Oilers Let One Slip Away To Ducks

The Ducks came into this afternoon’s game ranked 29 out of the league’s 31 team in scoring. With just nine wins in 23 games, the Oilers seemed to have a fair shot at leaving Anaheim with two points. Unfortunately for the Oilers, they couldn’t even manage two goals en route to a frustrating 2-1 overtime loss.

This game was frustrating. The first two periods yielded zero goals for either team. The Oilers had a few good chances to take the lead, but Ducks goalltender John Gibson was there to answer the bell. Adam Larsson had a point blank opportunity to give Edmonton the lead on a nifty little give-and-go from Leon Draisaitl with five and a half minutes to go in the first.

Do you like goals? This game is not for you. This is the only goal that the Oilers would be able to muster for the entire game, and it didn’t come until midway through the third period. If you watched this live, you’ll notice that the Duck fans are booing what they thought was a holding penalty by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. I wouldn’t put very much faith in a fanbase who thought that Nick Schultz was Justin Schultz on more than one occasion, so we’ll let this one slide. This is the Oiler goal that put the club up 1-0. For a while, it looked like that would be the only goal they’d need.

The Oilers looked like they were going to hold onto this one and take a triumphant 1-0 victory on the road to LA tomorrow. That wasn’t in the cards.

Yeah, that’s Nick Ritchie putting one behind Mikko Koskinen during closing time in the third period. Until that point, Mikko Koskinen had been perfect throughout the game, turning all 23 Duck shots away. Ritchie catches a rebound and an outstretched Koskinen doesn’t have a chance. Ducks knot it up 1-1 and are ready to head to overtime

Good thing the Oilers can just toss McDavid and Draisaitl out there and good things always happen.

It’s literally fourteen seconds into overtime when the This series of events is probably going to catch some hell for Leon Draisaitl, but Rickard Rakell is able to do it all here without much harassment from Leon. Koskinen makes a nice first save, Rackell is able get seconds as he just taps it in under Koskinen while he’s outstretched. The 29th ranked offence went the entire game without scoring a goal until sixteen seconds remained in regulation. It would take fourteen more for them to tuck it away.

ETC

• Kris Russell saved a sure goal that was teetering on the goal line behind Mikko Koskinen. With five minutes gone in the third, Anaheim’s Adam Henrique pulled the trigger in the slot and beat Koskinen, but not completely. With the puck sitting on the goal line (and former Oiler Pontus Aberg in hot pursuit), Kris Russell was able to pull it back under Koskinen to keep it knotted at zero. Deep breaths.
• Cooper Marody had 3:54 in total ice time tonight. He was assigned to Bakersfield shortly after the game. Ty Rattie finished with 8:22, Jujhar Khaira with 9:54.
• We’re a couple of games into the Ryan Spooner Experience™, and it’s not doing much for me. 15:32 in total ice time, one shot.
• The Identity Line (the one with Lucic, Brodziak and Kassian) isn’t getting caved right now, which is an arrow in the right direction. I would avoid putting this line out when the Ducks goaltender is pulled late in the game, but otherwise no complaints.
• Recently acquired defenceman Chris Wideman did not play in tonight’s game.
• Not the worst game I’ve ever seen by a far margin, but when the 29th ranked offence comes in and scores zero goals in fifty nine minutes and forty-four seconds, you gotta do more. This is a game that the Oilers should have handled, plain and simple.
• A regulation win would have given the Oilers sole possession of third place in a Pacific Divison that doesn’t have any clear leaders. It’s not for tonight. They’ll take one point today, and they’ll look for two more tomorrow.