HOLY JUMPING!!!!!! WHAT A COMEBACK!!!! WHAT…..A…….COMEBACK……!!!!! I’M STILL AT A LOSS OF WORDS!!
Okay back to reality. This team showed such resiliency and effort. They never gave up and the players that we needed to step, stepped up! Leon was up for his first game of the season, Darnell Nurse with his second, they both helped lead the charge with their never give up attitude and made strong cases to stay with the big club.
First Period: This should be game film for the rest of the year to emphasize what NOT to do in a game. The Oilers came out flat footed, disorganized and looked like a bunch of baboons on skates. They were outshot 11-5, out scored 3-0 and this game was looking like it was going to be a blow out. 2 of the 3 goals in the period were just flat out defensive brain farts, a Klefbom turnover (unlike him). He should have been much more aggressive on Torrey Mitchell and forced him to make a play instead of being a screen for Talbot. Klefbom could have tried to force him wide or at least force him to throw a muffin on net, something other than giving him the opportunity to fire a rocket top cheddar on Talbot. Then mere seconds later, Lander decided to guard the invisible man in front and Galchenyuk was left all alone for an easy tap in.
They looked like they had no clue what was going on out there, they couldn’t handle passes, break outs, heaven forbid a pass was made on the tape. Even though he let in 3 goals on 11 shots, Cam Talbot once again was standing tall and keeping the game from going out of control. Kudos to you good sir, Kudos to you!
https://twitter.com/myregularface/status/659927093422239744
Second Period: This was a test, a true test to see how this young group could respond after playing their worst hockey of the year. I most likely can’t repeat what Coach McLellan said in the room during the intermission but I imagine a lot of F bombs were dropped and shame was thrown around like no tomorrow. Whatever was said, worked and it worked like magic.
The Oilers came out with some energy, some actual structure and organization. The boys showed some passion and fight. They showed effort outshooting the Habs 11-5 this period as they hemmed the Canadiens in their zone with a lot more sustained pressure. Quality chances were coming through and you could get a sense they were gonna put one behind the best goalie in the league, Carey Price.
The Breakouts were much cleaner, passes much simpler and crisper, and the intensity and speed picked up rigorously as the Oilers started to determine and set the pace of the game. Then they finally caught a break as Montreal took a penalty late in the game. The Oilers had good puck movement and work off the half wall which lead ultimately to Leon Draisaitl who was behind the net. With a clever little bank shot off of Carey Prices behind ze German got the boys on the board! A bounce that finally went their way.
Yep, that's a goal! @Drat_29's 1st of the season! #MTLvsEDM pic.twitter.com/IY4RL222wZ
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 30, 2015
Third Period: This is the period where the young, quick, talented, hard working Oilers showed up, and boy did they show up! What we witnessed was complete domination by the Oilers in the third period versus the NHL’s best team. Once again led by Connor McDavid, who just seems to take games over when needed. Along with Taylor Hall, these two have driven their respective lines and have turned games around for the Oilers this year. It really feels like the pieces of the puzzle are finally coming together.
The third period began with a fruitless power play but they carried the momentum with them onward after it ended. They had their wheels going, out muscling defenders and beating them to the pucks. The Oilers had the leagues best team on their heels and they had no signs of slowing down.
Connor McDavid made a smart play to fight for the puck, keep it alive and get it to the point man Darnell Nurse but instead of firing it on net, he showed patience and passed it off to Brandon Davidson who walked in and unleashed a bomb that found the back of the net with a little screen from Nail Yakupov. At this point you knew that it was on like Donkey Kong! The Oilers kept this momentum going, the defence was doing an excellent job at making sure the Habs weren’t getting rebounds and that the shots were coming from the outside, making Talbot’s job much easier for the rest of the night.
Entry into the Oilers’ zone got increasingly more difficult from the beginning of the third period as the boys in blue and orange limited the Habs’ third period shots to a measly 5. It was only few shifts later that the line of Yakupov-McDavid-Pouliot struck again with a fantastic play that started in their own zone. A chip up the boards by Yak, then McDavid, with the presence of mind to see Pouliot breaking down the middle ice unmolested, made a nice little one touch pass whilst fending off one of the best defencemen in the NHL, PK Subban; to send Pouliot on a mini breakaway where he fired it home to tie it up!! The building went bananas!
The Oilers didn’t stop there, they continued to put pressure on Montreal’s broken defence, using their speed and support systems to force them into making mistakes. Then… Finally it happened in the last minute of play. Taylor Hall dumps it in, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins uses his speed and out muscles former Oiler Jeff Petry off the puck, circles the net and makes a beautiful pass to a trailing Leon Draisaitl who has a wide open cage to net the go ahead goal! One of the best comebacks I’ve seen in a long time and against the best in the league! OUTSTANDING!!!
VICTORY! #Oilers beat Montreal 4-3! #MTLvsEDM pic.twitter.com/apmqstIRYL
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 30, 2015
Interesting tidbit about the game, a small quote from Coach Mclellan regarding something Taylor Hall did for Leon Draisaitl, if you ever questioned Hall’s leadership, i’d suggest you stop;
" He started slow. Hallsy pulled him aside and said, 'Let's go. Relax. You are a good player.' Then he was more involved" McLellan on Drai.
— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) October 30, 2015
The evening’s Beer League Three Heroes were:
1.Leon Draisaitl – Been high on the kid since before he was drafted. He clearly took what little time he had down in the AHL and used it to his advantage. He looked stronger, smarter; more mature and far less hesitant with the puck. He was going to all the right areas on the ice, and even looked good defensively, oh and he netted the game winner to go along with another. Two goals on the evening!!
2. Connor McDavid – You know I’m getting real sick and tired of putting this kid up here…. Ahhh who am I kidding? I’ll never get tired of it. After an abysmal first he took over this game. His speed couldn’t be handled, his tenacity to get the puck wasn’t matched by any Montreal player, and he made two magnificent plays to set up the tying goal and the second goal. Seven game point streak for the kid including two assists.
3.Ryan Nugent Hopkins – He played the most minutes of anyone in the game, forward and defence. just over 25 minutes. A great performance was had at both ends of the ice, apart from having an off night in the faceoff circle, he had numerous takeaways. He also really had his legs underneath him, and made an incredible hard working play to set up Dr.Drai for the game winner. This guy is something else. One assist on the night.
You know what the Golden Plunger can sit beside the Toilet today… that was too epic of a comeback, but an honourable mention will just go to the horrible first period.
Here are some post game metrics AKA Fancy stats from our very own Walter Foddis!
Ahhhh yeah, @ctalbot33! #MTLvsEDM pic.twitter.com/LN5GNZVpOQ
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 30, 2015
Helluva of a ride! Especially with that first period where everyone was ready to step off the ledge, to the dominating second and third periods. Those were the catalysts to one of the best comebacks this team has ever seen, especially against the best team in the NHL at this point in time. What the Oilers did in the second and third periods are what they will have to replicate every game. The urgency, the commitment, the extra 10% every shift and not giving up no matter the score. Sticking to the game plan, trusting one another and feeding off each and every player on that bench. This isn’t the team of individual efforts anymore, it’s about creating momentum and possession.
Next game is against the Calgary Flames Saturday night for another installment of the BOA. Last time out it was a bit of a cake walk, but the Oilers can’t expect it to be the same. Calgary hasn’t been playing so hot and is going to be hungry and looking for some vengeance for their last loss against the Oilers. Edmonton will just have to do what they did last game, continue to find the scoring areas, use their speed down the wings and crash the net as either Flames goalie doesn’t have the highest of confidence. Lots of shots, quick movement and sticking to the game plan and the Oilers should walk away with a win, especially after having the momentum they have after this win, and playing Calgary at home. Should be a high energy packed game with the Oilers coming out on top.
Thanks for reading everyone, let me know what you think @madi39 or in the comments section below!
