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The Edmonton Oilers came out strong, with Connor McDavid scoring on his first shift, and never let up, beating the sorry Pittsburgh Penguins four to nothing in a Sunday afternoon game.
In total, Edmonton had 22 Grade A shots, Pittsburgh ten, with the subset of 5-alarm shots seven for the Oilers, three for the Penguins. Grade A shots go in about 25 per cent of the time, 5-alarm shots about 33 per cent of the time.
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Connor McDavid, 8. One goal, two assists. He gobbled up Kris Letang’s hideous turnover and stroked it past Tristan Jarry for a goal in the first minute. He did all kinds of great work on Edmonton’s third goal, winning battles, then sending in Nurse for a 5-alarm shot. Contributions to Grade A Shots (GAS): Even Strength +4/-0: Special Teams +4/-0.
Zach Hyman, 7. Always around the net, doing his job. He won a board battle to kick off a dangerous power play sequence in the first and almost ended it with a goal when he hacked Draisaitl’s rebound on net himself. A moment later he took a big hit, shrugged it off, but failed to cash in a gift pass from McDavid in the crease. GAS: ES +3/-0; ST +4/-0.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 5. He was a step late on the back-check in the second, leading to a dangerous Rust rush. But he made a great keep-in player on the power play to set up McD for a good shot. He bashed a rebound shot on net in the third. GAS: ES +1/-1; ST +1/-0.
Leon Draisaitl, 7. He slammed a wicked power play shot on net in the first. He took Bouchard’s stretch pass and bombed a slap shot on net early in the second. GAS: ES +2/-2; ST +2/-0.
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Ryan McLeod, 7. He came out flying and handling the puck well. Chipped in on some Grade A shots. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST +0/-0.
Warren Foegele, 5. He got into his first NHL fight, held his own. Got a Grade A slotter in the third. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +0/-0.
Adam Henrique, 6. He made some sharp offensive plays on Grade A shots for. He sent in linemates Kane and Brown for a great shot in the third. GAS: ES +3/-1; ST +0/-0.
Evander Kane, 6. He got beat off the boards for a dangerous Pitt chance in the second. Fine pass to set up Brown’s 5-alarmer, then jammed his won shot on net off a Ceci feed. GAS: ES +2/-1; ST +1/-0.
Connor Brown, 7. Almost scored on a brilliant tip shot in the third, but not to be. Bumped up to the third line, a good move as the trio of Kane, Henrique and Perry lacked some spedd. He made a fine play to corral the puck and set up Henrique for a slot shot in second. Most ice-time of any forward on a good PK. He unselfishly set up Nurse for a hat trick attempt in the last seconds. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST +1/-0.
Mattias Janmark, 5. He was too aggressive on the PK early on, leading to a Bryan Rust harpoon, giving him an extra grade point. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0.
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Corey Perry, 6. He rounded the net and set up Nurse for a one-timer late in the first. Executed a Total Eclipse of the Sun screen on Nurse’s second goal. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST +0/-0.
Derek Ryan, 6. He was put in for Sam Carrick. Quiet game save for on the PK where he helped lead a solid effort. He won a puck and set up Ceci in the third for a dangerous shot. GAS: ES +2/-1; ST +0/-0.
Evan Bouchard, 8. Five major contributions to Grade A shots in the game, an astounding total for a d-man. He was bombing the puck up-ice in fine style this game, sending the Oilers in on a number of dangerous rushes. He was slow to the shooter and allowed a dangerous slot shot early in the second. He put a hard wrister off the post in the third. GAS: ES +5/-1; ST +1/-0.
Mattias Ekholm, 7. He launched a fine one-timer on net that went in due to a perfect fly-by screen, this by Pitt d-man John Ludvig. Ouch! He was beat off the pass a few times on Pitt Grade A shots. He almost scored again on a power play scramble late in the third. GAS: ES +2/-2; ST +1/-0.
Darnell Nurse, 9. Best game in some time. Ripped a slot wrister on net in the first. He made a great block on Letang in the second. He made no mistake hammering home a wrister off McDavid’s excellent slot pass in the third. He scored again on a hard wrister, with Perry screening. Almost got the hattie in the final seconds. GAS: ES +4/-1; ST +1/-0.
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Vincent Desharnais, 4. He got enough off Reilly Smith to knock him over on an early breakaway. Allowed a dangerous pass to Letang in the second. GAS: ES +0/-1; ST +0/-0.
Cody Ceci, 6. He tied up a Pittsburgh player in the slot, denying a 5-alarm chance in the second. He led right shot Oilers d-men for time-on-ice on the PK. He got a hard shot on net in the third, then set up Kane. GAS: ES +2/-3; ST +0/-0.
Brett Kulak, 4. A few issues on defence. He fired a solid slot shot of his own off a Henrique pass. GAS: ES +1/-2; ST +0/-0.
Calvin Pickard, 8. A few wobbly rebounds but was there when he needed to be. Solid save early on a Rust one-timer from the slot. Excellent stop on Puustinen early in the second, then another one on Smith. Thwarted Letang on a tough shot late in the second. He stoned Rust a moment later, drawing a penalty as Rush also tackled him. Huge stop on Acciari rebound snap early in third. He kept his shut-out by stopping Bunting point blank with a minute late.
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