Player grades: Edmonton Oilers shift into high gear late to thwart ...

It was no beauty, but it was a win, adding to a great beauty of a winning streak. The Edmonton Oilers beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1 and extend their winning streak to 14 games.

Columbus outplayed Edmonton slightly in the first, then significantly in the second, outshooting Edmonton 24-13, nine to six on Grade A shots. But Stuart Skinner was solid when he needed to be, coach Kris Knoblauch mixed up the lines in the third period, the Oil shut things down completely on defence and Edmonton forechecked hard, pounding in two goals early in the third. A final goal, a real beauty of forechecking and hustle, came last with Dylan Holloway scoring.

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The Oilers are a weak defensive team according to commentator P.K. Subban but have given up just 17 goals in their last 12 games. Fancy that.

In total, Edmonton had  Grade A shots 16, while CBJ had nine. In the subset of 5-alarm shots, Edmonton had eight, Columbus six. Grade A shots go in on average 25 per cent of the time, 33 per cent for 5-alarmers.

Connor McDavid, 7. Another one point game for McDavid, another win for the Oilers. He got the first Grade A of the game, charging in for a dangerous shot ,then charged in for another later in the frame. He had a goal called back in the second for an offside as small as a nano particle, but then scored in the third when Erik Gudbranson cross-checked Hyman into Elvis Merzlikins. Karma baby. Contributions to Grade A shots (GAS): Even Strength +5/-0; Special Teams +1/-0.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 6. He was put on a line with Foegele and Kane in the third, went to the net hard, saw the puck deflect off his skate on the post, with Kane cashing in the rebound. GAS: ES +3/-1; ST +1/-0.

Zach Hyman, 6. Hyman got going in the third as the Oil got going. He made a weak backcheck late in the second, allowing for a Grade A CBJ shot. He was shoved into Merzlikins on McDavid’s goal, a credit to Hyman’s net presence. I suppose he wanted to show Corey Perry that there are already some clever gamers on the Oilers. GAS: ES +4/-1; ST +0/-0.

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Leon Draisaitl, 6. Up and down game. First period saw him with a few mistakes leading to Grade A shots against, but he also put two Grade A shots on net. He set up McDavid’s goal in the third. GAS: ES +3/-3; ST +2/-0.

Evander Kane, 8. He’s bringing his “A” game again. He charged in fast and determined on the power play to set up Foegele’s goal. Early in the second he blasted Adam Fantilli with a wicked hit but then let him free for a Grade A slot shot. Kane has got the gift of the goal as he knows where they are scored, between the rocks and the hard places on the ice, which is where he drove in Edmonton’s second goal. A bit later, he skated in fast and pounded a shot off the post. GAS: ES +2/-2; ST +1/-0.

Warren Foegele, 7. Another good game. He made up for an early turnover and Grade A shot against by charging in on the power play and deflecting the puck in the net. He also zapped a rebound shot on net in the third on the Kane scoring sequence. GAS: ES +3/-1; ST +1/-0.

Ryan McLeod, 7. He allowed the pass on Gaudreau’s breakaway in the first. Looked better in the third on a line with speedy Holloway in the third. He made a great play on Holloway’s goal, winning a battle as he rushed up ice and passed over to Kulak. GAS: ES +3/-1; ST +0/-0.

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Dylan Holloway, 7. The kid looks great. He set up Brown for a decent shot early in the third. Then McLeod set him up for a Grade A backhander. He started off his own goal-scoring sequence by getting the puck out of the Edmonton net then going to the net to slam home Brown’s rebound. GAS: ES +3/-0; ST +0/-0.

Connor Brown, 6. He had another Charlie Brown moment late in the second, the puck skittering under his stick on a wide open 2-on-1 chance late in the second. But he won a board battle on Holloway’s scoring play, then went up ice to drive a nasty shot on net. Once again he was good on the PK. GAS: ES +3/-0; ST +0/-0.

Mattias Janmark, 4. Quiet game. Too quiet. But some OK work on the PK. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0.

Derek Ryan, 4. Also a quiet game. Also to quiet. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0.

Sam Gagner, 3. Not his night. He fell down and flubbed making a pass, kicking off the Sequence of Pain on the first CBJ goal. He played just 7:44. GAS: ES +0/-1; ST +0/-0.

Mattias Ekholm, 6. Kept things generally under control when he was on the ice. After an outside shot and rebound attempt, he saved a goal clearing the puck out of an open crease. He led the team with five hits. GAS: ES +0/-2; ST +0/-0.

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Evan Bouchard, 5. Seemed a bit out of sync running a somewhat out of sync Edmonton power play. Otherwise was OK with a few sharp passes. He led the team playing 23:36. GAS: ES +2/-1; ST +0/-0.

Darnell Nurse, 5. Some good, some bad. He wandered up ice and got caught in the Red Light Zone — not covering anyone and not covering a passing or shooting lane — on two early Grade A shots in quick succession. He stopped a dangerous cross-seam pass early in the second. GAS: ES +1/-2; ST +0/-0.

Cody Ceci, 6. Quiet game but in a good way. Little damage to Edmonton when he was on the ice. He led the team with four blocked shots. GAS: ES +0/-1; ST +0/-0.

Vincent Desharnais, 4. He and Kulak were both caught up ice on the Gaudreau breakaway. Two solid blocks on the PK in the second. Blasted Gaudreau with a hit. GAS: ES +0/-2; ST +0/-0.

Brett Kulak, 8. Great game. On the downside, the Gaudreau breakaway. On the plus, his fine slapshot was crucial to the goal-scoring sequence on Kane’s score. He made a sharp pass to Brown in the lead up to Holloway’s goal. GAS: ES +5/-1; ST +0/-0.

Stuart Skinner, 8. Huge first period with a number of stupendous scramble saves, then a wicked glove snag of Johnny Gaudreau’s breakaway snipe. He had little chance on the first goal against. Another huge save, this time on Kuraly, late in the second. Nothing much to stop in the third, but a great game.

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