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Oilers Comeback in Series Saving Win - Tied at 2-2 |
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So that was a game.
It looked bleak early on. Edmonton should have come out of the gates ready to do whatever they could to tie this series back up. Instead they looked listless and downright shell shocked as the Kings pressed their attack over and over again. Suddenly after the first period the team looked dead in the water and in a near impossible to climb out of 3-1 series deficit.
Instead the Oilers remembered how to play hockey in the second period and started taking shots and moving their feet. The Kings were forced to take some penalties and Edmonton made them pay. In the final seconds of the second period we had a 3-3 game.
All of the momentum Edmonton had somehow died completely between periods 2 and 3 and the team stopped doing the things that were giving them success and when Matt Roy had the go ahead goal in the first 5 minutes of the game it looked like things were done.
That was until Evander Kane ripped one in the final 5 minutes and tied things up. It was maybe the Oilers only good look in the third period and no other shots really were much threat for Korpisalo.
We have seen the Oilers track record in playoff OT so I wasn't feeling confident until a boarding penalty was called against the Kings (not sure why it wasn't reviewed for a 5 minute major) and the Oilers who were 2 for 2 on the PP went to work. Unfortunately they were not able to score and it felt like that was going to be it for the Oilers.
That was until Zach Hyman, who has been quiet for the entire series and worse, took a needlessly dumb penalty earlier in this game, scored his first of the post-season off of a brilliant pass by Evan Bouchard. We now have a best of 3 series with the Oilers once again holding home ice advantage.
Some other thoughts:
- Darnell Nurse was absolutely brutal in this game and I hope Woodcroft has a long sit down with him today. Nurse's decisions away from the puck were directly to blame for three of the goals scored against Edmonton. Inexcusable plays.
- I need to find the stats for how many times Nurse and Ceci ice the puck. Ekholm, Kulak, and Bouchard are all excellent and taking that extra second to wait for a good pass to get into the offensive end. Ceci and Nurse both handle the puck like a grenade and just send it flying out.
- Kulak didn't have any points but I thought he played a fantastic game for the Oilers, skated for days, and jumped into the play at appropriate times. Loved his game and hope to see more of that.
- Desharnais also had an ugly game and was responsible for the third goal against after just getting walked by Kopitar. Desharnais did not step onto the ice in the third period. Broberg had to play more minutes and I thought the rookie did a great job at keeping his head up and making smart plays.
- Wild games for both Kane and Hyman. Earlier in the game Kane took a bad hit on his leg and was in severe pain on the bench but decided to tough it out and ended up scoring the game tying goal. Hyman also was invisible or a direct liability through most of the game until he scored the OT winner. Hopefully both of these goals help these players reset and do the things that made them successful in the regular season.
- Officiating in still the story of this series. Especially in the first period, the Oilers looked like they were afraid to hit anyone and take a phantom call as they had in prior games. Again, I don't believe that matches are fixed. But calls have been inconsistent on both sides and that is tough for players to adapt to when they have no idea how the refs are going to call a game.
- This was the first game where I would say the Oilers got more of the benefit of doubt and got some calls that if I was a Kings fan I would likely be enraged by. Maybe the refs felt they owed Edmonton some calls after hosing them in Game 3. Can we please just get consistent calls for both teams moving forward now?
- Jack Campbell looked highly nervous and shaky coming into the game in the second period but ended up settling in nicely and made a few key saves, including a potentially series saving one late in the third period. I would still go back to Skinner in Game 5. Skinner is the goalie that got you here and the team just folded completely in front of him in the first period.
- Leon Draisaitl has been legendary thus far for the Oilers. He has been on the ice for every EV goal that the Oilers have scored in this series. Phenomenal numbers but other lines need to step up and start producing too.
- Evan Bouchard also deserves credit for his first goal as well as his brilliant pass in OT. Bouchard is playing with some confidence right now and is giving the Kings all sorts of trouble with his ability to toe the line and still get shots on net. Bouchard leads all defensemen in the post season with 7 points and 2 goals.
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The Edmonton Oilers played easily their worst game overall of the series while LA arguably played their best and the Oilers were still able to find a way to secure the win. Hopefully Edmonton has finally learned how to stay disciplined and how to attack the net against Korpisalo. The Oilers have the chance to put themselves back in the driver seat and force the Kings into an elimination scenario on Tuesday evening back in Edmonton.
Thanks for reading!
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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