The Edmonton Oilers came out on top of an entertaining hockey game against the Montreal Canadiens at Rogers Place Thursday.
Evan Bouchard potted the winner a shift after very nearly handing the game away to the Habs earlier in OT. Edmonton also benefitted from two-point performances from both Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, and a solid presence in net from an under fire Stuart Skinner. And the make-shift D-corps in the absence of Mattias Ekholm and John Klingberg bent but did not break.
The Oilers were far from perfect in this one, including a failed 5-on-3 power play which the Canadiens scored immediately after. In fact, there were many execution issues. But the requisite effort was there. And that might have been the difference.
Here is the tale of the tape…
Edmonton Oilers Player Grades
STUART SKINNER. 7. Looked sharp early. Timely saves on Caufield and Laine early on in this one. Nice blocker save off Slafkovsky as well. Stopped Caufield’s initial breakaway attempt on the 1-1 goal but could not block the rebound too. On the 2-2, a shooter had been left all alone in the shot for a one-timer, so I do not put that on the goalie at all. Solid stop on a two-on-one that Stecher helped negate. Big OT save on the shift before the winner. Stopped twenty-seven of twenty-nine. Answered a few doubters. Good for him.
CONNOR McDAVID. 7. Two-point night. A secondary assist on the 1-0. Two lovely power play feeds to Leon who found iron on both attempts. A shot and then nearly tapped the rebound out of the air and in. Dinged the post late. Then, a lovely pass across to slot to a pinching Bouchard who swept it home for the winner. 5v5 CF 34-16, 68%.
RYEN NUGENT-HOPKINS. 6. I felt Nugent-Hopkins played a dogged game and won a lot of battles. Fine rush up the ice for an opportunity on his very first shift. A strip along the end wall eventually led to Draisaitl’s 2-1 marker. Failed to stop the pass across on the 2-2. 70% CF 5v5.
ZACH HYMAN. 6. This was Hyman’s best game in quite a while. Drew a first period PP. Curious how he was bleeding enough to be sent off the ice to start the PP but not “enough,” apparently, to call a double-minor. Good net front presence on the 2-1. Ragged the puck around the net and got a good wrist shot on net but no one could grab the rebound. A particularly good chance later in that frame off a Leon pass, and got the rebound on net, too.
EVAN BOUCHARD. 6. The high-low feed on Draisaitl’s 2-1. Got puck watching and did not see the shooter floating into the slot for the 2-2. A very fine read broke up a developing Canadiens sortie. Probably saved a goal by lunging across the crease fir a loose puck but took an inadvertent tripping call in the process. Two ugly turnovers in the same shift early in OT. But redeemed himself next time on the ice, first with a pick in the high slot and then by wrist-ing home the McDavid feed to win it in OT with just 6.0 seconds left. Graded up one for the late heroics.
BRETT KULAK. 7. The Oilers best D-man on the night. Seems like we have said that a lot in the last while. Played a ton (25:34). High Dangers 1-0 5v5. Excellent play along the wall to help drain away the last of the Canadiens PP at the end of the first. Fantastic back-track to take the puck away from a breaking Gallagher in the third without taking a penalty in the process. Rock steady.
LEON DRAISAITL. 8. Took a Podkolzin pass hard to the net on his first shift. Drew a first period PP. Rang two posts on the Oilers five-on-three power play. Finally broke the plane with a bullet of a wrist shot on the PP, to make it 2-1. His forty-sixth passes the great Mark Messier for fourth all-time in franchise history. Fed Hyman for a dangerous chance later in the first. Set up Arvidsson for a point-blank chance in the third. Wicked wrist shot was stopped. Stronger power shift in the final sequence, earning a secondary assist on the 3-2 winner. The game’s #1 star and Edmonton’s best player (again).
VASILY PODKOLZIN. 5. Good feed to Draisaitl for a first period shot. A shot of his own in the second. Heavy hit later in the frame. Good stick in the third. Fought the puck a bit but the effort was there.
VIKTOR ARVIDSSON. 5. D-zone turnover in the first. Hit the post in the second. Could not cash in the third when Draisaitl put one up on a tee for him. Like the other winger on that line, fought the puck a bit.
DARNELL NURSE. 6. Led the D-corps in shifts with thirty-three. Swept away a dangerous rebound in the first. He was not primarily at fault on the 2-2 goal, but I did feel he gave up too much gap on the play. A big block on that early third period PK. Solid performance. I am not at all sure he is all the way back to 100%.
TROY STECHER. 6. Tremendous defensive play, sprawled out on the ice, to help negate a Canadiens two-on-one in the second. Slipped a tricky wrist shot through coverage for a dangerous chance later in the second. A hit and clear on a highly effective third period PK shift. Gritty, hard-working performance.
ADAM HENRIQUE. 5. Solid. A chance net-side mid-way through the first. Good second period back check. Important zone clear on the third period PK. Scoring Chances 5-0 on his watch.
MATTIAS JANMARK. 4. A third period breakaway but the puck rolled off his stick. Otherwise quiet.
CONNOR BROWN. 5. A shot, short side, in the first. A clear on the PK, too. Not a lot else.
CAM DINEEN. 6. His first NHL game in 1,043 days. Five-alarm giveaway in the neutral zone ahead of the 1-1, but his partner Emberson was part of the issue there. Heady activation led to a wrap-around chance early in the third. Big shot block next shift. Paul Coffey displayed great faith in putting the young man out there in Overtime and acquitted himself well. 5v5 CF 73%. Almost certainly headed back to Bakersfield but played a meaningful role on this night. Happy for him.
TY EMBERSON. 4. Chasing much of the night. Part of the problem on the 1-1 goal. Absorbed a heavy hit in his own zone in the second but eventually won the resulting puck battle. Tough kid. But HDSC’s 5v5 0-3. Three hits.
KASPERI KAPANEN. 5. Good feed on Jones’ first chance. Big chance off an excellent Jones rush late in the second. Not great shot shares. But I give the guy credit for playing in the middle where usually does not.
MAX JONES. 7. Nearly scored on a fine one-timer on his first shift as an Oiler but was denied by a fine pad save. An area pass sent Corey Perry in all alone for the 1-0, Jones’ first point in Edmonton silks. Second period hit. Grade-A back-check one way then set up a great chance at the other, and added yet another shot near the siren. Skated the puck out of danger in his own zone late in the third. Hard to send him down after a performance like that.
COREY PERRY. 6. Scooped up a Max Jones area pass and then went forehand-backhand-top shelf for a beautiful 1-0. Took a well-earned slash but his mates killed it off. Solid third period back check.
The Oilers season record goes to 36-22-4, 76 points, second in the Pacific, four back of Vegas. Dallas is next.
Now on Bluesky @kurtleavins.bsky.social. Also, find me on Threads @kleavins, Twitter @KurtLeavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and Mastodon at [email protected]. This article is not AI generated.
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