The Edmonton Oilers scored two of the prettiest goals you’ll see this year to start the game, then held on for a 4-2 win over the Seattle Kraken.
The Oilers dominated the game, but two major errors led to goals against, allowing the Krak to make it close.
In the end, Edmonton had 19 Grade A shots, Seattle four, with the sub-set of most dangerous 5-alarm shots, ten for the Oilers, three for Seattle.
Connor McDavid, 7. No points but a good game. He came out flying and won an early breakaway shot. He ripped a one-timer on net off a Draisaitl pass. He drove his line to a number of Grade A shots in the second, culminating in RNH”s goal. Made a lightning strike of a rush on a second period power play. Contributions/mistakes on Grade A shots (GAS): Even Strength +5/-1; Special Teams 3/0
Connor Brown, 7. One assist. Great backhand strike of a stretch pass to send in McD for an early breakway. He almost cashed in a hot McD pass in the second. Clever little pass to RNH on Edmonton’s third goal. GAS: ES +3/-0; ST 0/0
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 7. Fine snipe for his third goal in three games, and Edmonton’s third goal of this game. Solid game overall. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST 0/0
Leon Draisaitl, 8. One goal, one assist, great game. Moving as fast and quick as he’s ever moved. Beauty pass on the first goal. Almost scored in the third off an Arvidsson pass. He was strong in his own zone in this one, just as he’s generally been all year. He topped off his night with a great rush up ice for the empty net goal. GAS: ES +5/-0; ST 1/0
Vasili Podkolzin, 7. Another solid effort. Launched a harpoon into the belly of Seattle’s net for Edmonton’s goal. He put a heavy stick on Jaden Schwartz to stop a dangerous slot shot. Under heavy enemy fire, almost tipped in a Bouch bomb in the second. Charged up ice in the third and set up Drai for a near goal. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST 0/0
Viktor Arvidsson, 7. Two assists. Went hard to the net on the first goal, opening up the ice. Ripped a hard shot on net late in the first. GAS: ES +5/-0; ST 0/0
Adam Henrique, 6. Workman-like two-way game. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST 1/0
Zach Hyman, 6. Good hustle, good work n the power play. He powered a tricky backhand on net late in the third. A few shifts later he muffed on a great slot set-up from Janmark. GAS: ES +3/-0; ST 1/0
Mattias Janmark, 7. One of his better games this year. He tipped a couple pucks dangerously on net in the second. He almost scored on a rush early in the third, with the puck deflecting on net off a Seattle d-man. GAS: ES +4/-0; ST 0/0
Derek Ryan, 7. Got ‘er done. He dug hard on the boards to win the puck and start off the goal rush on Skinner’s first period goal. He went hard to the net and got cross-checked repeatedly early in the third, but no call. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST 0/0
Jeff Skinner, 7. Beauty move to deke the goalie and put it top shelf where Momma keeps the cookies, as legendary skills coach Jim Fleming likes to say. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST 1/0
Kasperi Kapanen, 3. Huge error in this one. Massive. Launched a knife of a pass to cut open the underbelly of Seattle’s defence on Skinner’s goal. Ugly, ugly, ugly behind the back, no-look, spinorama back-hand pass at the offensive blueline kicked off the Sequence of Pain on Seattle’s first goal. Given how many things Kapanen did wrong there, that pass is in the running for Edmonton’s worst turnover of the year. GAS: ES +1/-1; ST 0/1
Evan Bouchard, 7. One assists on the empty netter. He made a solid play at the blueline to kick off a Grade A shots sequence in the second. He kept a clean sheet on defence, not one major mistake on a Grade A shot against at even strength. GAS: ES +4/-0; ST 0/0
Mattias Ekholm, 7. One of the many leaders of a solid defensive effort. He won a puck battle to kick off the goal rush on Edmonton’s third. He also kept a clean sheet. He and Nurse both blocked four shots. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST 0/0
Darnell Nurse., 7 Swell pass to kick of the goal rush on Edmonton’s first. Indeed made a number of strong passes through the the game leading to Grade A shots. But he was late to the shooter Ben Meyers on a point-blank 5-alarmer early in the third. GAS: ES +4/-1; ST 0/0
Brett Kulak, 8. He was part of the sharp passing plays on Edmonton’s first and third goals. Solid defensive stop in the third kicked off a dangerous Oilers rush. Another Oilers d-man who kept a clean sheet. GAS: ES +4/-0; ST 0/0
Troy Stecher, 5. He keeps getting the job done with a combo of skating, smarts and hustle. Made an ill-advised pinch in the third but Seattle missed the net on the counterattack. GAS: ES +0/-2; ST 0/0
Ty Emberson, 6. Quiet game, solid game, won most of his battles. Yet another Oilers d-man with a clean sheet. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST 0/0
Calvin Pickard, 6. He had little action in this game and one major mistake. Quiet first period. He faced his first Grade A half-way through the second when he thwarted Beniers on a Kraken rush facilitated by a consequential non-call on a trip of Draisaitl. Beat on a two-on-one rush in the second. Stuffed Meyers on a wicked shot early in the third. He gave up a stinker of a rebound on Seattle’s second goal, which gave the Kraken life.
At the Cult
McCURDY: Game grades in win over Ducks
Staples on politics
The end of Justin Trudeau’s government in 2025 will bring on rebirth of Canada
