Oilers get the monkey off their back with 4-3 OT win over the Flyers

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You know the old saying, “whatever can go wrong will go wrong”?

Well, it was all that and more for the Edmonton Oilers against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night. A bizarre series of goals allowed and not allowed saw the opening frame end 2-0 Flyers and left a fan base wondering if this club was abut to fall to 0-4 on the year.

But Edmonton battled back, first with pucks and then with fists, turning this game into a highly entertaining 4-3 Overtime affair…especially for those of the old school persuasion. A lot of hard work by the Bottom-six early, and the big guns late.

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Here is the tale of the tape…

STUART SKINNER. 6. His best game of the season so far. The instant replay showed the 1-0 going past Skinner after his pad was pushed aside by the Flyer’s player. Skinner should have his post. But is the blue paint his or not? I will not argue in his favor on the 2-0, though, that is when your team really needed a save. Little chance on the Ekholm deflection. But with the game 3-2 Skinner gave his team a puncher’s chance: A stop on Sanheim. A save on Tippett. A sharp pad save on Konecny. Another stop off Tippett up high. Dumped hard by Couturier but no call was made. But Skinner gave his club a chance to win…and they did.

CONNOR McDAVID. 6. A steal and a pass in front to Hyman who was stoned. Sharp defensive eye prevented a Philly goal net side. A slick feed across the ice to a hard charging Evan Bouchard who swatted home the 3-3. Then, after getting foiled on a breakaway in O/T he re-collected the puck and fed a wide-open Leon Draisaitl for the game winner. Might have there been a tripping call on ninety-seven prior to that? Maybe so. But it is not like the Flyers did not benefit from a call or four prior to that. 55% in the circle. Still not at the top of his game yet, but they do not win this game without him, either.

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LEON DRAISAITL. 6. Fine feed across to Perry home rang the post. Hard one-timer off the post early in the second. Hit the post on the PP. Backcheck on the same man advantage foiled a Flyers opportunity. Undisciplined cross-checking penalty at the end of the second (which he was benched for). Redeemed himself with the game on the line. First, made a spectacular backhand pass to McDavid who then fed Bouchard for the 3-3. Then, snapped home the 4-3 winner in O/T. 77% on draws. Big impact on the game late, but the grade comes down a step for putting his club in a bad spot to begin with.

ZACH HYMAN. 4. It was his “presence” in front that led to the apparent 2-1 goal being called back. Could not put home the McDavid feed from behind the net. Can not seem to get on track.

EVAN BOUCHARD. 5. Beat the puck square in the first period, as a serious case of the yips saw one puck after another bobbled or turned over. Appeared to have scored the 2-1 on a hard slapper but it was called back for (wait for it) goaltender’s interference. His rough night bled into the second with a blueline bobble early and a penalty late which led to the 3-2. But after all that, he darted in from the point and swatted home the 3-3 late in the third. And there is no debating his 24-9 CF 5v5.

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MATTIAS EKHOLM. 5. Stick knocked out of his hands on an Oilers sortie but no called resulted. Rang the bar in the second. The 3-2 went off his stick and in right at the end of the second frame. Four shots, 2 blocks. Not his best performance, perhaps, but also led the club in TOI at 25:56.

RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS. 3. Not a good performance at all. A bad turnover on a third period power play. Crushed in 5v5 CF. 40% on draws.

VASILY PODKOLZIN. 4. Played 9:43, and did not do a whole lot with it with the puck. He did contribute four hits.

VICTOR ARVIDSSON. 5. He could not cash in on a nice setup from Kulak and Emberson. Good second period back check. Best guy on the line by quite a bit.

DARNELL NURSE. 7. He was in No Man’s Land on the 2-0 goal, with the ultimate result being the Flyer shooter with all kinds of time and space to tee it up. Part of five zone clears on the PK. Could not cash on a Henrique rebound. Strong defensive play disrupted the developing Flyers 2-on-1. Terrific keep at the attacking blueline, earning a second assist on the 2-2. Three more clears on a third period PK. 2 hits, 23:28 over 30 shifts. Played with an edge.

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TROY STECHER. 8. Won a battle along the wall to eventually clear the zone on the PK (with help from Ryan). Very effective alongside Nurse on that second pairing. High Dangers 5v5 3-0. His grade has been elevated one full point from a “7” to an “8”, for tossing off the gloves and fighting Sean Couturier after the latter ran down Stuart Skinner (with no call forthcoming). No doubt he won the respect of his teammates as well as 18,000+ in Rogers Place.

ADAM HENRIQUE. 7. He was excellent. Some valuable time on the PK in the first with a number of faceoff wins and zone clears. Narrowed the lead to 2-1 with a fine backhand, burying a Janmark rebound. Created a wide-open look for Nurse. Drew a second period PP. A D-zone draw on the PK, and an important kill seconds later. A faceoff win turned into an Ekholm shot. 56% on draws. Excellent on the penalty kill. 5v5 20-11, 65%.

JEFF SKINNER. 7. Slick, no-look pass to Brown on the 2-2. Hit a post. A good feed to Arvidsson for a third period shot. Drove the net and drew a hooking call in the third. Good shot off a Brown feed. Led the Oilers forwards in 5v5 CF (22-7, 76%). He has really come on after a quiet training camp.

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CONNOR BROWN. 7. Opened up the center lane on the 2-1. Snapped home the 2-2 goal on a fine passing play from Nurse and Skinner. Found Skinner again late in the third. Effective.

BRETT KULAK. 5. Not quick to or strong enough on his man at the side of the net on the controversial 1-0 goal. Good feed to Arvidsson for a late first period chance. Headman pass to Janmark earned the second assist on the 2-1. Second period high stick. High Dangers 5v5 5-3.

TY EMBERSON. 4. Still struggling. A nice headman pass later in the first eventually led to an Arvidsson shot on net. But beat clean by Tippett but Skinner bailed him out. Another turnover a shift later. HDSC’s 1-3.

DEREK RYAN. 5. Played a small but significant role. Drew a first period PP. Second period PK clear. Third period D-zone faceoff win. Just 7:14 but two takeaways and 67% on draws.

MATTIAS JANMARK. 6. Powered the puck up the left-hand side on the 2-1 goal then got the puck on net, leaving a nice rebound for Henrique. Added in two hits. Solid.

COREY PERRY. 5. Took what will surely be one of the softest slashing calls of the year, leading to the 2-0. Whistled a Draisaitl pass off the crossbar in the second. Dropped the mitts and got the better of Joel Farabee. That elevated his mark one full grade as well.

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So, the Oilers season record goes to 1-3. On the road to Nashville and Dallas next.

Now on Threads @kleavins. Also, find me on Twitter @KurtLeavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and Mastodon at [email protected]. This article is not AI generated.

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