As fans of the Edmonton Oilers, we have certainly become spoiled over the last several years with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl doing what they do on a nightly basis. The skillsets and abilities of both of these players have become inappropriately familiar to a point where a simple point-per-game performance can often be seen as a down game for either player.
While both McDavid and Draisaitl had a number of memorable games for the Oilers in their careers to date, there are a number of past Oilers’ players who have put on a show and earned a spot in the record books.
In this article, I hope to take a trip down my own subjective memory lane and revisit some of the most memorable individual performances I have witnessed as an Oilers’ fan. As with any piece such as this, the list is purely personal and I would love to hear more from you about the performances that stand out to you.
Sam Gagner’s eight-point night
It was another winter night in Edmonton and the Oilers welcomed Jonathan Toews and the Chicago Blackhawks into the beloved Rexall Place. Stuck in the midst of an 11-year rebuild, the Oilers were certainly the underdogs in this one, playing against a dynasty team that had won the first of their three Stanley Cups.
Down 2–0 in the second period, Sam Gagner began the Oilers’ comeback, starting with an assist on a Taylor Hall goal. Gagner would then score the following goal to tie the game. He would go on to provide three more assists and score three more goals on the way to an 8–4 victory. As it currently stands, Gagner remains tied for most points scored in a game by an Edmonton Oiler.
The Oilers may not have had a lot to celebrate during those dark seasons but remembering the performance of Sam Gagner, who was amongst the many Oilers’ pieces stuck in the midst of the turmoiled rebuild, felt like a ray of light in a dark place.
Ben Scrivens’ stunning saves
Almost two years after Gagner’s unbelievable performance, the Oilers were in no better place in their team rebuild. They had continued to miss playoffs and had difficulty attracting top-end free agent talent. Coming off a strong stint in a crowded crease for the Los Angeles Kings, Scrivens was traded to the Oilers in January 2014. The Spruce Grove native would waste little time before making an impact on the Oilers’ fanbase.
On January 29, 2014, Ben Scrivens played a one of a kind performance against a strong team in San Jose Sharks that was coached by the Oilers’ future Coach, Todd McLellan. Scrivens would go on to make 59 saves on route to a 3–0 shutout victory. Scrivens’ performance remains an NHL record for most saves made in a shutout victory.
Scrivens would play one full season as the Oilers’ starting netminder before being traded to the Montreal Canadiens in the following year.
Jordan Eberle’s debut
October 7, 2010 was a day that signified the beginning of a new era for the Oilers. Starting in 2010, the Oilers would launch what would be a long rebuild by drafting three consecutive number one picks and the first of these draft picks, Taylor Hall, made his debut that exact date in October against the Calgary Flames.
With all eyes on Taylor Hall, it would be another rookie who stole the spotlight and made an impact in an unbelievable display. Drafted 22nd overall in 2008 NHL Draft, Jordan Eberle certainly had high expectations. With the Oilers already leading 1–0, Eberle put on an absolutely clinic with a toe drag goal, putting the puck past none other than legendary netminder, Miikka Kiprusoff. Eberle would go on to register an assist on a power play goal later in the game, putting the NHL on notice with his skillset.
Ryan Smyth’s playoff grit
Throughout his tenure with the Edmonton Oilers, Ryan Smyth was undoubtedly one of the most passionate and dedicated players to don the Copper and Blue uniform. His display of emotion after the trade to the New York Islanders and in his last game as an NHL player and as an Oiler only showed how much he loved the game and his team.
Smyth’s tenure with the Oilers included the 2006 Stanley Cup run. On the way to the Stanley Cup Final, Smyth and the Oilers faced a red, hot opponent in San Jose Sharks. Ron Wilson’s club, led by Jonathan Cheechoo and Joe Thornton would go on to take an early two games to none lead in the series, heading into Edmonton.
During the following game of the series, Smyth was hurt in an accidental friendly fire incident when he took a puck to the face and quickly lost three of his teeth. While certainly appearing to be a significant (and obviously painful) injury, Smyth refused to let this stop him.
He would go on to return later in the game and ended up setting up Shawn Horcoff for the game-winning goal of the triple overtime. This game would turn around the series for the Oilers as Edmonton would go on to take the series from the Sharks by the score of four games to two.
Ales Hemsky’s elimination of Detroit Red Wings
Before the Oilers’ played the San Jose Sharks in that second round of the 2006 Stanley Cup runner-up finish, they had a tall task of facing the Presidents’ Trophy winners in Detroit Red Wings. The team led by the likes of Steve Yzerman, Pavel Datsyuk, Nicklas Lidstrom and many other superstars was poised to make light work of the eighth-seeded Oilers who barely snuck into the playoffs.
After finding themselves pleasantly surprised to be leading the series three games to two, the Oilers returned to Rexall Place for Game 6 where one of the Oilers’ best players of that generation, Ales Hemsky, delivered a clutch performance.
Down by a goal with less than four minutes left in the game, Hemsky would go on to score a power play marker to tie the game. Hemsky would then one-up his performance when with just over a minute left, he scored the series-winning goal and sent Oilers into the second round.
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