Big mistakes, bad special teams sink a good start in Edmonton ...

Edmonton played 40 minutes of a solid game against a very good Golden Knights club on Wednesday night. And even in the face of a hard Vegas push the Oilers had hung on deep into the third period with a 2-2 tie. It should have been at least one point in the standings.

But then Edmonton’s best D-pairing coughed up a bad goal with under a minute remaining, then an empty netter salted it away.

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The Oilers’ special teams continue to studder and stall, 0-1 on the man advantage, one more allowed on the league’s worst PK.

Make the final 4-2 Vegas (EN). Here is the tale of the tape…

Here is the tale of the tape…

STUART SKINNER. 6. Aggressive stop right at his crease off Holtz in the first frame. Handled another puck in the middle of a goal mouth scramble. A point-blank save off Karlsson in the first. No chance on the 1-0, a nifty move on an Eichel breakaway. Important saves off Eichel and Hertl on the PP (two of four on that man advantage, plus a wide-open net missed by Stone) just before Edmonton made it 2-1 at the other end. Closed out the second by stopping Holtz twice more, including a fine glove grab. The 2-2 was a seeing-eye writer from the point that squeezed through 5-hole. Yes, there was a screen, but you need a save there. Left to his own devices on the 3-2. Stopped 31 of 34 shots.

CONNOR McDAVID. 5. A chance up the middle midway through the first but the puck got bouncing on him. Up-ice on the 1-0. Pass over to Skinner for a dangerous one-timer. A thrilling end-to-end rush ending with a 5-hole bid that Hill managed to squeeze his pads on. 62% in the circle. Not quite himself, just yet, in his first game back from that ankle injury.

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JEFF SKINNER. 5. The high man on the 1-0 goal and between he and Bouchard, both men lost their check in the neutral zone. Hard one-timer off a McDavid feed to open the second, one of two good chances. The trio did not seem to mesh early, but came on a bit in  the second.

ZACH HYMAN. 5. Fine back check right to his own net part-way through the second. Rewarded for his hustling forecheck with a helpful bounce that Hyman then grabbed and squeezed short side for the 2-1. -2. Seven hits.

EVAN BOUCHARD. 3. A hard slapper on his initial shift. Could not get a shot through on the PP. Caught flat-footed in the neutral zone and then failed to turn with his check, creating a Vegas 2-on-1 and the 1-0. Not a good look, at all. Then got puck watching again in his own zone and completely lost his man on the 3-2. Not good enough. His fancy stats were good, but the eye test tells another, far less flattering story. -2.

MATTIAS EKHOLM. 4. Lone man back on the 1-0 goal and unable to get a stick on the lead pass through to Eichel. Dump-in on the 2-1. A rare 5-alarm mistake in the D-zone led directly to the 3-2. -2.

LEON DRAISAITL. 5. Set up Bouchard for an early chance. Found Kulak off the rush a couple shifts later. An exchange with Arvidsson led to another shot. Hard wrister off the rush but Hill found it with the glove just in time. O-zone steal part-way through the middle frame. Nearly made it 3-2 with a spin-o-rama back-hand early in the third. 50-50 on draws.

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VASILY PODKOLZIN. 5. An excellent back check probably saved a goal shortly after the Oilers had taken the 2-1 lead. Twice set up Arvidsson with early third period passes. Three hits.

VICTOR ARVIDSSON. 5. Shot off a high cycle with Draisaitl in the first. Five shots lead the Oilers, including a terrific chance in the third that somehow stayed out.

DARNELL NURSE. 7. Strong performance. Tidy stick check on Stone early. Drew a first period PP. A quick release from the point was key to getting the shot through from the point on the 1-1. 23:53 to lead the team, an assist, two shots, 3 blocks and a hit. 5v5 CF 27-20, 57%. High Dangers 8-3 5v5.

TROY STECHER. 4. Good D-zone stick interrupted a Vegas chance in the second. Second period hook. Left for the room later in the third after being hit with a shot and did not return. HDSC’s 4-1 5v5.

RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS. 4. Nice job holding the zone on a first period PP. Skate-shot right in front off a lovely feed from Kulak. Could not cash on a good net side setup by Brown. No assist but good work on the 1-1. Sifted a pass through to Henrique for an excellence shot in front. Took a needless O-zone holding penalty and Vegas capitalized on the mistake with the tying goal. Docked a full grade for that.

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ADAM HENRIQUE. 5. Bang-bang play in front off a good Nugent-Hopkins pass. Scoring chances 9-5 with him on the ice. A couple clears in his share on the PK duties. Henrique, Nugent-Hopkins, and Brown seemed to have some chemistry.

CONNOR BROWN. 6. Part of a good sortie in the first that led to a Nugent-Hopkins chance. A hard drive to the net in the second created a chance for Nugent-Hopkins. Some good work and a secondary assist on the 1-1. Tremendous back check on Pearson prevented a tap-in.

BRETT KULAK. 8. Was excellent…again. Almost squeezed one past Hill early in the first. Fine feed over to Nugent-Hopkins in the first. Tied it at one with a splendid tip from the high slot. Solid 1-on-1 stop on Eichel in the third. 5v5 CF 26-19, 58%, HDSC’s 8-3. The game’s Third Star. The Oilers’ best player.

TY EMBERSON. 5. Started very slow but to his credit picked it up as the night went on. Smart neutral zone stick interrupted a developing Vegas rush in the second. A heavy hit on Holtz to open the third. Four hits.

DEREK RYAN. 5. This line was quite good. Good first period O-zone time, especially early. Back-to-back D-zone faceoff losses on a second period PK. But 55% on draws over-all. 60% CF 5v5.

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MATTIAS JANMARK. 5. Part of effective back-to-back shifts in the first. Net front chance off a Perry pass. Took a heavy hit that looked bad but fortunately returned.

COREY PERRY. 5. A key part of two extended cycles deep in the Vegas zone on back-to-back shifts in the first. Also created a chance for Janmark in the second.

The Oilers season record goes to 6-7-1. Vancouver is 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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