Player grades: Edmonton Oilers show their grit in tough 4-3 win over ...

The Edmonton Oilers took a tight-checking game to overtime and beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 on a great goal by scoring ace Zach Hyman.

In total the Grade A shots were 15 for the Oilers, 16 for the Jets, with the subset of 5-alarm shots eight for the Oilers, five for the Jets.

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Connor McDavid, 7. Quiet for the first half of the game. He was late on the backcheck but still able to get a stick on Nino Niederreiter to deny him a 5-alarm shot in the second. A moment later he was part of the passing combo play to set up Edmonton’s first goal. He went wide, then set up RNH’s power play goal, the third for Edmonton. Contributions to Grade A Shots (GAS): Even Strength +3/-1; Special Teams +2/-0.

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Zach Hyman, 8. He came close to scoring in the first, almost slamming in a rebound off Mattias Ekholm’s outside shot. Otherwise was part of tight-checking game and made little noise until he charged up ice in OT and slammed in the winner. GAS: ES +4/-1; ST +0/-0. 

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 7. He watched his missed shot a moment too long late in the first, leading to a 3-on-2 rush and Sean Monahan’s breakaway. He was puck-watching, as opposed to covering off the danger man, Mason Appleton, on Winnipeg’s first goal. He went hard to the net and slammed home McDavid’s pass for Edmonton’s third goal. making up for previous mistakes. He got a late penalty on a missed call by the refs, betting blame when a Winnipeg player got his stick into a teammate’s face. But he got some justice, taking the puck up ice, then going to the net on Hyman’s winning goal. GAS: ES +2/-2; ST +1/-1. 

Leon Draisaitl, 6. High event game, some good on the attack, but some bad on defence. He slammed a cross-seam pass on net early in the second. GAS: ES +3/-3; ST +1/-0. 

Adam Henrique, 6. Quiet but no major mistakes in tough game. He led the forwards with 2:50 on Edmonton’s solid PK. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0. 

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Warren Foegele, 7. He was flying out there, looking at home in the Top Six. Charged up ice, made a great move, then set up Draisaitl for a one-timer early in the second. He made a fine pass to set up Draisaitl on Edmonton’s first goal. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST +0/-0. 

Ryan McLeod, 5. Quiet game but did his job well enough, including on the PK. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +0/-0. 

Evander Kane, 6. He was out to hit and hammered Nate Schmidt with a hard one late in the first. He got a breakaway in the second but could not drain his shot or the rebound. He tied for Nurse and Hyman with the shot lead for the Oilers, with six. GAS: ES +3/-0; ST +0/-0. 

Corey Perry, 6. He took a fight with Mount Logan Stanley, elevation 12-feet, 11-inches, early to drag his team into the game. He got a hard shot on net on a scramble play in the second. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +0/-0. 

Mattias Janmark, 5. Part of Edmonton’s winning PK effort, quiet otherwise. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0. 

Derek Ryan, 7. Came up big in a game just as he is battling for a spot in the line-up. He chased the puck around the boards early on the PK, leading to Mark Scheifele’s 5-alarm harpoon. He charged the net and caused confusion on Brown’s goal. Brown hit him with a pass early in the third and on his net drive he drew a penalty. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST +0/-1. 

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Connor Brown, 7. He smoked in a slot shot for Edmonton’s second goal, his first crunch time goal of the year. He charged up ice and set up Ryan for a Grade A shot early in the third. He allowed the pass leading to Brendan Dillon’s goal in the third. It was Brown’s third goal in six games. GAS: ES +2/-2; ST +0/-0. 

Mattias Ekholm, 5. Lots of mistakes, a few good plays. He fell down at the blueline, causing a 3-on-2 early on and a flurry of dangerous Jets shots. He let in Ehlers breakaway early in the second but the Jets forward missed the net. He set up Brown for his goal. GAS: ES +2/-4; ST +0/-0. 

Evan Bouchard, 5. He leaked a few Grade As in the first, giving up too much space, then failing to cut out a pass. Excellent stretch pass to kick off the rush on Edmonton’s first goal. GAS: ES +2/-4; ST +0/-0. 

Darnell Nurse, 7. Plenty to like from Nurse in this one, many solid attacking plays. He got called on a soft penalty early on. He made a thrilling stretch pass to set up Kane’s breakaway in the second. He stood up for Perry in the second, taking on Brendan Dillion after the Jet hit Perry hard. He did great work killing off Edmonton’s four-minute penalty, blocking one key slot pass, then charged up ice for a Grade A shot off his own. He led the team with five hits. GAS: ES +6/-4; ST +0/-0. 

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Cody Ceci, 6. He got his old job back with Nurse, not a bad idea given Desharnais’ struggles in that role. Great pass to kick off a dangerous Oilers rush early in second. He allowed the outside shot on the first Winnipeg goal. He made another fine stretch pass on Brown’s goal-scoring sequence. GAS: ES +2/-3; ST +0/-0. 

Vincent Desharnais, 6. He executed an unintentional Total Eclipse of the Sun screen on Skinner on Winnipeg’s second goal. but was otherwise sound. He led the team with 4:42 on the PK. GAS: ES +1/-2; ST +0/-0. 

Brett Kulak, 5. His iffy pinch early in the game led to a 2-on-1 and 5-alarm Ehlers shot. But generally got the job done. GAS: ES +1/-2; ST +0/-0. 

Stuart Skinner, 6. Strong start to the game, but could not make the saves to hold the lead in the third. Super save two minutes in on a streaking Ehlers, then another on Scheifele a few shifts later. Stopped a nasty Ehlers tip late in the first. He kicked out a rebound that was cashed in on Winnipeg’s first goal. He was screened by Desharnais on the second goal and had little chance on Sean Monahan’s goal, Winnipeg’s third.

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