Lucic’s Natural Hat Trick Powers Oilers To Victory Over Sharks

Milan Lucic’s three goal third period is the reason that the Oilers emerged with a 4-2 victory in San Jose.

The Sharks managed just fifteen shots the entire game. If this reminds you of some twelve shot efforts you saw during Rebuild 1.0, please sit down before some wacky flashbacks occur. Joel Ward got the Sharks on board just six minutes into the first period on a tip as David Schlemko launched one from the point. The Sharks had just gotten off a power play, and Ward found himself positioned perfectly between Darnell Nurse and Matthew Benning to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead.

The Oilers would strike back in the second period when Connor McDavid scored his 30th goal of the season on an unfortunate bounce for Sharks’ forward Tomas Hertl. Oscar Klefbom launched a shot from the point that would bounce off of Hertl’s skate over to McDavid, who was three feet in front of the net. McDavid doesn’t usually miss from three feet out.

Brent Burns would cash in for his 75th point of the season when Burns floated a wrister from the point behind a screened Cam Talbot. Talbot never had a chance, and the Sharks would go into the locker room with a 2-1 lead after two.

The third period belonged to Milan Lucic. Like the screaming throng at a Pat Benatar concert, the Oilers wanted more, and Lucic was happy to oblige. Lucic first scored on a deflection while on the power play less than five minutes into the third. Three minutes later, Lucic cashes in on an especially tricky shot from Oscar Klefbom that went behind Martin Jones from a bad angle. Oscar Klefbom again would launch a bullet from the point on the power play, and Milan Lucic would be on the doorstep to put away the groceries on the power play late in the third. Edmonton had two power play goals tonight, both going to Milan Lucic.

Just park Lucic in front of the net. He’ll take care of the rest.

TAKE-HOME

• Lucic’s best game as an Oiler so far? Yes. Lucic’s three goal third period would propel the Oilers to a 4-2 victory over the host Sharks. It also vaulted him into third place in team scoring (48 points).
• Here’s how it works: Klefbom shoots, Lucic cleans up. Repeat as necessary throughout the playoffs.
• One goal and one assist puts Connor McDavid with 30 goals to go with 67 assists. That’s 97 points, three from one hundred. The Oilers will close out the regular season meeting the Vancouver Canucks twice.
• Two power play goals? It’s a national holiday over here. Oilers didn’t yield a power play goal, though Joel Ward’s goal came seconds after a power play expired for the Sharks
• Cam Talbot’s 41st victory makes him the winningest goaltender in one season for the Edmonton Oilers. He supplants Grant Fuhr, who had 40 during the 1986-1987 season. Gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that Cam Talbot is gonna get paid handsomely in his next deal.
• CAN THE OILERS STILL WIN THE DIVISION?: Yes, though the Ducks must lose to the Kings in their final game of the season. Edmonton will need to defeat the Vancouver Canucks twice in regulation. They’re not my rules, I just have to go by them.
• ENJOY: The Canucks, twice in two days? Playoffs next week? These are the times.