It was a nightmare return to Edmonton for former Oiler Philip Broberg as his St. Louis Blues got beat by the Oilers, 4-2..
Polite boos were sounded for Broberg and fellow ex-Oilers Dylan Holloway when they touched the puck. Neither played well under the scrutiny. Crucially, b oth were caught puck-watching and flat-footed on Edmonton’s first goal. Broberg also coughed up the puck into the slot on Edmonton’s second goal.
Holloway did score with his team down 3-0 in the third, but too little, too late.
The Grade A shots were 11 for Edmonton, 12 for St. Lou, with the subset of 5-alarm shots six for the Oilers, six for the Blues.
Connor McDavid, 8. One goal, one assist. The Captain came out fast, buzzing the Blues, storming into the slot for a Grade A late in the first. When Broberg’s giveaway bounced off Colton Parayko into the slot, McDavid scooped up the puck and slammed it home. He worked a high slog give-and-go with Drai, before snapping a pass to Hyman crease-side for Edmonton’s third goal. Contributions/mistakes on Grade A shots (GAS): Even Strength +2/-2; Special Teams 1/0
Zach Hyman, 7. Strong game. He took a hard knock when he got in the way of a Bouch Bomb. He was hassling Broberg when the kid turned over the puck on Edmonton’s second goal. He scored the way he scored so often last year, standing unnoticed near the crease as all defenders focused on McD, then tipping in McD’s pass. GAS: ES +3/-0; ST 1/0
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 5. Quiet game, but held his own. GAS: ES +0/-1; ST 0/1
Leon Draisaitl, 7. Two assists. Solid two-way game. He worked a sharp give-and-go with Connor Brown leading up to Edmonton’s first goal. GAS: ES +4/-2; ST 1/0
Kasperi Kapanen, 6. He flashed his speed a few times in this one. Solid screen to make dangerous a Darnell Nurse outside shot in the second. Hit the post on a hard outside shot in the second. GAS: ES +1/-1; ST 0/0
Connor Brown, 7. He moved into the slot to take a Derek Ryan pass and slammed a shot on net, then scored a good goal on the rebound, only to have the ref mistakenly call the play dead. Terrible call. Almost scored on a jam play at the net off a Janmark pass late in the third. GAS: ES +4/-1; ST 0/0
Vasili Podkolzin, 6. He almost slammed in a shot from in tight early in the second. GAS: ES +1/-1; ST 0/0
Adam Henrique, 5. Quiet game. Deflected a shot on net in the third in tight. Solid on face-offs, nine wins, four losses. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST 0/0
Jeff Skinner, 5. Same as Henrique but he won a board battle to kick off the Virtuous Cycle on Stecher’s clinching goal. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST 0/0
Mattias Janmark, 5. His bad line change led to two Grade A shots late in the first, but was otherwise solid. GAS: ES +2/-2; ST 0/0
Corey Perry, 6. He allowed the seam pass leading to St. Lou’s first Grade A of the game, but redeemed himself a moment later, doing what he still does at an elite level, going to the net and tipping in a shot to score. A bit rough o defence overall. GAS: ES +2/-4; ST 0/0
Derek Ryan, 6. Good block on a slot shot in the second after Kulak broke his stick. He made a great pass to send in Brown on his disallowed good goal. GAS: ES +1/-1; ST 0/0
Evan Bouchard, 7. Excellent poke-check by Bouchard on Jordan Kyrou early in the second. He earned a big cheer lifting Holloway’s stick to thwart the former Oilers’ late second period scoring chance. He allowed the slot pass on Holloway’s goal. GAS: ES +0/-1; ST 0/0
Mattias Ekholm, 6. His usual solid game, but missed coverage on the Holloway goal. He took a penalty blasting Zack Bolduc into the boards. The St. Louis forward’s helmet wasn’t on securely, as his head hit the boards. GAS: ES +0/-1; ST 0/0
Darnell Nurse, 8. Night after night he’s bringing his “A” game, exactly what the Oilers were desperate to see this year. He made an eye- up pass to find Perry in the slot on Edmonton’s first goal. He clobbered Broberg with a hit, earning a big cheer. Excellent blocked shot on the Blues’ 5-on-3 in the third. GAS: ES +3/-2; ST 0/0
Troy Stecher, 6. Buzzing, buzzing, buzzing. A few mistakes, but solid plays as well. A few iffy moment in his own zone. He took a marginal cross-checking penalty in the third. He ripped in an outside shot to put away the game. GAS: ES +2/-4; ST 0/0
Ty Emberson, 5. A few mistakes but solid enough. Sold block in the third on St. Lou’s last gasp power play. GAS: ES +1/-3; ST 0/0
Brett Kulak, 7. His stick exploded on an open look in the first. Playing strong hockey again after a bit of a slip in October. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST 0/2
Stuart Skinner, 7. Not overly busy but got the job done. He was sharp early on the kind of Grade A that often gives him trouble, a rush and a seam pass with a one-timer from Brayden Schenn. Stopped his first 5-alarmer on Bolduc, but had kicked out a rebound on that one. He drew a penalty in the second, getting blasted by Radek Faksa. He was solid on a Robert Thomas hit early in the third, then even better on a Kyrou slotter a moment later. Two huges saves on the 5-on-3, first on Buchnevich’s harpoon, then on rebound that fell to Jake Neighbours. A moment later he had little chance on the shot deflected in off Neighbours.
At the Cult of Hockey
STAPLES: Will Edmonton Oilers’ most frustrating hot-and-cold player keep up the heat?
McCURDY: Broberg and Holloway back in town. Ouch!
Staples on politics
Did all Danielle Smith’s good work in 2024 go up in a puff of chemtrails?
