The Edmonton Oilers were in Toronto last night to face the Maple Leafs on Hockey Night in Canada. As is typically the case with their once-a-season visit. There will be no looking back on earlier games this season, in this postgame. Instead, it is just the here and now, with new goaltender Tristan Jarry and new defenceman Spencer Stastney. Sorry, them’s the rules.
One thing that remained an unknown right up until puck drop is what kind of game these teams would engage in. Once underway, we discovered it was going to be a run-and-gun game with a lot of shots on goal, and a few high-danger chances for both teams. In other words, welcome to the fire, Jarry. You’re going to deal with more of what you’ve seen in Pittsburgh the past few seasons.
As a measure of how high-event this game was, the Oilers led 3-2 after 40 minutes despite holding only a narrow edge in shots (25-22). High Danger chances however sat at 21-9 in Edmonton’s favour. That would make for an average NHL game, in and of itself, but such was the tale of this game, and just how many chances were available at both ends of the rink.
A Darnell Nurse goal with 30 seconds left in Period 2 proved to be the decisive factor in this game, even if it ultimately didn’t stand as the game-winner. Vasily Podkolzin added his name next to Connor McDavid’s in the “Toronto Tormentors” category with two goals early in the 3rd period. The Oilers did not let up until the game was well out of reach. Despite falling behind in the game, Edmonton emphatically took back control. And never looked back after.
Oilers win 6-3. Jarry is winning games for Edmonton again, and nature is healing. Here’s the game story.
It’s not Podkolzin, it’s Pod-goals-in at Scotiabank Arena
Though the Oilers entered the third period with a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, it was initially a mere one-goal edge. The Leafs, for all their well-documented flaws this season, could easily get that goal back. Defending that lead for a full 20 minutes wouldn’t be a wise strategy.
So that’s why Podkolzin, who has been heating up lately and even mimicked linemate Leon Draisaitl in one of his recent tallies, went out and basically throttled the game in the first five minutes of the 3rd. Here’s his first one, reminiscent of stuff from earlier in the week. Bull in a china shop, be a net-front pain-in-the-butt, and Draisaitl will hit you with the feed.
The second one is why Draisaitl once won the Premier Passer event at the NHL All-Star game. That’s sauce so sweet, every donair shop in Edmonton is trying to figure out how to bottle and squeeze it. And there’s Podkolzin, riding shotgun and playing music through the stereo. Like if this were a game in London (England, not where the Oil Kings won the 2014 Memorial Cup).
An age ago (as in, last postseason) it was written how Podkolzin would be one of two wingers to aid the “DraiSelke” campaign this year. Not only is DraiSelke still very much a go, but little did we all know Podkolzin would score this much. He has found his perfect linemate in Draisaitl, and vice-versa. They may be super-glued together for the rest of the season, at this rate.
McDavid magic reigns supreme in Toronto once again
The catalyst of the 3-2 lead through 40 minutes in question was, unsurprisingly, McDavid. For 80 out of 82 games on the NHL calendar, plus playoffs, us folks out west have to hear all about how all he wants is to play for the Leafs like it’s some sort of destiny. They wonder why we don’t like hearing from them.
This observer is no genius (except for Grade 10 mathematics), but may it politely be suggested. A player who does this to a team within the opening 5 minutes of the contest maybe doesn’t want to even think about playing for that team right now. And this isn’t the first time McDavid has torched the Leafs in their own house on Bay Street. (Our Bay Station is better, by the way.)
McDavid’s exploits weren’t finished there, either. When the Leafs did finally manage to eke out a 2-1 lead in the 2nd period, McDavid subtly reminded newly-minted Leaf Troy Stecher about the phrase “Once an Oiler, Always an Oiler”. Stecher’s response, naturally, was “oh yeah, you’re right, good point!”
And then the 3-2 goal, scored by Nurse, featured a tic-tac-toe play that started in Newmarket and ended in Hamilton, with the friendly German and noted Premier Passer Draisaitl the connecting link.
The Connor McDavid Show, sisters, bros, and non-binary those. Under the brightest of lights, those being the Toronto game of the Hockey Night in Canada slate, it seems to provide even more flair than usual. Those plays alone are worth the price of admission.
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Jarry didn’t need a masterpiece in this one, but he was solid still
The focus of the night was Jarry, fresh from Pittsburgh and still with black-and-gold stick in hand. Wearing his familiar “Tom and Jerry”-themed mask that is an eternal nod to the late Kristians Pelss, everybody was wondering if his numbers this season would hold up in Edmonton. The other outcome was that they, too, would take a hit like other Oilers goalies’ stats this season.
Jarry looked a bit scrambly in the early-going, and ultimately did allow two goals on 14 shots to spot Toronto a 2-1 lead. However, he settled down from there on in. Some of his finest work included a breakaway save on John Tavares in the second period, to hold the Leafs to 2.
After that second goal, he gave the Leafs very little to work with. His stat line was solid for most of the night, and while his final save percentage reads .893, that’s largely because of a stat-pad-time tally by Steven Lorentz to produce the final 6-3 score. It is mildly concerning that it happened of somewhat of a set play. The Oilers have struggled with set plays off of defensive-zone faceoffs before this season. But overall, a solid Oilers debut for Jarry, and stick-taps to him for it. Welcome back to Oil Country, Tristan. We missed you.
Oilers slay the might of the Hildebeast, chase Dennis Hildeby
Leafs goalie Dennis Hildeby is typically third on their depth chart, behind Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll. With both out with injury right now, Hildeby has taken over the starting reins in net. And coming into this game, he had been performing well, with a stat set of 2-2-3 with a shutout, 1.80 GAA, and a .933 save percentage.
This game, from this observer’s neutral view, wasn’t entirely his fault. When the Sportsnet broadcast is saying your team has, through two periods, allowed a high-danger chance once every less-than-two-minutes, that’s playing with fire. The case could be made that Toronto was lucky to get out of the second down only 3-2. Podkolzin, and then Zach Hyman, made sure they weren’t so lucky in the 3rd.
After not being able to keep making saves to bail the Leafs out, the Leafs pulled Hildeby after Hyman’s goal, nearly halfway through the 3rd. In came backup Artur Akhtyamov for his NHL debut. He has the scoring prowess of the Oilers to thank.
Player perspective
“Being on the right side of it, you appreciate it a lot.” -Tristan Jarry on not having to face the Oilers’ top offensive producers anymore
Right back at it tomorrow, as the road trip carries on
Yes, it’s another Eastern tour for Edmonton. Thankfully, the last one all season. After Christmas, they do not leave the Western Conference once.
The Oilers will head from one Original Six seat of power to another, moving up to Montreal for a date with the Canadiens at le Centre Bell. It will be another 5 PM start tonight. At least it’s a weekend currently.
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