Shocking update : Saga in Washington dressing room, Headcoach to be sacked.
The Edmonton Oilers very much resembled a Stanley Cup threat Wednesday night, against a former Cup winner in Washington who is now on the wane.
The 3-2 score after 1 may have suggested a wide-open affair. But that was not really the case, though. The Oilers dominated. However, the first Caps goals came on an awful whiff by Stuart Skinner on the first shot he faced. A lucky bounce in front on a Washington Power Play accounted for their second.
The Oilers opened it up in the 2nd Period and led 5-2 after 2…then cruised to the 7-2 final. But punctuation was added by Connor Brown’s 1st goal of the season and a standing ovation from the Roger’s Place crowd. The Edmonton Power Play also broke out of a funk with 3.
Since the turnaround 5-0 shoutout of these same Capitals back on November 24th, the Oilers are now 35-9-2.
Here is the tale of the tape…
Edmonton Oilers Player Grades
STUART SKINNER. 7. Allowed perhaps his worst goal of the season on the first puck he faced after his teammates had dominated the Caps out of the gate with the game’s first 9 shots. It was a stinker from a bad angle along the wall. To say there might have been a screen there is being kind. But as awful as that one surely was, he made up for it by snatching a wide-open net opportunity from Alex Ovechkin 18 minutes into the 1st. And it did not stop there. Stopped Ovi again on back-to-back PP 1-timers in the 2nd. Frustrated the Great 8 again on a Power Play wrister. Flashed out a left pad to stuff (you guessed it) Ovechkin on a point-blank chance in the 3rd. Then utter larceny on Ovi with one final, terrific glove save late in the 3rd. Stopped 23 of 25. What a swing from shot 1 to shot 25!
CONNOR McDAVID. 8. Secondary assist on the 1-0 after two primary feeds to Draisaitl on the first two chances on the PP. Blasted home the 2-0 on a subsequent Power Play with a wrist shot from the hashers that beat the goalie short side. Filtered a pass through to Hyman at the top of the crease for the 3-2. Fed him again for a great 2nd Period chance. 3rd Period trip. Was really buzzing.
RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS. 6. Terrific 2-way play as The Nuge stole the pick in the neutral zone then sifted a beautiful pass across to Hyman who did not miss for the 4-2. Solid the rest of the way.
ZACH HYMAN. 9. Hat trick brought down the caps at Rogers Place. Scored the 3-2 from a familiar spot, right at the blue paint at the top of the crease. Stoned on a bang-bang play in front in the 2nd by a quick blocker save. Received a terrific pass from Nugent-Hopkins and fired it off the post and in for the 4-2 (his 45th). Hyman threw a long shadow on the Washington netminder on the 5-2 and was (much later) rightly rewarded with his 46th on the deflection. What a signing.
DARNELL NURSE. 6. Absorbed a high stick early which led to a 4-minute minor and the Oilers first goal of the game on the resulting PP. Rang a 1st Period crossbar. Could not push home a fine play by Henrique later on in the 2nd. His play has come around nicely the last two games.
VINCENT DESHARNAIS. 4. Not much came easy for him. Unlucky on the 2-2 goal as Desharnais had already successfully fronted Ovechkin’s PP shot but the puck bounced right to a Capital for the equalizer. Got chased down deep in his own end and turned the puck over. High Dangers 2-4 with him on the ice.
LEON DRAISAITL. 9. Was dishing from the very first shift. Scored the 1-0 on his 3rd consecutive opportunity on the Power Play, a 1-timer off a nice pass by Nugent-Hopkins. Busted his ass back to cover for a Bouchard turnover and break up the Capitals sortie. A short-side attempt stopped in the 2nd. Dug out a puck and chipped it in front for Perry who nearly beat the goalie with a backhand. Snapped a pass back to Bouchard for the 5-2. A spectacular cross-ice backhander to Foegele for a chance. Secondary assist on the 6-2. 5v5 CF 18-5, 78% to lead the club. 60% on faceoffs. Dominant.
RYAN McLEOD. 6. Handed the primary assist on the 6-2 after an industrious shift. The flow of play decidedly in this line’s favor 5v5 and McLeod was a meaningful part of that.
WARREN FOEGELE. 6. Hard 3rd Period back check. Slammed home the 6-2 on a hard sequence by the 2nd line in the O-zone. This line was excellent.
EVAN BOUCHARD. 8. Early turnover at the attacking blueline. Fed the puck high-to-low for McDavid’s 2-0 marker. A good stick at his own crease may have saved a goal. Another smart stick thwarted a developing odd man break right at the Oilers blueline. A 94 MPH bullet for the 5-2, clipping in off Zach Hyman’s shin pad for the hat trick. 2 assists and +3 in one of his better 2-way efforts.
BRETT KULAK. 8. Stepped into Mattias Ekholm’s spot in the batting order and delivered with a sparkling game on the top pairing. Earned a secondary assist on the Hyman 3-2 goal. Cross-checked right in the numbers to draw a late 2nd Period PP. Take a gander at these numbers: 5v5 CF of 16-6, 73% to lead all D-men and every Oiler except Leon. High Dangers 6-3. +3. Great performance in a step-up in weight class and responsibility.
ADAM HENRIQUE. 6. Hunted down a puck then fed it neatly in front to Janmark for a dangerous shorthanded chance. Fine pass to a hard charging Nurse in the 2nd but the big blueliner could not convert. A strip & clear on a 3rd Period PP. Earned the secondary assist on the 7-2, his first point as an Oiler. 67% on draws.
EVANDER KANE. 5. Good 2nd Period back check. Fed Brown with a pass right into the deep slot for the 7-2.
CONNOR BROWN. 6. Quiet for over 40 minutes. Then…Brown charged hard to the net on an Oilers 2-on-1 and managed to direct a puck into the net for his first as an Oiler and his first in the NHL in 73 games. And on cue, in recognition of that, the Edmonton crowd rose to its collective feet and offered the player a standing ovation. A tremendous moment. Good for him.
TROY STECHER. 6. Makes his Oilers debut, in just such the circumstance he was surely acquired for: In case of injury, or specifically in this case an illness to Mattias Ekholm. Whistled for a 2nd Period trip. Next shift, strong play to block a pass from below the goal line. Another trip late in the 2nd. I like the intensity he brings. 5 hits to lead his new team.
CODY CECI. 6. Very nearly banked a puck off a defender and in midway through the 2nd. Played a role in the 6-2. Solid.
SAM CARRICK. 6. A smart back-check on Milano later in the first helped disrupt the Cap’s rush. A clutch faceoff deep in his own zone late in a Capitals PP. Two well-placed sticks short-handed in the D-zone to get the 5-2 lead into the room after 2. Yet another smart stick late. 64% on draws. Filling that 4C role very nicely.
MATTIAS JANMARK. 5. Late to his man in the slot on the 2-2. But over-all his game was effective. Great move in front but foiled by the Washington goaler. 2nd Period wraparound attempt.
COREY PERRY. 5. Received a pass from Draisaitl from behind the goal line and nearly snaked it home past the sprawling Washington goalie. Good 3rd period clear. A dangerous deflection nearly found the range late.
Edmonton’s record now sits at 40-21-3, 83 points. They are 2nd in the Pacific, opening up a 5-point gap between them and L.A.
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