning streak with a massive 2-1 victory.

It’s not an easy job to stare down Andrei Vasilevskiy at the other end of the rink and know you have to go save-for-save with him. He’s one of the best goalies in the league and has been for a long time, raising the pressure on Stuart Skinner to match the level played by the Vezina and Conn Smythe Trophy winner. Stu was up for the challenge. Even though he wasn’t quite as busy as his counterpart, Skinner was still called upon to make a laundry list of quality saves and handled his business like a pro.

With 21 saves and a .955 save percentage in a winning effort, you can make it five starts in a row and six of the last seven games with a save percentage above .935 for Stuart Skinner. Those are fantastic numbers, and if we were good with shitting on him earlier in the year, then we have to give him the love he deserves for a run like this. Our man is getting hot and is quickly erasing the hole he dug for himself earlier in the year. Even though it’s not reasonable to expect +.930 numbers on a nightly basis, this team will go a long way if he keeps doing his part in locking down wins.

With the lucky bounce that wound up the game-winner, Leon Draisaitl reclaimed his spot atop the league lead for goal scorers with 20 in only 28 games. As much as the Oilers not scoring goals was a problem earlier in the year, that was never the case for Leon Draisaitl. The guy has been gas all season and was arguably the only player producing consistently since October. Details aside, last night was another beauty for Draisaitl as he wrapped up the night with a third straight two-point game.

The guy is so hot right now that he, once again, doesn’t even need to shoot the puck to score. Sure, one might argue that he did technically shoot the puck that later bounced back into the net off Viktor Hedman’s skate, but I’d say you’re ignoring the more significant point that the Hockey Gords want Draisaitl to win the Rocket Richard. This is now the second time in as many weeks that he’s been credited with a goal that he didn’t have to shoot into the net himself. The last time, it was the bouncing puck on Fleury, and last night, he got the hometown bump-and-run off Hedman.

If you can read that and honestly believe that the Hockey Gords aren’t doing their part to make this happen, then I don’t know what to tell you. The Universe is speaking to us, my friends. You just have to watch for the signs.

When you’ve got two teams as strong as the Oilers and Lightning, a big part of the outcome usually comes down to whoever made the fewest mistakes. And right from the jump, you could tell this was the kind of game where there wouldn’t be much space out there. If the Oilers were going to win, they needed to move the puck quickly, and they had better put it on the right guy’s stick or risk being burned. I mean, how else would you describe the Jake Guentzle goal midway through the second period? Bouchard made the mistake, and the team got burned by it.

The good news is that the Lightning made far more mistakes than our boys did, and they were fortunate that their Vezina-calibre goaltender was there to bail them out. Whether it was breakaways for the Dynamic Duo or quality shots off the rush, Vasilevskiy erased more than a few errors for his teammates but couldn’t quite do enough to get the game back to even. To their credit, the Oilers played arguably their most complete defensive game of the season, and I loved how they were smart with the puck instead of always trying to play hero ball.

1. Connor McDavid opened the scoring (1-0) on the back of a blistering rush that saw him take a pass in full stride, break into the zone, and then chip the puck up and over Andrei Vasilevskiy. Early in the first period, McDavid was stopped on a breakaway chance when he tried to deke to his backhand, so I found it fun and interesting to see him adjust to the goaltender as quickly as he did. He’s the best.

2. Jake Guentzel tied the game (1-1) after a turnover in the defensive zone led to an uncontested shot from the slot that slipped through Stuart Skinner between the arm and body. I don’t know why Evan Bouchard tried to nuke that puck through the middle of the ice instead of picking an easier play, but that was a rough giveaway to make by Bouch from that spot on the ice.

3. Under two minutes later, Leon Draisaitl restored Edmonton’s lead (2-1) after Darnell Nurse put him in all alone on Vasilevskiy and the rebound from his shot took a couple of friendly bounces before winding up in the back of the net. He didn’t score on the initial attempt, but the guy is having such a hot start to his season that goals are going in for him even when he doesn’t shoot the puck. It’s magic, and I love it. Thank you, Hockey Gords, for the gift.

4. Looking at the special teams, the Oilers went 0-for-2 on the power play while killing off 2-of-2 shorthanded situations they faced. As much as the power play didn’t quite look its best, the PK was dialled in again. The example of which had to be the final 1:42 when they were down 6-on-4 and still found a way to grind out the win.

5. Andrei Vasilevskiy is something else isn’t it? The guy stopped three straight breakaways in last night’s hockey game, plenty more quality scoring chances, and is basically the human equivalent of a fire blanket. If the Bolts light something on fire, he’s there more often than not to put the blaze out.

6. When there are 36 seconds that go by and a change of possession happens in the defensive zone, should you really be allowed to challenge a goal for offside? I know I’m biased, but really? Is there no time limit of any kind? Are there any circumstances when a bringing the play back that far wouldn’t be entertained?

7. Death, taxes, and me telling you that the Oilers won 48.3% of the faceoffs. The team won, so I won’t complain too much… I guess.

8. My body is ready for a Ty Emberson goal. It’s coming, I can feel it. The guy has started playing so well over the last handful of weeks that I just can’t help but think his big moment will come sooner than later.

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