Player Grades: Edmonton Oilers Vancouver Canucks

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Just as the Edmonton Oilers find ways to lose games, they find ways to win them.

Never in doubt, as my Cult of Hockey colleague Bruce McCurdy likes to say after such games.

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Edmonton made up for a huge error by Stuart Skinner, the kind of botched stop and goal against that can crush a team. Connor McDavid had a perfect game. Evan Bouchard, Leon Draisaitl and Mattias Ekholm were all brilliant. And Edmonton refused to lose, getting 11 Grade A shots in the third period to just one for the Vancouver Canucks, before Bouchard won it in overtime, 4-3.

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It was the biggest win of the McDavid/Draisaitl era in Edmonton.

So far at least.

The Grade A shots were 18 for the Oilers, six for Vancouver, with the subset of 5-alarm shots four for Edmonton, three for the Canucks.

Connor McDavid, 10. He played his heart out. One goal, three assists. His line was dominant with all kinds of dangerous plays. He came to life on the power play, moving and passing, moving and passing. He failed to score on a 5-alarm one-timer but quickly set up Draisaitl in the slot for Edmonton’s first goal. He allowed the outside shot on Vancouver’s second goal, but his forecheck started off the Virtuous Cycle on Ekholm’s goal. Aggressive back check on Elias Pettersson late in the second. He ripped one off the post on Edmonton’s early third period power play. Huge, huge, huge goal, as big for the team as it was brilliant, winning the puck, making ten thousand deke moves in .01 of a second, then  firing it by Silovs to tie the game in the third, earning him a bonus mark for such a clutch play. Biggest goal of his life so far. Defining moment, defining goal.

97: Contributions to Grade A Shots (GAS): Even Strength +8/-1, Special Teams +5/-0.

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Leon Draisaitl, 9. One goal, three assists. He came out moving well, physically sound enough to take faceoffs. He won the puck on the PP to kick off a brilliant five-man passing play, Drai to Bouchard to Hyman to RNH to McDavid, but McD failed to sink the harpoon into the back of the great white net. He almost slammed home the rebound, then scored a moment later on a quick slot pass from McDavid. Hustled back hard to catch an open Boeser on a 3-on-2. He lost the faceoff on Vancouver’s second goal. He made up for a minute later, making a fine backhand pass into the slot that Ekholm drained. He played 27 minutes in game where it was doubtful he would play at all.

29: GAS: ES +7/-1; ST +5/-0

Zach Hyman, 8. He worked well to dominate with his super line mates early on a few dominating even strength shifts. High-sticked in the face late in the first, but no call. He made a mental error, grabbing a stick to end an Oilers power play in the second. He jammed a rebound on net early in the third, then set a screen on RNH’s hard wrister. He burrowed his way to the front of the net to get off a solid shot late in the third, then almost scored on a slot pass from McDavid.

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18: GAS: ES +5/-0; ST +4/-0

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 6. He took an ill-advised o-zone penalty early in the game. Excellent early pass to McDavid on the power play, then after the regroup, won the puck, pushed it down to McD and Drai to do their magic, picking up an assist in the process. Solid play to stickcheck J.T. Miller in the slot in the second. He fired a power play shot off Arturs Silovs’ shoulder early in the third. Finally got a decent shot on net in the last minute off an Ekholm outside shot.

93: GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +4/-0

Warren Foegele, 4. He got one shot on net but otherwise was too quiet. Part of a large contingent not getting it done. He got beat by Hughes on a rush into the slot early in the third. Some good hustle early in OT.

37: GAS: ES +0/-1; ST +0/-0

Evander Kane, 5. He got tripped on his first shift but not call. Played a physical game, belting Kane with semi-slew foot hit. He came on as the third period went along.

91: GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0

Ryan McLeod, 4. He got his first Grade A shot of the entire playoffs when his slot pass rebounded fast on goal off Quinn Hughes’ skate. But some fly-bys in the corners when a stiff body check might have won the puck. But made a solid check on Hughes early in the third and played better after that.

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71: GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0

Corey Perry, 3. He’s making almost no impact He got caught flat-footed and puckwatching on an early Canucks break-out.

90: GAS: ES +0/-1; ST +0/-0

Adam Henrique, 4. He allowed the seam pass on Vancouver’s first goal of the game. Otherwise not much to report.

19: GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-1

Derek Ryan, 4. He was part of the blown slot coverage on a 5-alarm crease shot by Lafferty in the second. Failed to have much impact until late in the game where he led his line on lengthy shift.

10: GAS: ES +0/-2; ST +0/-0

Mattias Janmark, 5. Some good work on the short second period PK, ragging the puck. A good shift early in the third, then an even bigger one with six miniutes left.

13: GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0

Dylan Holloway 4.  Nearly invisible on the fourth line, but part of a great fourth period shift, a minute of zone time. He played just 6:57.

55: GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0

Mattias Ekholm, 9. So good. Tower of power. Other than McDavid, Edmonton’s best defender. Huge on the Oilers defence, giving his team a chance to win with smart passing and sound defence. He moved in all smart and stealthy-like to score on a slot pass from Draisaitl, making it 2-2 early in the second.

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14: GAS: ES +5/-0; ST +0/-0

Evan Bouchard, 9. Such a smart and effective player. Excellent decisions with the puck, moving it with impressive skill. He might have got his stick on Miller’s high tip on the second Van goal but a tough situation. He won the battle kicking off McDavid’s scoring sequence in the third. Ripped a hard shot with the score tied in the third. He did the smart thing, throwing the puck at the net in OT and it went in off Vancouver goat Ian Cole for the Oilers win. He played a team high 29:59.

02: GAS: ES +5/-1; ST +4/-0

Cody Ceci, 4. Held his own, but nothing much in the positive category. Would have been nice if he’s got his stick on Zadorov’s goal-scoring shot. He was caught up ice in the third but Boeser missed his shot.

05: GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0

Darnell Nurse, 7. His bought his “A” game. He buried the goal scorer Petterson headfirst into the boards with a nasty hit early in the game. He lost Lafferty on a 5-alarmer in the crease.

25: GAS: ES +0/-1; ST +0/-0

Vincent Desharnais, 3. Not getting it done just now. His primary job is as a defender but too many offensive zone plays are ending on his stick. One of the culprits on the first Vancouver goal. He allowed a great chance by Hoglander.

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73: GAS: ES +0/-1; ST +0/-1

Brett Kulak, 7. Excellent skating and passing that often got his team out of trouble.

27: GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0

Stuart Skinner, 2. Three goals against on just six Grade A shots in regulation time. One huge and unacceptable mistake. Not much chance on first goal, as J.T. Miller made a brilliant fake shot and pass to Pettersson. He made a solid save off of Pius Suter late in the first. Vancouver’s second goal was a tough tip. He made a huge pad save on Lafferty. But he let Zadorov beat him on a corner shot off late in the second, a backbreaker of a goal against. How often do teams come back from that kind of thing in game? Not often. “A bad goal given up at the wrong time,” analyst Kelly Hrudey said.

But as I said, just as the Oilers find ways to lose games, they also find ways to win them.

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