Edmonton Oilers player grades against Chicago Blackhawks

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The Edmonton Oilers lost a tough one 5-2 to the Chicago Blackhawks, a game where the Oilers couldn’t get a save or a bounce when they needed one.

In total, the Grade A shots in the game were 12 for Edmonton, 10 for Chicago, with each team having five 5-alarm shots, the most dangerous of shots.

Here at the game grades:

Connor McDavid, 6. Two games, one point, not so much in the way of dangerous shot created either. Slick pass to send in Hyman early on. But he lost his check, the danger man Teuvo Teravainen, then allowed a cross-seam and one-timer harpoon to the dangerous Suomi attacker. He rapped a hard wrister on net late in the first. The refs gave him a marginal penalty in the third. Fine pass to set up Draisaitl on the power play late in the third. Grade A shot contributions/mistakes: even strength, 3 for, 2 against: Special teams: 1 for, 0 against.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 5. He needs to Quiet in the first two periods. Swell set up of Bouchard in the slot on a third period power play shot, but no goal. He almost scored on a late scramble. GrA shots: ES, 3 for, 0 against: ST: 1 for, 0 against.

Zach Hyman, 6. One of the better Oilers. He missed the net backhand on an early break-in chance, then set up McD for a Grade A. Almost scored as he charged hard and popped a puck in front of the Chicago net early in the second. GrA shots: ES, 3 for, 0 against: ST: 1 for, 0 against.

Leon Draisaitl, 6. He came close early on and finally scored to make it 4-2. He worked hard to set up Arvidsson for an early one-timer that just missed the net. He failed to drain two goal-mouth shots, one stopped by a Chicago d-man, the other off the post, after an ugly Taylor Hall turnover late in the first. Slammed home a power play with ten minutes left. GrA shots: ES, 3 for, 1 against: ST: 1 for, 0 against.

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Viktor Arvidsson, 5. Blasted an early harpoon wide. He was part of the excellent passing sequence on Edmonton’s first goal of the year. He stumbled and lost the puck in the o-zone, kicking off the sequence of pain and a 3-on-2 rush on Chicago’s third goal. He battled hard and forced the puck into the net in the third off a Dermott pass but pushed a Chicago d-man into the goalie, causing the goal to be disallowed. GrA shots: ES, 1 for, 1 against: ST:  1 for, 0 against.

Jeff Skinner, 6. A better game than his first one. Failed on the stickcheck on Taylor Hall’s early Grade A. He launched a tricky shot on net to ignite Edmonton’s first goal-scoring sequence. Put one off the crossbar a moment later. GrA shots: ES, 1 for, 2 against: ST: 1 for, 0 against.

Adam Henrique, 3. His game marred by major mistakes on goals against. He lost the face-off on Chicago’s first goal, then screened Pickard on Chicago’s second. GrA shots: ES, 0 for, 1 against: ST: 0 for, 1 against.

Connor Brown, 5. Hustled hard and made some good plays early on. GrA shots: ES, 0 for, 0 against: ST: 0 for, 0 against.

Mattias Janmark, 5. He went hard at the net early on, bashing into the Chicago goalie Petr Mrazek, who collapsed like he’d been harpooned. He and Henrique failed to block the outside shot on Chicago’s first goal. He saved a goal hooking Bedard half-way through the second, after Kulak and Emberson allowed a pass through. Almost jammed in a rebound shot in the third. GrA shots: ES, 1 for, 1 against: ST: 0 for, 0 against.

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Derek Ryan, 6. He almost sniped in a break-in shot in the first. His line got limited ice time. GrA shots: ES, 2 for, 0 against: ST: 0 for, 1 against.

Corey Perry, 7. Some crafty offensive plays in the first. He slammed in rebound for Edmonton’s first goal, banking it in off T.J. Brodie. GrA shots: ES, 1 for, 0 against: ST: 1 for, 0 against.

Vasili Podkolzin, 6. He hustled back early on the backcheck and won board positioning, setting a solid early standard. Next made a gorgeous pass to set up Ryan in the slot. GrA shots: ES, 1 for, 0 against: ST: 0 for, 0 against.

Evan Bouchard, 4. He got deked by Hall early on for a Grade A, then beat by Bedard’s 360 on another dangerous shot. His turnover led to a 5-alarm shot by Jason Dickinson late in the second. He almost scored on an early third period power play, but Mrazek made the save.  GrA shots: ES, 2 for, 3 against: ST: 1 for, 0 against.

Mattias Ekholm, 6. One of the few Oilers playing OK. At fault on two early Grades As as Bedard and Teravainen teamed up. He made some good passes as game went on, including a set up pass on Edmonton’s first goal. GrA shots: ES, 3 for, 2 against: ST: 1 for, 0 against.

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Darnell Nurse, 7. A solid game, with one major gaffe. A fine early stretch pass helped send in Hyman on a dangerous opportunity. He moved the puck with assurance and defended well early on, his point shot almost tipped in by Hyman late in the second.  But he deflected in a pass for Chicago’s fourth goal. He kept a clean sheet at even strength, not one major mistake on a Grade A shot against. GrA shots: ES, 1 for, 0 against: ST: 0 for, 1 against.

Travis Dermott, 6. Combined well with Nurse this game. Solid game. He also kept a clean sheet at even strength. GrA shots: ES, 0 for, 0 against: ST: 0 for, 0 against.

Ty Emberson, 4. He caught Patrick Maroon with a hard hit in the first. He allowed a pass through to Bedard in the second, forcing Janmark to take a penalty to stop a goal, with Chicago scoring on the following power play. GrA shots: ES, 1 for, 0 against: ST: 0 for, 0 against.

Brett Kulak 4. Good stretch pass to kick off a fine Perry-to-Podkolizin-to-Ryan 5-alarm shot sequence in the first. But he lost a battle to Philipp Kurashev, allowing the Hawk to golf in Chicago’s first goal. Took a hard hit from Maroon. GrA shots: ES, 1 for, 1 against: ST: 0 for, 0 against.

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Calvin Pickard, 4. He needed to make a few more big saves. Stopped the first Grade A shot of the game, as Taylor Hall sliced one on net. A moment later, Teravainen’s first shot hit the cross-bar, but Pickard saved the follow up one-timer. He had little chance on Kurashev’s early goal. He was heavily screened by Henrique on the second goal, but also looked a bit deep in his net. He got beat from the high slot by Bedard on Chicago’s third goal, a save he needed to make. Big save on Dickinson late in the second.

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