Can I get an AMEN! Oilers win! Oilers win! Oilers win! Oilers win! Glory to the gord! The hockey gods have finally seen the light and within that light are a German Gretzky and a Canadian Kurri! Man does it feel good to be on the right side of a four game winning streak! Given it’s been 7. Long. Years since the Oilers streaked this well, we should be celebrating like madmen.
I tell ya what. The game was decent with the boys in white and teal having the upper hand for longer portions of the game than the E-Town Entertainers. Once Edmonton scored I didn’t think they would let it get away from them like they did. They seemed to have the Sharks in their back pocket for a short time but as all good teams do, San Jose found a way to get back into the game and actually take the lead. Luckily the Nuge and Ebs were on their games and did their team a giant favor by tying it up.
Locking down a game when the Oilers have the lead is something they’re going to have to work on. I know it’s unfamiliar ground going into the final period of a game with the lead for the Oilers but they’re going to have to learn how to put the final nail in the coffin. Good teams do this. They get the lead going into or in the third period and they suffocate the life out of the other team’s offense. Edmonton needs this ability.
How about the goals?
First off, did anybody else get the feeling that when Draisaitl picked up that puck behind the Oilers net six minutes into the second period that a goal would follow shortly? Die Deutsch ist gold. For some reason there was just too much time and space and when you see that and it’s completely obvious to Joe Hockeyfan PLUS the likes of Hall and Draisaitl are on the ice, good things are about to go down.
PS: Terrible change by the Sharks on this goal…
I’m really liking that line right now of Thorny (JJ Khaira), RNH, and Eberle. I think we this could be something going forward. Khaira can play the game and he can play THE GAME. Throwing down with Brendan Dillon after squashing Justin Braun was no problem for the big fella and he held his own too. This guy… I like this guy but I wished he would keep the lip sweater. No more moustache rides…
Secondly, eat your heart out Evgeni Malkin! Jordan Eberle matched your spin-o-rama backhand goal and raised you a spin-o-rama goal in traffic. It was Khaira who set up Eberle for that beauty. JJ’s very strong on his stick and excellent grinder along the boards. He’s very much a poor man’s Lucic in that they play a similar game but he (Khaira) doesn’t have the offense touch Lucic has and he’s not quite as menacing physically… Yet. But the size and the drive are all there, he just needs to work on his positioning and decision-making.
The top two lines are rolling versus the Sharks. Not dominating but rolling. And this is something the team needs desperately. Depth scoring is of the utmost importance, along with playing defense… Right? I mean there’s no sense in scoring all those goals if you’re going to leave a guy like Joe Pavelski wide open in front of the net.
So the teams made that third period very entertaining as the teams were swapping leads like they were playing a game of hot potato. First Braun scored, then Eberle, then Marleau (of course), then Pavelski with his best impression of Lionel Messi, and finally RNH tipped one past Marty Jones. Then to top it off it went to 3-on-3 overtime where Leon and Taylor would combine again to make beautiful Rexall babies. It’s almost getting to when every time Leon touches the puck I’m expecting something amazing to happen. These two are just unstoppable right now.
I’m jealous of my friend Dave Gordon (@rustyknuckler) because he was at the game with his wife. This would’ve been a really fun game to go to. Ah the pros of living on the other side of the planet… Some day my friends, some day…
Not sure Mrs Rustyknuckler and I can go to these games together any more pic.twitter.com/njELDVaGRn
— Dave Gordon (@RustyKnuckler) December 10, 2015
The Oilers are now 12-15-2 after 29 games. It took them until 47th game, on Jan. 20, to reach 12 wins last season (12-26-9).
— Robin Brownlee (@Robin_Brownlee) December 10, 2015
Taylor Hall is now tied for the all-time team lead in overtime game winners. Having any all-time team lead on the Oilers is crazy
— HG. (@HG_Personal) December 10, 2015
So the Oilers win their 4th in a row and the Rangers are up next on Glen Sather appreciation night. Expect a trade to go down in tribute to the creator of the last great uber-dynasty. I wonder if he’ll be toking from his signature stogie?
The Rangers are a different beast but if the Oilers can stick with the likes of the Stars, the Sharks, and the Bruins; I don’t see why they couldn’t make a go of the Rangers too. I guess we’ll see won’t we? Hockey Night in Canada would be a great time to make it five!
