If you missed the pre game read, you can find it here. As for this evening, let’s get right into this one, which was a wild affair. Ups, downs, lefts, rights… and a sky rocketed heartbeat for 60 straight minutes to show as a result. Could the Oilers come out of the craziness on top? Let’s take a look and see.
1st Period
- Immediately noticeable on the ice was Matt Benning, who was taking the place of Adam Larsson on the top pairing. That’s a big test for the rookie, but one that he has looked capable of handling for most of the season.
- Yeah baby! Oscar Klefbom, making up for his called-off goal last night, opened the scoring with another rocket from the point to make it 1-0 Oilers. That is 6 points in his last games and his 11th goal on the season… he has been fantastic.
- After a lacklustre game last night, the forward group was beaming with energy to start the game. Only 10 minutes in, but the Oilers were generating some really nice pressure in the Panthers’ zone, especially from McDavid’s line which was once again featuring Draisaitl. Great start.
- James Reimer made a remarkable stop on Draisaitl, who paired with Connor McDavid, had an excellent chance to score off a 2 on 1. Tough news that the chance was stopped, but the continued chances were good news nonetheless.
- Not to be outdone, Talbot battled back with a big save of his own to keep things tied, late in the game.
Big save by Talbot on Thornton pic.twitter.com/WPVsC0yIvu
— Shane O'Donnell (@shane1342o) February 23, 2017
- The Oilers were able to kill some of a Panthers power play before time expired in the frame. Final shots were 13-10 for Edmonton.
That was a MUCH better period than any of the 3 from last night. The Oilers looked dangerous, their forwards looked potent, and they were able to convert one of their chances into a goal. As a result, Edmonton closed the first 20 minutes with a lead on one of the NHL’s hottest teams.
It was a very impressive start, but the most important thing was carrying that through for the rest of the evening.
2nd Period
- Unfortunately, Edmonton would not get off to the start that they were hoping for. Still killing off the penalty from late in the first, the Oilers would give up a goal under 30 seconds in. The goal wasn’t the greatest one for Talbot to let in and the score was 1-1.
- On the play, Sekera was hurt and it did not look good at all. Losing him and Larsson would be cause for serious distress.
- We love McDavid, and it has been said many times before, but Connor has to shoot the puck on the rush more than he does currently. McDavid has an excellent wrister, and a good shot from in and around the slot is much less risky than trying to force a pass through one or two defenders. Even if he just starts shooting on every second one, it will help to keep defenders and goalies guessing, rather than being predictable.
- Eric Gryba, drawing back into the lineup, scored his 2nd of the year halfway into the period to give the Oilers the lead once again! Make it 2-1 Oilers, with Kris Russell and Mark Letestu picking up the helpers.
BACK IN THE LEAD! #EDMvsFLA pic.twitter.com/RVOtGfz36z
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) February 23, 2017
- And shortly following the goal, Sekera returned to the bench. Hearing the news felt just as good as when the team scores… that would be until he would leave the bench again after just a couple shifts.
- Curses! Late in the second, following an exchange of chances from both teams, the Panthers found the back of the net to make it 2-2. Tired legs for Edmonton, and an excellent play by Keith Yandle were a direct cause of the tying marker.
- Nuuuuuuuuuuuuge! Off some solid forechecking by Nuge’s line, he buried a greasy one at the goal front to once again give the Oilers the lead, 3-2. Lucic and Eberle also looked rather effective on the series and they would both pick up the helpers.
- But then, unfortunately, following a Matt Hendricks penalty (incredibly undisciplined), the Panthers were able to score again, this time with only 4 seconds left in the period. Just a back breaker of a goal to give up late, and the period would end tied, 3-3.
Talk about a roller coaster period of emotions. Seriously. Florida goal, Sekera injury, Oilers goal, Sekera returns, Florida goal, Sekera out again, Nuge scores, Panthers respond. Wow. One thing you couldn’t say about this game is that it wasn’t exciting.
It repeated as a decent period for the Oilers, with their mistakes coming as a result of fatigue and mental cramps. With a short bench on defence, and on the second half of a back-to-back, those sorts of things are to be expected. Closing out the 3rd to at least get the point would be crucial, but avoiding those same mistakes, with even more fatigue, wouldn’t be easy. The loss of Sekera would not help matters at all.
3rd Period
- Sadly, for the Oilers, Sekera would not be on the bench to begin the 3rd. He would not return for the rest of the game.
- Halfway through the period, and thanks to 8 Panthers shots, Florida had had a couple chances to score. Thankfully, they were unable to convert, but I am sure many Oilers fans were having heart palpitations as a result.
- HOLY CRAP! Kris Russell of all people, with his first goal of the season, came up clutch with under 10 minutes to play in the 3rd, to put the Oilers up 4-3. It was a gorgeous rush, with Draisaitl and McDavid picking up the assists. I’m sure that won’t cause any ripples online, no sir, not at all…
RUSSELL THE MUSCLE! 💪 #EDMvsFLA pic.twitter.com/IT4yTnEHXw
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) February 23, 2017
- Oh my… Jagr came insanely close to tying it without about 2 minutes to go, but could just not get a handle on his deke. This game has seriously put at least a year’s worth of work on all of our hearts… what the heck are the playoffs going to be like?
- Somehow, someway, the Oilers would close out the game and walk out of Florida with a win. Final shots were 35 a piece.
Final Score: Edmonton 4 – Florida 3
Jeeeeeeze. Did anyone else need to just kind of sit back on their couch following the game and regroup themselves? What an intense game that was stocked full of mixed emotions. The entire 60 minutes felt like a roller coaster with twists, turns, happiness, excitement, anger, frustration, fear… all of it. Excuse me while I take a quick shot…
Let’s look at the game as whole and say that tonight, undoubtedly, was a very impressive victory. Last night in Tampa the Oilers failed to muster an effort worthy of any merit, but this evening, against one of the NHL’s hottest squads, they found a way to win on the road. Considering that the Panthers were fresh off of 5 straight road wins, and the Oilers were heading into the evening down one of their very best defenceman, the victory really begins to sparkle.
But then, to emphasize the win even further, the Oilers were strapped with losing another one of their very best defenceman for two-thirds of tonight’s tilt. Somehow, on the second half of a back-to-back, considering allllll of that, the Oilers found a way. This team is different alright. Remarkably foreign to anything we have seen in these parts for many years.
Yes, there were mistakes tonight. An untimely penalty by Hendricks late in the second, missed coverage on a few scoring chances/goals, one for sure softie by Talbot, and still a few too many turnovers highlighted the negatives. But if I am honest, considering everything that this team battled through in the last 48 hours, I just find it too difficult to be overly critical. Fatigue, undoubtedly, could be chalked up to some of the mistakes by the D and the rest can be discussed on another night. This was an excellent road game deserving of praise, so let’s get to it.
Oscar Klefbom *rousing round of applause*. He has been outstanding lately and his play tonight showed exactly why more than a few peg him to be a future, distinct, #1 NHL defenceman. His goal was excellent, but more than anything, Klefbom showed real leadership, maturity, and impressive ability as he stepped up to lead the entire backend after Sekera went down. That makes it 2 nights in a row that Oscar has compiled over 26 minutes of ice time, and tonight he did it without his 2 best colleagues. Klefbom made a statement tonight, kept the Oilers together behind the blue line with his play, and we should all be taking notice of that.
As for the other defencemen, they really came together, with a short bench, to deliver one helluva performance. 3 of the 4 Oilers goals came from the backend, showcasing that not only were these guys finding a way to get it done defensively, but were also helping to carry the team up front. The turnover of this D core from last year is nothing short of incredible.
Also on the backend worthy of a healthy heaping of recognition was our man Cam Talbot, who made a number of tremendous stops tonight. He continues to trek his path towards compiling one of the best seasons by an Oilers goalie ever.
On the front end, although not perfect, tonight was a much better effort. Khaira, in his return to the lineup, looked really effective ad I continue to believe that his presence in the bottom 6 is a must have for the stretch drive. Nugent-Hopkins found a way to score giving him 4 points in last 4 games as he continues to round into form.
The top line, although driving many of us mad with their penchant for sharing the puck a little bit too much, came up big at the end with the rush to set up the game winner. In addition to that, they were dangerous, generating a boatload of chances throughout the full 60 minutes. I believe that it is looking more and more evident, thanks to the chemistry between Draisaitl and McDavid, that Chiarelli will be making a 3rd line centre his top priority for a trade come March 1.
Overall, this was a wild game, a very nice victory, but the aftermath of it gives us some pause for caution. Sekera did leave the game with an injury, and at the time of this writing, it sounds like it might just be a soft tissue issue (HA!) and not a broken bone. So although it isn’t great, it could have certainly been worse. Adam Larsson sounds like his injury may be of the same nature. Getting those two back in the lineup will be critical for the stretch drive, so let’s hope for some good news tomorrow morning.
Oilers Player(s) of the Game
This award goes to the entire Oilers D core, plus Cam Talbot. Klefbom and Talbot were the stars of the show, but everyone in that crew deserves recognition for their hard work this evening.
5 defenceman for 40 minutes on the second half of a back-to-back against a team on a 5 game winning streak. The result? 4 points from the D group, only 3 goals against, a .912 save percentage for the goalie (his 31st win on the season), a first star for Kris Russell and a massive victory. Beautiful.
Up Next: The Deadly Washington Capitals
Tonight’s victory makes the likely result of what will happen on Friday much easier to swallow. Washington is the best team in the league, and the Oilers may not have 2 of their top 3 defenceman.
It might not end pretty… thankfully, the Oilers got an important 2 points tonight. Considering the situation, perhaps McLellan keeps Larsson and Sekera out, even if close, just to insure that those 2 stay healthy.
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