Connor McDavid scores a scoreless overtime win over the Blues.
Connor McDavid’s timing was perfect, ending his goalless drought.
After 10 games without a point, the captain scored in overtime for the Edmonton Oilers against the St. Louis Blues. The Blues started the game strong in their loss to the Jets in Winnipeg on Tuesday night, scoring two goals in the first five minutes. Midway through the first period, St. Louis’ early energy died down and the Oilers began to regain their momentum.
Zach Hyman scored a goal on a power play late in the first period and another goal a few minutes into the second to tie the score at 2-2.
The third period saw both teams exchange quality scoring chances, with big saves from Stuart Skinner and Jordan Binnington.
In fact, the Blues had a great chance to take the lead during the Oilers’ power play in the third period, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins played some great defense and Robert Thomas joined him on the breakaway.
This was prevented.
The back-and-forth continued until overtime, when McDavid finally fired the puck past Binnington to give Edmonton the victory. McDavid sent the puck deep into the St. Louis zone and fired it over Binnington, but the puck went off his shoulder and into the top corner of the net.
They lost the first three games of this homestand last week against the Boston Bruins, Minnesota Wild and Calgary Flames, but saved the day with wins over the Kings and Los Angeles Blues.
Edmonton has allowed at least three runs in each of its first 10 games since the All-Star break, holding the Kings and Blues to two runs in those wins. This is a positive sign for a team that has weakened defensively.
A 3-2 score and 35-34 shots on goal suggested a very close game from start to finish, but that was not to be.
The Blues got off to a good start and had a tense game, but midway through the game it became clear that the visiting team was tired from the previous night’s play, and there was a time when the odds were tilted in Edmonton’s favor. The Oilers were evenly matched, with 66 shot attempts compared to St. Louis’ 43, and 17 dangerous scoring chances to the Blues’ six.
The game-winning goal was Connor McDavid’s first since the team’s 3-2 loss to the Las Vegas Golden Knights on February 6, which was Edmonton’s first game back after the All-Star break. It became. In those 10 scoreless games, McDavid had 23 assists. In this game, he recorded 2 assists and a total of 3 points.
After the Oilers fell behind early, Zach Hyman scored his 39th and 40th goals of the season to tie the game. When the Oilers signed Hyman in the summer of 2021, his single-season goal record was 21.
In his first season with the Oilers, he set a new career high with 27 goals. He has scored 36 goals and is on pace to break the 50-goal mark this season. Stuart Skinner had another great performance for the Oilers on Wednesday. Earlier this week, he had a great game against the Kings, making 32 saves on 34 shots in a win over the Blues. Despite a shaky start to the game, scoring two early goals, Skinner remained solid until the end, making several important saves when the game was tied.
The Oilers will travel to play the Kraken in Seattle on Saturday afternoon. They are then scheduled to return home and face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday night.
The NHL trade deadline is approaching despite a lack of trade activity league-wide. After what happened during the NHL All-Star break where Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm were traded within hours of each other, it looked like the floodgates would open during trade season.
“I spoke to three general managers today, and they all say we’re making a lot of calls, but we’re not doing anything,” Frank Seravalli said in a depressed trade market. continued about.
“A lot of them are experimenting with market value and trying to do something with very few assets. The other part is, the big problem, other than the five players, is that some of these players are on the team’s Stanley Cup. It’s about how much you can influence your chances of winning. The biggest name doesn’t necessarily lead you to Lord Stanley. But there are still a lot of teams that are really uncertain about the market. »
This deal hasn’t materialized yet, but the Edmonton Oilers appear to be adding to their shopping list. Despite the ever-growing wish list, one constant need for Edmonton is to improve the blue line.
Many names were discussed, including Shawn Walker and Alexander Carrier, but everyone wanted to see Chris Tanev in a copper-and-blue uniform, even though he was traded to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night. was. Tanev is a 34-year-old right-handed defenseman with a cap hit of $4.5 million. He is an upcoming unrestricted free agent who ranks No. 2 on Frank Seravari’s list of trade targets.
Frank suggested on Oilersnation Everyday that negotiations between Edmonton and Calgary will continue despite growing NHL interest in his services.
“He doesn’t seem to be on the Oilers’ radar,” Frank Seravari said of his interest in the Oilers’ Chris Tanev. “I will say that they are always monitoring his value because they are also monitoring his market. But I want to understand whether I can make it my own.
In a previous appearance on OilersNation Everyday, Frank Seravalli said Tanev’s price was affordable for Edmonton in addition to a second-round pick. Dallas ultimately acquired him for a second-round pick, a conditional third-round pick, and a prospect.
Tanev will not be joining Edmonton, so the Oilers will continue to search for a defenseman. Tanev was a good player with experience and a warrior mentality, but they also need additional players further down the depth chart. The trade deadline is March 8th, and Oilers fans will likely be hoping for a new face to join the group.
Leave a Reply