Hug it out, fellas. #WSHvsEDM pic.twitter.com/f0tVQHLlfT
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 27, 2016
I feel like I went into a secret dimension that I could only access through my Playstation 2 on NHL 12.
6-1-0
The Oilers faced their biggest test since the St.Louis game, this time facing the 2016 President’s Trophy winning Washington Capitals. The Capitals boast the reigning Vezina Trophy winning goalie and Rocket Richard winning winger.
After dueling to a pretty even first period, the Oilers struck the twine the first two times off the leg and stick of Benoit Pouliot before Ovechkin cut the lead to one early in the third period. Patrick Maroon would respond less than 90 seconds later and Milan Lucic would cap it off on the power play.
6-1-0
I'll never tire looking at this pic.twitter.com/Tur6KUdjDM
— TJ (@PotratzHockey) October 27, 2016
FIRST PERIOD
-First round of the 4th line battle goes to the Capitals as they maintain control of the puck for the duration of the shift. Started off a bad pass by Nurse who finally made a pass ahead rather than to his defense partner.
-First round of the 1st line battles goes to the Oilers. Connor McDavid is still incredible, but props to Adam Larsson for making a great play at the blueline that lead to a flurry of scoring chances. The fans give a loud cheer to the five guys on the ice as the shift comes to an end.
-Kris Russell gets a chance with a shot in the high slot forced by an Anton Lander forecheck. Holtby comes up with the big save.
https://twitter.com/Sun_Tychkowski/status/791457370572337152
-The Capitals press hard on the power play but with Cam Talbot as the backbone, this group doesn’t bend or break. Good clearing work by Adam Larsson and Kris Russell, with the former’s clear leading to a Benoit Pouliot chance right out of the box.
-With Jay Beagle in the box for a holding call against Connor McDavid the Oilers take to the power play and Sekera gets the first chance but Holtby turns him away, but that’s all the Oilers can get going.
-Nugent-Hopkins gets a crappy tripping penalty and the Caps go on their second power play. The Caps generate some close attempts but have a rather uneventful power play. 0 for 2.
-Connor McDavid is good. Like really good. Props to the picture below
.@Jbergy98 may have one of the best grad photos/twitter pics ever. #Oilers pic.twitter.com/pqioZvyCuS
— zach (@zjlaing) October 27, 2016
-Oilers go on the power play with 1:16 left to go in the third after Daniel Winnik takes down Connor McDavid. Draisaitl has two decent chances to put the Oilers ahead, but he is unable to find the back of the net. Scoreless after one. Shots are 11-10 for Washington but the Oilers have the edge in the dot 9-7.
SECOND PERIOD
-The Oilers get a few chances on the remained of the power play carried over from the first period but are unable to convert. 0 for 2 as well.
-Eberle and McDavid get a two on one but Eberle tries to pull a Gretzky to Lemieux circa 1987 and McDavid overpasses until the Oilers lose a scoring chance. Everybody has hiccups.
If I had a nickel for every time somebody called Tyler Pitlick Lance I would have enough money to buy a beer at Rogers Place
— TJ (@PotratzHockey) October 27, 2016
-Jesse Puljujarvi shows some of his defensive prowess taking a surefire chance away from Alex Ovechkin with a smart backcheck.
-Cam Talbot with another great save, this time on rookie Sandford. @Smyth94ever started the hashtag #ThankYouCamTalbot You better be using it.
— MamaB #CrazyOilersOma (@Smyth94ever) October 27, 2016
-Eight minutes into the 2nd period and the Oilers have yet to register a shot. Doesn’t seem that way, but the Oilers definitely need put pucks on the net more frequently.
-NUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, Nuge gets the assist off of Pouliot’s leg. The first shot of the period for the Oilers goes in off an Alex Ovechkinn turnover. 1-0 Oilers.
Yah! A shot!
Yah! A goal!
Yah!
— TheTowelBoy (@TheTowelBoy) October 27, 2016
Pou-fect deflection by 6️⃣7️⃣. #WSHvsEDM pic.twitter.com/f1l4c3iEeK
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 27, 2016
-Adam Larsson steps up on Sanford, continuing his physical dominance on the Blueline this season.
-Double up the Pou!!!!!!!!!!! The second line strikes again as Benoit Pouliot misses his initial attempt on a setup from Nugent-Hopkins and scores from behind the net. Oscar Klefbom with the breakout pass.
-After scoring his second of the game, Benoit Pouliot tries to be a back catcher and holds the puck in his glove for too long resulting in the third penalty of the game.
-Cam Talbot throws some fists on TJ Oshie after being cross-checked a few times after a scramble. The Oilers converge and battle back. Talbot and Oshie get coincidental penalties.
Kiss my ass Ref, the goalie should be able to defend himself idiots
— Chris R esq. (@randomhero79) October 27, 2016
-Oilers kill their third penalty off once again on the backbone of Cam Talbot. The Oilers get out of the second period, somehow with a two-goal lead. Shots were 13-7 in favour of the Caps, and the Caps also regain the faceoff battle now edging the Oilers 20-17.
SIDEBAR
https://twitter.com/JackieDee16/status/791480712339742725
Truer words have never been spoken Jackie! Cheers to you… I’m on my third bottle of wine….
I do a lot more happy drinking on game days lately. It's nice. #herecometheoilers
— TJ (@PotratzHockey) October 27, 2016
THIRD PERIOD
-Well that was fast… Ovechkin scores nine seconds into the third period and we have a hockey game. Despite Adam Larsson’s best efforts, the best goal scorer in the game gets his club on the board.
#Oilers Cam Talbot's shutout streak ends at 136:32
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) October 27, 2016
-Oilers answer back quickly! Patrick Maroon cashes in on a rebound off the post from Jesse Puljujarvi on a Connor McDavid rush. The team was never able to answer that fast ever in the past decade. #growth
Orange, lavender & MAROON! 💪 #WSHvsEDM pic.twitter.com/icrmBXHTU5
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 27, 2016
-The Capitals press but the Oilers defense is doing a good job of boxing out the middle of the ice, and Cam Talbot won’t let any weak ones in.
-Alex Ovechkin has a partial breakaway but he is stymied by Kris Russell and Ovechkin takes exception. The Capitals frustration is on full display.
So true. Hall's move was "streak down wing, drive low", Smyth's was "cross blue line, muffin slapper", 97's "treat NHL players like pylons" https://t.co/O7LhkH1ko1
— Alan Hull (@alanhull) October 27, 2016
-Lars Eller gets the arm around Eric Gryba and the Oilers go back to the power play. On the ensuing power play, Milan Lucic tips home an Andrej Sekera shot after the group that includes Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Jordan Eberle controls the play the entire time. 4-1 Oilers!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fans chant Looooooooch!!!!!!
REDIRECTION PERFECTION! #WSHvsEDM pic.twitter.com/HQUeKtJbOP
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 27, 2016
A point shot and someone standing in front of the net. THEY SHOULD HAVE TRIED THIS YEARS AGO!
— Twitch Dot TVs MurtBunch (@JSBMjeanshorts) October 27, 2016
Update: McDavid now leads NHL with 11 points. #Oilers
— David Amber (@DavidAmber) October 27, 2016
-During chants of “Loooooch” TJ Oshie gets his stick up on Benoit Pouliot and the Oilers head back to the power play with 9:26 to go in the game. The Oilers maintain control with the first power play unit but a bobbling puck and over passing contributes to missed opportunities. 1 for 4 on the man advantage so far.
-Milan Lucic tries instigating a fight with that Sanford rook after he got chippy on Jordan Eberle, but the rook is smart enough to know to not mess with the toughest guy in the whole damn world!
-I am on my fourth bottle of wine and this is awesome. My girlfriend started drinking with me but I have lost count on who has had more glasses…
https://twitter.com/David___Co/status/791490802589372416
-The final 40 seconds involve the fans at Rogers place hooting and hollering and getting on their feet to salute the new and improved Edmonton Oilers!
FINAL THOUGHTS
-I can barely contain my excitement right now, but the Edmonton Oilers are actually 6-1-0 to start the season and two of those wins came against two of last year’s dominant teams in Washington and St.Louis.
-Cam Talbot was dynamite again making big saves and showing a little bit of fire when his crease was invaded. Stopped 34 of 35. Safe to say he is a legitimate bonafide number one goaltender.
-The 2nd line finally found a way to produce offense. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was flying all night and was the biggest factor in both of Pouliot’s goals. Zack Kassian is not the correct winger on this line, and if the Oilers find the right guy (cough Caggiula), then look out NHL.
-The PP is starting to show chemistry. They move the puck really well and are able to shift the penalty killers out of position. Having Lucic’s big ass in front of the net is a plus, but seeing Sekera start to shed the knickname “shin pad assassin” is a nice touch.
-When the Capitals started to get frustrated, they would get chippy and the Oilers stood up to them and pushed back in every scrum and laid the body more frequently. The guys on this team obviously care for one another and that is leading to a more formidable group on the ice.
-Jesse Puljujarvi had his best game of the season to my eye. In the first period he was trying to many shots from way out, but my lovely girlfriend reminded me “at least he’s putting the puck on the net”. Touche. I still think he needs time in the AHL, but it was nice to see a good two-way game from him tonight.
-Connor McDavid is just amazing. I have no other words than that.
The Edmonton Oilers are 6-1 on the season and just beat the Capitals. What a time to be alive!!! #DancingChia @PeteBlackburn pic.twitter.com/FZX6eeH8b7
— VisuallyBetter (@Isuckatpicking) October 27, 2016
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