Senators 1, Oilers 3
In the same week that Edmonton Oilers let one get away by allowing a six-pack of goals in a 6-5 loss to Florida Panthers, the squad bounced back by allowing just 5 tallies in the next 3 games combined. The 3 goals the Oilers scored in each game was enough to secure the victory.
After a pair of dramatic 3-2 overtime wins in games the Oilers never led, Sunday’s 3-1 conquest of Ottawa Senators was anticlimactic in nature. Both teams were playing back-to-back and their third game in 4 days, and it showed for long stretches of play in a low-event game that featured plenty of sloppy hockey.
Shots were dead even at 21 apiece, even as Ottawa held a large edge in shot attempts, 61-40. Most of those excess attempts were handled by Oilers defenders who were credited with 24 blocked shots compared to just 6 by their counterparts (and just 20 by their own goalie for that matter). But for all those Ottawa Corsi’s, Edmonton’s superiority could be found in the counts of more dangerous shots. According to Natural Stat Trick the Oil mustered 63% of the expected goals, while by our own video analysis at the Cult of Hockey, the home squad had 13 Grade A shots to just 5 by the visitors (runningcount).
With the win, their 11th in their last 13 games, the Oilers moved past Los Angeles into second place in the Pacific Division with a 21-11-2 record for 44 points and a .647 points percentage. Impressive to be 10 games over .500 by Christmas given that unnerving start.
Player grades
#2 Evan Bouchard, 4. An erratic night handling the puck, officially 3 giveaways including a couple of pizzas in the first period. His most egregious turnover was (correctly) scored a takeaway by Ottawa’s Nick Cousins, who stripped Bouchard of the puck at the Edmonton blueline, jumped in on a breakaway and picked the top corner to tie the game 1-1. Good play by Cousins, poor one by Bouchard who tried to dangle an opponent as the last man back and was quickly taught a(nother) lesson on the risk vs. reward consequences of such a move. He did make a terrific stretch pass to McDavid for a solid chance, also led the Oilers with 5 blocked shots. Drew the penalty that led to the game-winning powerplay goal. Not sure he’s back to 100% after the injury scare in Minny 10 days ago, even as he toughed out and played all 5 games since then. One of several Oilers who should benefit from a 5-day break in the schedule. Contributions to Grade A Shots (GAS): Even Strength +1/-1; Special Teams 0.
#10 Derek Ryan, 6. An appropriate grade for a man who played his 600th NHL game, a solid career for anybody but an amazing one for a guy who didn’t make the Show until after his 29th birthday. Put another way, he’s played just 27 NHL games in his 20s, the other 573 (95.5%) in his 30s. Meanwhile all 60 of his playoff games came after age 32. Soon to turn 38, Ryan has found himself closer to the fringes of the roster in 2024-25, but got back into the line-up Sunday due to the absence of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to illness, and delivered 11 minutes of low-event, scoreless hockey. He did his best work on the faceoff dot (5/8=63%), including a clean win of an important d-zone draw after an icing in the last 2 minutes, facing 6 attackers. GAS: ES: +0/-0; ST 0.
#13 Mattias Janmark, 6. His line mustered just 2 shots during his 10 minutes at evens but both were doozies by Henrique. Each was set up by the Janitor with the second of them finding twine to salt the game away early in the third. Janmark’s 13th assist in 34 games, good enough for third among Oilers forwards, pretty darn good considering he only plays about 5% of his minutes with the likes of McDavid, Draisaitl or Hyman. In RNH’s absence he stepped up to the first PK unit and got the job done in light duty (just 1 OTT powerplay). Kept a clean sheet defensively throughout, be it 5v5, 4v5 or 5v6. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST 0.
#14 Mattias Ekholm, 6. Quiet but stable night from the big Swede, who delivered 21:27 of solid play. Won a key battle to keep the puck in for the cycle that resulted in Arvidsson’s goal. Just 2 shot attempts after a whopping 10 and 13 the prior 2 games; mind you this time the Oilers were playing with the lead so “quiet but stable” was just what the doctor ordered rather than his scoring exploits of those earlier contests. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +0/-1.
#18 Zach Hyman, 7. The goals just keep on coming for the popular winger, who has scored 10 times in 9 games since his return from injury on Dec 05 to lead the entire NHL in December goal scoring. He’s now scored in each of his last 6 games. His goal on Sunday was classic Hyman, going hard to the blue paint to find a rebound and ram it home. That powerplay tally broke the 1-1 tie 14 minutes into the middle frame and stood up as the game winner. Also won a board battle that helped set the table for Arvidsson’s goal, though no assist was awarded to him. Took coincidental penalties with Cousins in which the Oiler gave at least as good as he got. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +2/-0.
#19 Adam Henrique, 7. His fancies were not good and neither was his miserable 1/9=11% on the dot, but he was a force for good nonetheless. All 3 of his shots on net were dangerous drives, highlighted by the one that beat Leevi Merilainen to stretch Edmonton’s lead to 3-1 early in the third. This after being flat out robbed of a goal by Ottawa starter Linus Ullmark (who left the game after the first period). Just the third of the season and first in 16 long games for the veteran who scored 24 times a year ago, most of them a little higher up the line-up in Anaheim. Played well on both special teams in this one. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST +2/-0.
#25 Darnell Nurse, 6. Led the Oil in ice time (22:58), even strength ice time (19:47) and shifts (26). Judging by a 5v5 Corsi of +7/-23 he spent more time behind his own blueline than might be preferred, even as just 7 of those shot attempts got through to test Skinner. Made a couple of strong defensive stops along the way to thwart or at least limit the danger of a Sens thrust. Fired 3 shots on net with a hit, a takeaway and a block. Took Edmonton’s lone penalty. GAS: ES +1/-2; ST 0.
#27 Brett Kulak, 6. Similar underlying numbers as Nurse. Helped to keep the third period boring by delivering a couple of stellar stick checks that may well have prevented goals. Especially notably was his emergency deflection of an ultra-dangerous Brady Tkachuk rebound shot that appeared destined to cut the lead to 3-2 and instead wound up in the netting high above the goal. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST 0.
#28 Connor Brown, 6. Did his part on the reunited Janmark-Henrique-Brown trio. Sifted a beautiful pass through to Henrique for his first period breakaway. Earned a secondary assist on the 3-1. Chipped in on the PK as always. GAS: +2/-0; ST 0.
#29 Leon Draisaitl, 7. Relatively quiet night for the big man who has been carrying a huge share of the load. All he did on this night was lead the forwards in ice time (22:40, a day after Saturday’s 22:56) and earn an assist on the game-winning goal with a splendid pass to Arvidsson on the doorstep. Went 9/15=60% on the faceoff dot on a night the rest of his teammates won just 10 of 33. Drew 6 minutes in powerplay time in the second period, including a double minor when he took a stick right where his mouth guard should theoretically be. Looked a little the worse for wear thereafter. GAS: ES +0/-1; ST +4/-0.
#33 Viktor Arvidsson, 8. Something of a statement game from Edmonton’s top off-season addition who has struggled first with lack of production, then with injury. In the absence of RNH he got bumped up to both the first line and the first powerplay unit, and made an impact on both with a goal and an assist. Both were the result of going to the net with his stick on the ice, the first to pound home McDavid’s great pass to open the scoring, the second to deflect Draisaitl’s feed on goal, then fire a close-in rebound which ultimately bounced to Hyman for the finish. Not your classic “great” game given it included a couple of ugly passes out of the offensive zone and a third one out of the slot after McDavid had set him up there, but he was the difference-maker where it mattered most, on the scoresheet. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST +4/-0.
#42 Kasperi Kapanen, 4. Quiet night with 0 shot attempts, 1 hit, 2 giveaways. Oilers were largely chasing the game on his watch. GAS: ES +0/-1; ST 0.
#49 Ty Emberson, 6. A steady 15:39 on the blue with a variety of partners, primarily Kulak (7 minutes at 5v5) and Stecher (4), along with Ekholm on the PK (1:15). Made a splendid stretch pass that kicked off the Janmark-to-Brown-to-Henrique sequence in the first period. Kept things tidy in his own end. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST 0.
#51 Troy Stecher, 5. He also kept things simple, and clean. Played 12 quiet minutes. GAS: ES +0/-0: ST 0.
#53 Jeff Skinner, 5. He too played 12 minutes, a bit of a bump from recent games. Had one great scoring chance and didn’t miss, but was robbed by a terrific Merilainen glove save, the youngster’s best of the night. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST 0.
#74 Stu Skinner, 7. Rock steady behind a team that limited Ottawa to 21 shots but had some chaotic moments in the process. Faced just 5 Grade A shots but all 5 of them were of the higher-grade 5-alarm type. Beaten cleanly by Cousins’ well-placed breakaway shot, dealt with everything else. Was a rock in the last half of the third period as the Sens ratcheted up the pressure. According to NST Ottawa should have been expected to score 2.2 goals from the quality of shots that they generated; he held them to just the 1. His best stop might have been his third-period kick save on Claude Giroux at the doorstep. 21 shots, 20 saves, .952 save percentage.
#90 Corey Perry, 6. Co-led Oilers forwards with 3 shots on net, tied with Henrique and Arvidsson on a night the big guns weren’t really firing. Chipped in at both even strength and on the powerplay, playing 12:22 in all situations. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST +2/-0.
#92 Vasily Podkolzin, 5. Grinding it out as usual, leading the team outright with 2 count ’em 2 hits. Also 2 giveaways, one of them a doozie of a bad pass into the defensive slot that resulted in a great Ottawa chance in the last minute of the first. Fortunately for him Skinner had the answer. Made up for that mistake with a terrific backtrack and takeaway late in the second. GAS: ES +0/-1; ST 0.
#97 Connor McDavid, 7. Didn’t impose his skating chops on this game as he did against San Jose a day earlier, but was nonetheless able to impact the game in a positive manner. His only appearance on the scoresheet came via a gorgeous pass to Arvidsson for the 1-0, though he did contribute to an important d-zone clear and safe line change that ultimately led to Henrique’s 3-1 goal on the continuation. GAS: ES +3/-0; ST +3/-0.
My best seasonal wishes to all readers and listeners who enjoy our player grades, podcasts and analysis at the Cult of Hockey.
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