Player grades: Unlikely attackers on fire as Edmonton Oilers stomp New York Rangers 6-2

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Edmonton was led by some unlikely attackers, Vasili Podkolzin, Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark, as well as the usual suspects, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, in hammering on the New York Rangers 6-2 on Saturday night.

Podkolzin had the game’s first goal, while Brown and Janmark both had two assists.

The Grade A shots in the game were 15 for Edmonton, ten for the Rangers, with the subset of 5-alarm shots seven to three for the Oilers.

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Connor McDavid, 8. Two goals and an assist. Came alive early in the second, firing a break-in pass to Draisaitl, then taking Draisailt’s pass and hammering it off the post on the subsequent power play.  He then blitzed in on a rush, passing from one-knee to set up Drai’s goal, Edmonton’s third. He was in the right spot to tap in Edmonton’s fifth goal. Contributions/mistakes on Grade A shots (GAS): Even Strength +6/-2; Special Teams 1/0

Kasperi Kapanen, 6. First Oiler point tonight. He went around town with the puck in the o-zone before feeding it to Bouch on Edmonton’s fifth goal.
GAS: ES +1/-1; ST 0/0

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 7. That’s better! Good game, one of his first this year. He levelled a hit on a dump-in play early on, a solid sign, then set up Ekholm for a hard outside one-timer. He made a slick pass to Brown for a one-timer in the second.  GAS: ES +2/-0; ST 1/0

Leon Draisaitl, 8. Goal and assist. He ripped a harpoon on net for Edmonton’s first Grade A off a Podkolzin pass. He set up Podz’s goal with a hard rush and deft back pass. He broke in beast mode early in the second to take a McD pass, fire a hard shot, then get tripped up hard into the end-boards. A few shifts later he broke in hard again with McD, this time taking the pass and hammering it in. He got ripped on the broadcast by Luke Gazdic for some bad body language, but such is Leon the Great. He does his own thing. GAS: ES +4/-0; ST 1/0

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Connor Brown, 8. Put on the second line and likely had his best game of the year. He won a board battle on Edmonton’s first Grade A of the game. He kicked off the Virtuous Cycle on Edmonton’s second goal, winning a board battle in his own zone. GAS: ES +3/-0; ST 1/0

Vasili Podkolzin, 8. His hard work paid off big time tonight. Just missed on a tip opportunity off a Connor Brown pass in the first, then set up Drai’s one-timer. Edmonton did well with 18 shots in the first, but only were rewarded on the 19th, Podkolzin ripping in a feed from Draisaitl, his first goal of the year. GAS: ES +2/-1; ST 0/0

Adam Henrique, 7. He got off a Grade A shot late in the first off a Skinner-Nurse-Janmark combo passing play. He rushed up ice to set up a short-handed tip by Janmark. Excellent back pass and Total Eclipse of the Sun screen on Bouchard’s snipe, Edmonton’s fourth goal. GAS: ES +3/-0; ST 1/0

Jeff Skinner, 6. Got it done. He made a nice pass to set up a Grade A shot late in the second. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST 0/0

Mattias Janmark, 8. This was playoff Janmark in this one, hungry and effective. Excellent play on Nurse’s shortie, charging in to win the puck in the o-zone, then going around town with the puck before zipping a seamer to Nurse. Almost scored his own shortie on a second period hard-to-the-net and tip shot. He won the puck, then passed it to Bouchard for Edmonton’s fourth goal. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST 2/0

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Derek Ryan, 5. Quiet game  GAS: ES +0/-0; ST 0/0

Drake Caggiula 7. Big impact in limited ice time. He knocked Kaapo Kakko off his feet with a big hit early on, stopping a NYR rush. He blocked a key shot on a Rangers scramble play in the second. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST 0/0

Corey Perry, 4. Weak on the Rangers goal against. He lost a board battle, then abandoned the shooter Panarin on NYR’s first goal.
GAS: ES +1/-0; ST 0/0

Evan Bouchard, 7. Goal and an assist. High event, but much more good than bad. He did not take the pre-game skate and fought of illness to play this game. He hammered a hard shot on net late in the first that Ekholm almost tipped in, the game’s first 5-alarms shot. he ripped in a slot shot through Henrique’s screen for Edmonton’s fourth goal. Brilliant pass to McD at the side of the net for Edmonton’s fifth goal. GAS: ES +3/-3; ST 0/0

Mattias Ekholm 6. Quiet game but a solid one.  GAS: ES +0/-0; ST 0/0

Darnell Nurse, 7. Great to see him back and playing well. He looked iffy on his first few shifts, shaky with the puck, not surprising after coming back from such a savage hit. but made a solid keep-in. He smartly moved up into the o-zone and took time to pick his spot on short-handed slot shot late in the first for Edmonton’s second goal. He got caught up ice and let in Zibanejad for a Grade A. His late turnover led to the second Rangers goal. GAS: ES +2/-2; ST 1/0

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Brett Kulak, 6. Solid and quiet game, after a few leaky matches.
GAS: ES +0/-1; ST 0/0.

Ty Emberson, 6. Another solid game,
GAS: ES +1/-1; ST 0/0

Troy Stecher, 6. His battle won kicked off the scoring sequence on Edmonton’s six goal. He kept a clean sheet at even strength, not one major mistake on a Grade A shot against at even strength. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST 0/0

Stuart Skinner, 7. Two bad moments, but plenty of good ones in a generally quiet night in net. He fought through heavy traffic to stop outside shots both early and late in the first. He faced his first Grade A shot six minutes into the second period, stopping it. A moment later he turned over the puck leading to a scramble and Grade A shot by Jonny Brodzinski, a hockey name if there ever was one. He muffed Panarin’s shot on New York’s first goal. But a moment later he thwarted Chris Kreider on a 5-alarmer at the side of the net. A mega save off of Alexis Lafreniere early in the third. Beat in garbage time on the second Rangers goal.

At the Cult of Hockey

McCURDY: Oilers struggling on home ice. Why? 

STAPLES: You don’t want to know how bad the Oilers goaltending has been

Staples on politics

Injury lawers won’t like Alberta’s new car insurance plan, but will it work for you? Hmm

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