For the second time in two games, the Edmonton Oilers scored a late goal to tie the game, then an overtime goal to win it. Mattias Ekholm again came through, this time with the tying goal, with Leon Draisaitl snapping home the winner.
The Oilers dominated the game, but made many blunders at both ends, which kept San Jose in the game, along with brilliant netminding by Yaroslav Askarov.
The Grade A shots were 21 for Edmonton, six for San Jose, with the subset of 5-alarm shots 10 for the Oilers, four for the Sharks. With that quality, you’d expect the Oilers to get at least five goals, but not to be, not on Askarov.
Connor McDavid, 9. Dazzling game. Three assists. He buzzed all night and set up many great shots, only to have his teammates miss the net. The Maestro cycled the puck in textbook fashion, then made a dart seam pass on Edmonton’s first goal. He moved up fast to drill a 5-alarm shot on net late in the first. Finally one of his passes did the work, as he whipped it over to Corey Perry who passed to Mattias Ekholm for the 2-2 goal with 17 seconds left in regulation. A moment later, he set up Drai’s winner. Contributions/mistakes on Grade A shots (GAS): Even Strength +7/-0; Special Teams 2/0
Zach Hyman, 7. He buried a great opportunity early on, putting it top shelf where Momma keeps the cookies. A moment later he won a puck battle down low, then drove into the slot for a Grade A. He failed to jam in a shot-pass from McDavid on Edmonton’s third period power play. A moment later he missed the net on a wide open look in tight. GAS: ES +5/-0; ST 0/0
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 5. His shooting was an issue. He failed to bury a shot on a wide-open net early on, then could not get a rebound shot on net later in the first, nor fight through to get off a shot in a net-front scramble. He was late on the backcheck and allowed a dangerous shot early in the second. He missed again on a slot shot early in the third. GAS: ES +3/-1; ST 1/0
Leon Draisaitl, 8. Far more good than bad, but some bad. He allowed the pass across on the second San Jose goal. His turnover at the blueline led to a 3-on-1 Sharks jailbreak. He tipped a Bouch bomb on net early in the second. He won a puck battle to set up Podkolzin’s dangerous shot in the second, part of plenty of dangerous attacking of this line in the second. He failed to cover for Bouchard on Celebrini’s third period breakaway. He failed to drain a wide open look early in the third, hitting the post. He missed a wide open net with 90 seconds to go. Pounded home the winner. GAS: ES +7/-1; ST 2/0
Kasperi Kapanen, 7. He’s earning his keep. He made a great spin move to set up a Podkolzin harpoon in the second, then drilled a hard shot on net a second later. GAS: ES +3/-0; ST 0/0
Vasili Podkolzin, 7. Continues to make a big impression. He broke in for a nasty shot in the second. A few shifts later, fired a one-timer in tight but Askarov bested him. On the same shift he could not drain a 5-alarm jam off Kapanen’s rebound. Had another hammer of shot late in the second, then a great chance off a scramble in the third, but could not score on either. GAS: ES +5/-0; ST 0/0
Adam Henrique, 6. He charged in to snap a hard backhander on net in the first. He jumped on a rebound for a Grade A PP shot in the second, but was then slow to cut out a pass into the slot leading to a 5-alarm shot by Kovalenko. He lashed a backhand on net late in the second but could not beat Askarov. GAS: ES +3/-2; ST 1/0
Corey Perry, 7. Some good work here. He failed to block the outside shot on San Jose’s second goal, but set up Arvidsson’s one-timer a moment later. Cool pass to set up Ekholm’s big goal. GAS: ES +3/-0; ST 1/0
Viktor Arvidsson, 7. Moved well, played well, good to see considering he’s coming back from injury. He hammered a harpoon on net in the first. He set up Henrique’s 5-alarm shot late in the second. He set up Drai down low in the third. GAS: ES +4/-0; ST 0/0
Jeff Skinner, 4. The third line was quiet, with little to report, good or bad, but that’s not good enough for a forward or a line. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST 1/0
Mattias Janmark, 4. Ditto. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST 0/0
Connor Brown, 4. Same, same. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST 0/0
Evan Bouchard, 8. One or two warts, but so many great passes and plays. Swell stretch pass to set up a 5-alarm sequence early on, then was part of the Virtuous Cycle on Hyman’s early goal. He broke up a 3-on-1 rush by hustling back and getting his stick-on-puck. He gave away the puck low in the o-zone leading to Macklin Celebrini’s 5-alarm shot in the third. He was part of the best of all Virtuous Cycles on Drai’s winning goal. GAS: ES +6/-2; ST 0/0
Mattias Ekholm, 7. Huge goal tonight. He won a board battle to kick off a 5-alarm attack sequence late in the first. He kept the puck in the SJ end leading up to Drai’s shot off the post in the third. He missed the net on a wide-open slot shot a moment later. He made no mistake in crunch time for the second game in a row, blasting in Perry’s pass. GAS: ES +4/-3; ST 1/0
Darnell Nurse, 6. More quiet in this one. He smashed an outside shot off Askarov’s facemask late in the second. GAS: ES +0/-2; ST 0/0
Troy Stecher, 7. He won a battle to help set up Henrique’s 5-alarm shot late in the second. He kept a clean sheet at even strength, not one major mistake on a Grade A shot against. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST 0/0
Ty Emberson, 6. Quiet game but solid. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST 0/0
Brett Kulak, 4. Rancid mistake on the first goal against, abandoning his position, wandering over to help Bouchard in the corner, thus allowing and pass out with Luke Kunin the Danger Man sneaking into the slot to strike goal. But was otherwise OK. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST 0/0
Calvin Pickard, 7. He had little chance on the first goal against, but needed to make the stop on the second SJ goal. He made a fine stop on William Eklund early in the second, then an even bigger one on Nikolai Kovalenko. Biggest of all his stop on Celebrini’s breakaway in the third.
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