Before the majesty of Zach Hyman’s late equalizer and Connor McDavid’s overtime heroics in a 6-5 overtime victory, there was tension brooding through Rogers Place. An anxious Kris Knoblauch yanked Connor Ingram. The powerplay was sluggish, then turned it on.

But these Oilers – these silly, silly Oilers – found a way to equalize and then win in overtime to avoid their first losing streak of three games in regulation.

Credit to them. They found a way.

History-maker

In chess, there is a term for an accomplished grandmaster’s best game called an “immortal game”. It showcases their best skills, regardless of whether it’s the World Championships or a normal match.

The phrase applies to Evan Bouchard’s performance. A hat-trick, three assist, showing on Hockey Night in Canada? I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him play better in a single game.

He joins Bobby Orr as the only defenceman in NHL history to record six points and eight shots in a game. Only Paul Coffey and Kevin Lowe had posted a six-point game in franchise history.

It’s the type of game that shines a spotlight on Doug Armstrong. Hey Doug, this guy can’t play for Canada? McDavid thinks he can.

“You’re putting me in a tough spot there (chuckles),” said McDavid post-game. “He’s a heckuva player, among a lot of great Canadian defenceman. It’s a good problem to have, but I’m sure management has been watching.”

Another obscure list he joins is the number of defenceman who’ve scored at least three goals and three assists in a game, along with: Reg Noble, Sprague Cleghorn, Bobby Orr, Tom Bladon, and Doug Crossman. Thanks to our own Zach Laing for that nugget.

Knoblauch was glowing in his praise of Bouchard, who played his 400th NHL game on Saturday.

It was his first-ever hat-trick at any level.

“The list is pretty long for everything Bouch did, and you could tell, he is one of the elite defencemen in the league,” said Knoblauch. “It’s nice to have him. He was definitely feeling his best tonight.”

Motivation

One thought about Bouchard regarding not being on the Olympic team.

For me, his inclusion would’ve been likely if not for one thing – his body language.

Yeah, he’s prone to a turnover. He’s not a shutdown defenceman. He plays the whole game with the puck on his stick after all, and his turnover stats compared to even Cale Makar show this is overblown.

However, I can get as frustrated with Bouchard as anyone with his body language. Coaches hate players with bad body language. It’s something he can control, and now a vet of 400 games, I hope for his sake it improves.

He could certainly help Team Canada. There’s no limit to having good puck movers on your hockey team.

“I always try to stay even-keel,” said Bouchard post-game. “The highs and lows of a game are definitely a thing, but if I try to stay even-keel, it works out for the best.”

But I believe it’s body language that kept him off the squad. Might not sound like much. Might sound silly. But it’s my hunch.

It isn’t 2010 Drew Doughty lacing up the skates in Milan, after all.

Bouchard’s 55 points now vault him into a tie for most defenceman points on the year with Zach Werenski and Makar. Use it as motivation, Bouchard, the nights he’s on his game, especially with how he can keep pucks in the offensive zone, the Oilers can be hard to beat.

.500 on homestand

I’ve dubbed this stretch of eight straight home games and the last road game before the Olympic break as the “Dominance” part of their schedule. The time they need to bank points.

It was rough at times this week. But these Oilers, when you think they’re going to zig, they zag.

The key with the Capitals game was, once again, that they allowed their opponents to wade into the game. Washington also had a superior sense of timing. Any time the Oilers finally beat Charlie Lindgren, Justin Sourdif and company responded.

How good was Sourdif in that game, by the way? He scored a goal and an assist, and I knew he was worth mentioning in the pre-scout, but man, this kid is a good player.

The Caps were playing in their third game in four nights, and were down to five defencemen after Rasmus Sandin blocked a shot at the end of the first period.

Edmonton needed that victory to settle into the homestand. Especially with the red-hot, then ice-cold, now red-hot again Anaheim Ducks in town Monday, winners of six straight and three points back of the Oilers.

It’s their first of three against Anaheim.

Record this week: 1-2
Record during “Dominance” schedule stretch: 2-2
Record at home: 13-8-4
Record since Christmas break: 7-6-2

This week:

Monday vs Anaheim
Thursday vs San Jose
Saturday vs Minnesota

Who scheduled this?

As Rob Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun joked online:

“Is Mitch Marner’s return to Toronto the biggest regular-season game in NHL history?

Yes
Of course.”

Hockey mecca Toronto had to take the lashing from the Golden Knights in an expected loss. But here’s my point: Why was this a Friday night game?

Since I started doing play-play-play consistently years ago, I haven’t watched nearly as much Hockey Night in Canada as I did when I was a kid. The odd time I could, I was amazed at how the product didn’t feel as special anymore.

That could be a function of my age, as opposed to anything Rogers is doing, but I suspect there’s some truth to it still.

With that said, there aren’t a ton of regular-season games that align perfectly with storylines and drama. A return home like this was built for Saturday night.

How did the NHL screw this one up?

Remember this one?

My favourite random NHLer’s first game after a nasty divorce? Who can forget when Dany Heatley returned to Ottawa?

Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and has been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, he also collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues.

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