(Depending on your views on the band above, that song is either punishment for a poor effort by the Oilers, or a small victory on a night with a loss. There is no middle ground.)
Final Score: Kings 6 – Oilers 4
Well… those who fell asleep after the 1st period, banking on an Oilers win will awake to some bad news tomorrow morning, now won’t they? I can’t really blame those who fell asleep early either, since this game looked to be in complete control by the Oilers after 20.
Lucic and Nugent-Hopkins worked hard in front of the net to pot a goal each and give the Oilers a 2-0 lead in the opening frame. That, coupled with the fact that the Kings resembled a team that had officially been eliminated from postseason contention, made it seem like the following 40 would be rather routine.
It was not routine at all.
The Kings would respond in the 2nd with 3 goals, taking full advantage of an Oilers effort that was nowhere near the level that was present just a period before. Sloppy, undisciplined, and poorly structured play became the theme of the period for the visitors, and if it weren’t for a beautiful goal by Nugent-Hopkins (see below), the Oilers would have found themselves down a goal going into the 3rd.
Even with the game tied going into the 3rd, the Oilers still couldn’t capitalize, with further sloppy play leading to the Kings 4th goal, under 2 minutes in. A wicked Tanner Pearson wrist shot halfway through the final frame would be their 5th, and the sealer.
Where did it go wrong for the Oilers tonight? Too many Oilers not performing to their expected levels of play. What it resulted in was an incomplete effort that resembled a relatively hard working team, but one that was ultimately broken down by sloppiness. Poor zone coverage (running around in their own end without taking a man) and ineffective passing (hellloooo Kings empty net goal) stood out sharply as causes for the loss.
In particular, the Nurse-Benning defence pair was especially poor tonight. Too many gifted zone entries, too many high quality shots against, failure to break up pressure by the Kings, and an apparent own goal by Benning, highlighted just a few lowlights on the night. Benning would end up playing just around 9 minutes on the night.
Nurse did get a goal and an assist, however, and that should be noted. I think it highlights a rather uneven night for the young blue-liner, and something that he will need to continue to work on.
On the front end, the 3rd line of Desharnais, Pouliot, and Kassian had a slow, unproductive, and costly night, while the top line did not look nearly as sharp as we have become accustomed to.
To compound matters, Cam Talbot was not able to save the day with exceptional play. He closed the night with 21 saves and a .778 save percentage. The loss was not his fault.
In closing, I will end with a few positives. Nugent-Hopkins, Eberle, and Lucic looked terrific, and I would say that it was probably Nuge’s best game of the year. Eberle played a rather inspired game and responded nicely to criticism regarding his effort levels over the past couple games.
Russell had himself a pretty good game in my eyes, and actually, upon further reflection, pretty much all of the top 4 played well enough to win tonight. The bottom pairing really let the others down. The reason why I highlight Russell is that he played the most of all defencemen (24 minutes), ended the night with an assist, and was even, despite the Kings scoring 6 goals in the game. He stood out in a great way.
Overall, the loss isn’t catastrophic or anything like that, but it does go a long way into sewering the Oilers chances of winning the Pacific Division. A much more detailed effort on Thursday will be welcome with extremely important games looming just a week away.
Oilers Player of the Game
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. 2 goals, with one being absolutely gorgeous. He looked completely tuned in all night.
If the Oilers can get this version of classic Nuge for the postseason, it is easy to picture some serious success for this team. When he turns it on, he turns it on big time. Check out his second goal below.
10 Takeaways
1. Perhaps the main takeaway is that with the loss, it is almost a guarantee that the Oilers will be taking on the Sharks in the first round of the playoffs. How do you feel about that Oilers fans?
2. Despite the loss, Slepyshev once again provided an effort that should leave very little doubt as to his usefulness in the bottom 6. He should be a regular, every night in the lineup.
3. With Benning having such a rough night, and playing only 9 minutes, I would expect Gryba to draw back in against the Sharks.
4. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had himself a night, as stated above, and that is very encouraging with the postseason just a week away. His ability to effectively anchor the 2nd line could be the difference maker in a series.
5. This Nugent-Hopkins goal deserves its own point, with the main takeaway being how much I miss vintage Nuge and his creativity. Here’s hoping this signals its regular return.
WHAT A MOVE! #EDMvsLAK pic.twitter.com/UkK2RvKtLe
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 5, 2017
6. Speaking of Nuge’s success, what about Jordan Eberle tonight? In the 1st period, he laid a big hit on a Kings player, the likes of which I have never seen Eberle deliver. If he continues to play with that intensity, his critics will be silenced rather quickly.
7. The Oilers have now lost 11 straight at the Staples Centre.
8. Faceoffs remain an issue for this squad. They sat at only 35% on the night.
9. Calgary lost tonight, guaranteeing that they have no chance of finishing higher than the Oilers in the standings this year. If any of you bet a case of beer on that, be ready to collect!
10. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl continue their remarkable point streak, and it now sits at 11 straight games. For Connor, with only 4 more points, he can hit the century mark on the season for points.
Oilers Highlights
Another look at @27MilanLucic's goal. #EDMvsLAK pic.twitter.com/yIGNyrZqSU
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 5, 2017
Calm Talbot. 😎 #EDMvsLAK pic.twitter.com/0lwuThmbe5
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 5, 2017
NIFTY NUGE! #EDMvsLAK pic.twitter.com/JHdfKmnN2b
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 5, 2017
Up Next: In the Bay on Thursday
The Oilers will head into San Jose for another late game (bleh-8:30 start) on Thursday night. This one may be worth the lost sleep though, as it is coming against the Oilers very likely first round opponent.
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