Edmonton Oilers’ topsy-turvy road trip took another turn on Sunday night, this one for the better. In a wild back-and-forth battle with St. Louis Blues, the Oilers blew a 2-goal lead in the third period but came out on top when Kailer Yamamoto scored to break a 4-4 tie with just 28 seconds left in regulation time.
It’s been a weird trip that has seen the Oil drop a pair of games they were strongly favoured to win in Detroit and Buffalo, but battle through a fair bit of adversity to beat two top-level opponents in Boston and now St. Louis.
One would never know it by the score, but netminder Mikko Koskinen played a massive part in the win, making a number of ten-bell saves as the Blues peppered him with rubber both at even strength and on their #2 ranked powerplay which was highly effective in 5 opportunities. The Blues held the edge in play, producing a 39-32 count on the shot clock, a 19-8 edge in High Danger Scoring Chances, and a 19-15 advantage by our own (preliminary) count of Grade A shots here at the Cult of Hockey .
#2 Duncan Keith, 4. Oilers defenders were under the gun all night, and the Keith-Ceci pairing were no exception with some difficult moments at both even strength and on the penalty kill. Koskinen was the only reason they weren’t scorched for more than just the one goal against (the 2-2). Keith was victimized on 4 Grade A looks at even strength and 5 more on the PK. Did make a couple of fine passes, including one that set up 97-29-13 for a pair of good chances early in the third.
#5 Cody Ceci, 5. See Keith comment above. He did pick up an assist with a good stretch pass on McDavid’s buzzer beater at the end of the first.
#6 Kris Russell, 5. Made a couple of good defensive stops and a gutsy shot block, but was scorched by a cross-crease pass right through his lane on the 4-3.
#8 Kyle Turris, 6. Earned a sharp assist with a good keep-in and pass to Foegele in the build-up to McLeod’s tally. Involved in a couple of other good looks by the Oil. Was, however, beaten in the defensive slot on the 4-4.
#10 Derek Ryan, 5. Logged just 5:38 at even strength. Played a big role on the penalty kill (3:32 to lead all forwards), even as he too was bailed out by his goaltender more than once. His major contribution was an excellent 9/11=82% on the faceoff dot including 3/4=75% on the PK.
#13 Jesse Puljujarvi, 5. Created his usual mayhem around the puck and mustered a couple of decent shots on net. Not his finest hour handling the puck cleanly. Made what could have been a critical error covering the slot on Ryan O’Reilly’s great chance with a minute to play, but Koskinen had his team’s back once again.
#16 Tyler Benson, 5. Logged just 4:25 on a lightly-used fourth line, but that was enough time to lead the Oilers with 3 hits. Played with energy and enthusiasm.
#18 Zach Hyman, 7. A strange game where the puck was bouncing on him a lot, with a couple of scoring chances lost in the process. Didn’t muster a single shot on net, but was instrumental in the first 2 Oilers goals, earning assists on both. Made a fine rush and centring pass to McDavid on the 1-1 at the very end of the first, then provided an effective screen on Draisaitl’s powerplay tally. Interecpted a puck and fed Puljujarvi for another dangerous look. His line spent a lot of time in its own end, but the problems weren’t occurring on Hyman’s side of the ice. Played a whopping 22:21 including significant time on both special teams, and contributed to a brilliant defensive shift deep in St. Louis territory as the Oilers worked the clock after Yamamoto’s game winner.
#19 Mikko Koskinen, 8. He was the only reason the Oilers were in the game at 1-1 after the first period, turning aside 8 of 9 Grade A shots. His finest moment(s) came with a rapid sequence of 3 exceptional saves off Brandon Saad at the edge of the crease, getting a pad down to seal off the initial deflection, stretching out to get a toe on the first rebound, then a near-miraculous paddle stop on the follow-up, followed by a superb job to control the puck in the blue paint thereafter. More of the same in the second, when the Blues again pelted him with 8 Grade A shots of which only 1 got through. Less busy in the 3rd, but had zero chance on either of the 2 that beat him. Came up ginormous with a minute to play when he stoned O’Reilly from point blank range to keep the score tied and set the stage for the even-later dramatics. 39 shots, 35 saves, and a truly non-representative .897 save percentage. Koskinen won’t even get credited with a quality start but he sure as heck delivered one.
#22 Tyson Barrie, 4. Had a complete clean sheet on the event summary, not so much as an official shot attempt (though we at CoH rated him for one jam shot after a McLeod wraparound attempt). Lost a key battle when the Blues got a Grade A+ chance just 7 seconds after they’d tied the game 2-2, but Koskinen delivered a massive stop.
#25 Darnell Nurse, 4. Among the defensive culprits on 2 Blues goals, beaten by key passes on both the 1-0 and the 4-4. Did manage a secondary assist on the game-winner.
#29 Leon Draisaitl, 9. Another outstanding game in all facets. His line with RNH and Yamamoto was Edmonton’s best both by eye and on paper, producing outstanding shot shares on a night their mates were largely in chase mode. (Oilers outshot the Blues 13-6 during Draisaitl’s 18 minutes at even strength, while by our count he contributed to 9 Grade A shots by the Oilers at even strength, just 1 against.) Scored 1-2-3 to add to his league lead in both goals and points. Pounded home another one-timer on the powerplay to break a 1-1 tie early in the second. Minutes later made a superb centring pass to RNH on the 3-2. Then made a fine rush, stop-up, and centring pass to Yamamoto for the game winner. Topped it off with a brilliant shift as the clock wound down, first winning the faceoff from O’Reilly, then twice disrupting Blues breakout plays to keep the puck deep.
#37 Warren Foegele, 6. His key contribution was a drop pass that McLeod buried for the 4-2. Was it a planned play or did the puck roll off his stick? Only Foegele knows for sure. But he was in a good spot creating a dangerous chance and it certainly worked out.
#56 Kailer Yamamoto, 8. His night got off to an unpromising start when he was set up twice by Draisaitl in the slot and failed to get a shot on net, firing wide of the target on one and double-clutching on the other that had this observer mumbling about his need to develop an effective one-timer. But made up for it in a big way later. Earned his first assist of the season on RNH’s first goal of the season, jumping high(-ish) to cut off a clearing shot along the left wing boards, then feed it to Draisaitl down low for the killer pass. His big moment came in the game’s final minute when he burst into the slot, accepted Drai’s centring pass and did indeed fire an effective one-timer that overpowered Craig Billington.
#70 Colton Sceviour, 4. Took a killer penalty late in the first, moments after the Oilers had barely survived 2 prior Blues powerplays. Sure enough, they converted their third chance after just 7 seconds. Was also in frame on the 4-3 goal, losing a battle to big Colton Parayko in the corner. Did have 2 shots and a team-high 3 hits in his 7:23 of action, and chipped in nearly 3 minutes on the penalty kill. He does lots of “the little things” right; I can see why coaches like him.
#71 Ryan McLeod, 7. Has come alive on this road trip and was rewarded in St. Louis with his first NHL goal, when he jumped on Foegele’s “pass” and fired a one-timer off the backhand side that found the top of the net behind Binnington. Came just 8 seconds after RNH had put the Oilers in front and sent the Oilers to the room with a should-be-comfortable 2-goal cushion. Skated well, moved the puck OK and dominated the faceoff dot with 9/11=82%, matching Ryan for the team lead on a night the team as a whole went 38/61=62%.
#75 Evan Bouchard, 4. Had his struggles defensively, finding himself on the wrong side of more than one Blues attacker. Beaten by a cross-ice pass on the St. Louis powerplay goal, and lost a battle on the 4-4 when the goal scorer got inside of him and into the blue paint for the tap in. Had 1 decent look at the other end. Played 23:46 to lead all Oilers (1 second more than Nurse!), and also topped all penalty killers with 4:16, contributing some good clears to that effort.
#93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 8. All over the puck all night. Appeared determined to break his season-long goal drought, and finally got rewarded when he converted a Draisaitl feed with a quick shot through both defender and goaltender to put the Oilers in front 3-2. That was just 1 of the 8 shots he fired over the course of the game, each of them on target. Nearly scored earlier when he won a puck battle in his own territory on the penalty kill, sped up ice, used Hyman as a decoy and nearly jammed one home from the edge of the crease, drawing a penalty in the process. Drew another later in the game, while taking one of his own along the way. His on-ice shot share of 73% was best on the team.
#97 Connor McDavid, 7. Scored a splendid goal in the dying seconds of the first to send his team to the room with a better scoreline at 1-1 than they had earned with their play. A big lift at a key moment. In the process became the fastest player this century to reach 600 career points. Followed up with a fine pass to Draisaitl for the 2–1 early in the second. His line spent a little too much time chasing the game — shots on net were a high-event 13 for, 15 against during his nearly 20 minutes at even strength. Did make a key play on that great closing shift. For the fourth game on the road trip was on the receiving end of one foul so obvious that it had to be called… except it wasn’t. Took a penalty of his own which, while deserved in isolation, has to be supremely frustrating.
LEAVINS: Maybe we should all be glad Tortorella is on ESPN — 9 Things
McCURDY: Player grades — Oilers leave 2 points behind in Buffalo
LEAVINS: Player grades — Oilers dig deep for win in Boston
STAPLES: These Oilers are legit, but expect a trade or two
Follow me on Twitter @BruceMcCurdy
HOUSTON (AP) — Brian White scored in the second half to rally the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 1-1 draw with the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday night.
Houston (12-9-8) took a 1-0 lead into halftime after Ezequiel Ponce scored on a penalty kick in the seventh minute of stoppage time. Ponce’s third goal this season came after Amine Bassi drew a foul on Whitecaps midfielder Pedro Vite following a video review. It was Ponce’s sixth career appearance, all starts.
Vancouver (13-8-7) scored the equalizer in the 73rd minute when White, who entered in the 60th, used assists from Fafá Picault and Ryan Gauld to find the net for the 13th time this season. Picault’s assist was his fifth, matching his career high for a single season. Gauld’s assist gives him a career-best 13 on the season.
Yohei Takaoka, who had clean sheets in his last three starts, finished with one save in goal for the Whitecaps.
Steve Clark saved three shots for the Dynamo, who remain one point behind Vancouver in the Western Conference standings.
Houston, which was coming off a 4-1 victory over Real Salt Lake, has allowed just 33 goals this season.
Vancouver — 6-2-2 in its last 10 matches overall — leads the all-time series 10-9-6.
The Whitecaps remain on the road to play the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday. The Dynamo travel to play Austin FC on Saturday.
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AP MLS:
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Pearce and Nathan Saliba scored in the second half — the first goals of their careers — and CF Montreal rallied for a 2-2 draw with the New England Revolution on Wednesday night.
“In the second half, the guys came out a little more ambitious and above all, more connected,” Montreal head coach Laurent Courtois said. “It was a great second half of resilience and fighting spirit. Nathan and Sam were impressive.
“Impressive in covering the gaps and compensating for the teammates, and the individual defending – yes it’s true, it is a lot of weight on their shoulders, but that’s the job.”
New England (8-16-4) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute on Bobby Wood’s third goal of the season. Teenage defender Peyton Miller notched his first assist in his fourth career start and sixth appearance and Carles Gil picked up his ninth of the season. Peyton, at 16 years, 315 days old, is the eighth youngest player in league history to record his first assist.
The Revolution took a two-goal lead in the 35th minute and held it through halftime when 19-year-old Esmir Bajraktarevic took a pass from Gil and scored his third goal of the season and career in his first full season in the league. It was the 73rd regular-season assist in Gil’s career, tying him with Steve Ralston for the most in club history.
Montreal (7-12-10) pulled within a goal in the 54th minute when Pearce scored off a free kick after defender George Campbell drew a foul on New England’s Mark-Anthony Kaye. It was the first goal for Pearce in his third career start and fourth appearance.
“Playoffs are the goal. Maybe it wasn’t in the best form, but in the end, we are picking up a point,” Pearce said. “We came into this game confident, ready to play our own game. Everyone tries their best, whenever the players are called on, we are always ready, and we are always giving it our best.”
Montreal scored the equalizer in the 68th minute on the first career goal by Saliba, a 20-year-old midfielder. Saliba has made 34 starts and 48 appearances with Montreal in his two seasons in the league. Campbell snagged his second assist of the season and the third of his career.
“It’s an incredible feeling, it’s a goal I’ve been waiting for a long time. I’m extremely happy that I was able to score it and that it can help the team take this important point on the road,” Saliba said. “Pearce’s first goal gave us really good momentum and we kept up the pressure to go for a second goal. We got more solid defensively, and we came back ready after halftime, to push for these 3 points.”
Aljaz Ivacic finished with four saves in goal for the Revolution.
Jonathan Sirois stopped four shots for Montreal.
New England beat Montreal 5-0 on the road on Aug. 24.
New England leads the all-time series 16-13-4. Montreal improves to 5-8-2 on the road against the Revs.
The Revolution travel to take on Charlotte FC on Saturday. Montreal returns home to host the Chicago Fire on Saturday.
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AP MLS:
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Adolis García hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning, Cody Bradford pitched seven strong innings after the worst start of his career, and the Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0 on Wednesday night.
The win kept the defending World Series-champion Rangers alive in the AL West race, trailing first-place Houston by 10 games with 10 to play.
García launched an inside sinker over the left-field wall off Toronto starter Bowden Francis (8-5) after Wyatt Langford singled.
“He swings hard, he swings a lot,” Francis said of García. “I guess the velo was dropping during that time.”
Bradford (6-3) allowed five hits and no walks while striking out six.
The seven shutout innings are the most in a game during his two-year career. He was knocked out of his previous start after allowing career highs in hits (nine), runs (eight) and homers (three) in 3 2/3 innings in a 14-4 loss at Arizona.
“Throughout the week, you’ve got to try and digest what happened, see where I can make adjustments, whether it was just game plan went wrong or just poor execution, or a little bit of both,” Bradford said. “Then you flush it.”
Bradford was perfect through four innings before Alejandro Kirk opened the fifth with a smash back to the mound that caromed off Bradford’s left foot and rolled into right field for a single. It extended Kirk’s hitting streak to a career-high 12 games.
Spencer Horwitz’s double to left-center put runners on second and third with no outs before Bradford retired the next three batters.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider credited Bradford’s “deceptive fastball.”
“When you’re throwing 89, 92, you’ve got to have pretty good deception with that at this level,” Schneider said. “Kept us off balance.”
Kirby Yates pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 31st save in 32 opportunities.
Francis, who took no-hitters into the ninth inning in two of his previous four starts, allowed a double to Marcus Semien, the Rangers’ first hitter of the game. He gave up five hits and one walk in six innings.
Francis has a 1.96 ERA in nine starts with 54 strikeouts and seven walks since being moved back into the starting rotation in late July.
“I don’t even want to get complacent, on cruise control,” Francis said. “Just keep attacking.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: SS Bo Bichette was a late scratch with a right middle finger contusion suffered during infield practice. Schneider said the team will get back x-rays on Thursday. Bichette was activated Tuesday following a calf injury and played for the first time in two months, going 2 for 5 with one RBI at the plate. … INF Will Wagner (left knee inflammation) will have the knee scoped on Thursday. Schneider said Wagner should be ready to start spring training. Wagner, son of former major leaguer Billy Wagner, was acquired from Houston at the trade deadline.
UP NEXT
Rangers rookie RHP Kumar Rocker (0-0, 2.25 ERA) will make his home debut against Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman (12-11, 4.02) in the series finale. Rocker allowed one run in four innings at Seattle last Thursday in his major league debut.
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AP MLB:
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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