Ok so let’s get a couple of things out of the way before we get into my review of the game. It was Ray Ferraro that called Kadri a rat during the broadcast, so send your vitriol his way if you don’t like the rat nickname for Kadri and the unpenalized play in overtime that led to Nazem Kadri scoring the game-winning overtime goal… These pics should basically sum it all up.
I’m no ref but I can see Kadri is using his free arm to tie up McDavid there… I believe my old coaches would tell me to skate a bit harder in this instance because in a normal circumstance this is actually a penalty.
Anyways, this is going to be par for the course for the rest of McDavid’s career. The other teams are going to be pulling these kinds of shenanigans all night long. I think the reason this one hurts a bit more is because Kadri was trying to goat McDavid into taking a penalty for most of the evening and was more or less doing a perfect job of being a prick. If there’d been a cheap shot or two, we might’ve been able to say Kadri was taking a page out of Esa Tikkanen’s book on how to be a shadow and a pest.
If the Oilers really wanted to win that game, they shouldn’t have hit the post twice. Problem solved.
THE GAME
Let’s start with the bad…
- The Oilers can’t afford to complain about too much on the evening apart from some very shotty defense from Kris Russel and Andrej Sekera. They let the Leafs shoot at will 5×5 and right in the kill zone too.
Ooof. KriSeksy did not have a good night protecting the danger areas. pic.twitter.com/KUnkdKa9BG
— Oilers Nerd Alert (@OilersNerdAlert) November 2, 2016
- Jordan Eberle and Milan Lucic have to be there for McDavid every bloody night. I thought that Eberle had a nice night regarding his forechecking game but Looch was completely anonymous apart from the little scrum that followed the Kadri push on McDavid.
- Speaking of sticking up for your teammates. The Oilers are doing a much better job of it this year but is there some team-stated mandate that says they’re not allowed to set someone straight for their on-ice behavior?
Kadri had his stick in the ribs of McDavid all night long. Why didn’t Maroon or Kassian or Lucic tune Kadri in? We know they were chirping him throughout the evening because Ray Ferraro would tell us every time… Baffles me that people are okay justifying it by saying, “it’s a different time.”
- The Oilers are shooting but they’re not scoring enough. Are they running into hot goalies or are they not positioned right in the offensive zone?
Oilers have two goals and two losses to show for 86 shots in the last two games.
Power play is 1 for its last 20.
See you in New York.
— Rob Tychkowski (@Sun_Tychkowski) November 2, 2016
How about the good?
- I wouldn’t send Puljujarvi down right now. He’s finding his feet and it’s causing fits for the opposition who want to match lines or send out a specific crew to cover Connor. I loved his game now for about a week. He’s engaging in every situation and he’s gaining more puck confidence shift-by-shift.
On the bright side, Jesse Puljujarvi with 12 shot attempts, 7 shots on goal & very one-sided shot shares. That line was unlucky not to score
— Bruce McCurdy (@BruceMcCurdy) November 2, 2016
- Oscar Klefbom had a monster of a game! I don’t even know the last time an Oilers defenseman put up 8 shots in a game. We’ve been waiting to see him unless his Klef-bomb consistently and tonight will go a very long way towards his overall confidence on the offensive side of the puck. Perhaps we’ll see him become a focal point on the PP sooner than later.
- Mike Babcock did a wonderful job of taking the Oilers 1st line out of the game BUT lucky for the Oilers they have two more lines that are capable of taking the reins of need be.
Nuge’s line was buzzing all. night. long. And Draisaitl’s line as well. Both lines are very unlucky not to have scored a goal because I thought it was the best game of the year for all six of the gentlemen on those two lines.
- Darnell Nurse everyone…
Hello, Nurse! 💪 #EDMvsTOR pic.twitter.com/1ghPa9dwze
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 2, 2016
Six shots, five hits, two blocks & a goal for #Oilers d-man @drtwofive tonight, earning him third-star honours. #EDMvsTOR pic.twitter.com/lW4REqlPXU
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 2, 2016
NEXT UP
The New York Rangers (7-3-0) are next on the docket and they are having an outstanding start to their year as well. Not that they were a bad team before but I know I felt they were in for a regression in 2016. I guess that’s not the case. Jimmy Vesey vs. Connor McDavid? Probably not but Ryan McDonagh, Vesey, Mika Zibanejad, and Chris Kreider all have 9 pts this year. JT Miller has 10 points! And not to be outshone, Rick Nash has 8pts so far… That is some spread out scoring… Edmonton is in for a real test.
Yeah, it's all gone to hell, the #Oilers are only 2nd over-all in the NHL standings.
Night all. 👊
— Kurt Leavins (@KurtLeavins) November 2, 2016
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