Player grades: The Ryan and Koskinen Express roll over Florida Panthers in Oilers 4-3 win – Edmonton Journal

Article content

Derek Ryan took his mighty goal-scoring hammer and beat down the Florida Panthers in a 4-3 Edmonton Oilers win.

Article content

It was a huge victory for the Oilers, given that Florida is one of the NHL’s best teams and that the Oilers had just lost two games in a row to good teams, Minnesota and Tampa, and will play another good one in Carolina on Sunday.

Florida deserved better, as it swarmed the Oil’s net all game. But the Edmonton win was highlighted by Ryan’s hat trick and oodles of great saves by Mikko Koskinen, who came into the game having been the best goalie on the ice in just eight of his 26 games this year, but he added to that total, out-duelling Sergei Bobrovsky of Florida.

Kosk’s solid showing was his 15th such good game of the year out of 29 overall. He’s also had two average games and 12 bad ones.

In total, Grade A shots (about 20%+ chance of doing in) were eight for the Oilers,22 for Florida, with six 5-alarm shots (about 33%+ chance of going in) for Edmonton and 14 for the Panthers.

Article content

Connor McDavid, 5. High event game, with some mistakes on defence. Lost his check early, leading a monster shot for Vatrano. Got his feet moving and broke in a couple times shortly thereafter, once on a breakaway. He got caught up ice on Florida’s second period shorthanded 2-on-1 that ended up with a post shot. His cross-ice dart set up Drai’s scoring one-timer on the power play. His third period o-zone turnover kicked off a Florida breakaway in the third.

Zach Hyman, 6. Broke down the wing early in the game for a strong backhand shot. His battle won in the slot led to a 5-alarm Foegele chance in the second.

Ryan McLeod, 5. Hard work, fast skating and a few mistakes. He and Shore allowed a cross-ice dart leading to an icky Barkov one-timer in the second. He played 18:51, so coach evidently liked his work.

Article content

Leon Draisaitl. 5. He had some defensive struggles but also scored a goal. Lost Bennett in the slot on an early Grade A, then allowed a pass in on Hornqvist’s 5-alarm backhander. Early in the third, he lost a battle leading to another Grade A. Picked his spot with an evil deflected wrister to score. He lost the faceoff leading to Barkov’s third period goal. He made a few solid defensive plays in the final minute.

Evander Kane, 6. Solid game. Executed a lethal cross-crease dart for Ryan’s hattie goal. He missed on an empty-netter.

Kailer Yamamoto, 5. Quiet game, not much on attack or even strength, but a solid enough defensive effort, with good shot block on Forsling late in the third. He made a crucial zone clearance late in the game.

Article content

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Inc. He got blasted into the boards by Lomborg, his shoulders crunched hard, and he didn’t get back into the game.

Derek Ryan, 9. Quick shot beat Bob on early 2-on-1. First goal of game, huge for Oilers. Next he beat Bobrovsky on an outside wrister that Bob should have had. The opposition got the weaker goaltending, something the Oilers haven’t consistently seen since the first month of the season. Went to the net with his stick on the ice, two solid fundamental plays, and a good thing happened, his hat trick goal. He also won all four of his faceoffs.

Warren Foegele, 7. Good game. Set up Ryan’s first goal with a clever alley oop pass on a 2-on-1. He went hard to the net and got a Grade A backhander in the second. He won a battle to send in Hyman for a quick 5-alarm snipe in the third.

Article content

Devin Shore, 4. His quick pass got the good times rolling on Edmonton’s first goal. He kicked off the Sequence of Pain on the first Florida goal with a turnover and ended it when he failed to follow his check Lundell to the net. He made a nice low-high feed to Ryan on what could have been his fourth goal.

Tyler Benson, 4. He played just over six minutes, all of them pretty quiet.

Markus Niemelainen, 6. Got the game off right with a nasty hit on his first shift. Made a turnover on the first Florida goal, but was otherwise solid on defence.

Tyson Barrie, 7. Solid game at even strength, making few mistakes in his own end. He did get beat on a wicked Reinhart to Barkov pass on a second-period power play break in. Threw a hard elbow on Marchment in the third.

Article content

Evan Bouchard, 3. Struggled on defence, with five major mistakes on Grade A shots against, a few of them doozies. Some matador defence early in the game, waving his red cape as a Florida attacker Anton Lundell skated by him, to set up a team make for a wicked opportunity. Allowed a tricky no-look Vatrano pass into the slot on Lundell’s goal in the first. A moment later he got beat on the pass as Hornqvist almost scored. His hideous turnover led a 3-on-1 late in second, but Kosk thwarted Toronto reject-turned-Florida ace Mason Marchment. He read the play well and was in on sequence where Ryan almost scored a fourth early in the third. He sprawled and failed in the third, leading to a breakaway chance by Verhaeghe. He played just 12:21, no time on the PK, as the coaches are giving him a break from that heavy duty.

Article content

Cody Ceci, 7. Solid game at even strength and on the PK. He kept a clean sheet at even strength as well. Set up McD for breakaway chance early on with eyes up stretch pass. He might have have done better to stop Barkov’s scoring play on Florida’s third goal.

Philip Broberg, 5. He played just over seven minutes. Took a hard hit to make a fine pass early on.

Darnell Nurse, 6. High event game, but more good than bad. Got caught up ice on an early two-on-one, leading to two 5-alarm chances. Made up for it somewhat a moment later sending in Hyman with an eyes up stretch pass. He did a great job stopping a Lomborg breakaway, skating hard and legally harassing shooter. Savagely plowed Mason Marchment in the face, after Marchment came after him. He made a great pass to Kane on Ryan’s third goal. He took a late penalty.

Article content

William Lagesson, 5. Some good moments on defence, some bad. He lost the slot battle on Florida’s second goal. He turned over the puck on Vatrano’s evil slot shot in the third.

Mikko Koskinen, 9. Almost too many great saves in this game to mention. He stood as tall as Paul Bunyon in the net. Massive save off Vatrano two minutes in, then thwarted Barkov and Marchment on dangerous crease jams after Nurse’s positional error. He had little chance on the first Florida goal, a whip smart slot pass and quick strike finish by Lundell. Huge save with score tied 1-1 on Hornqvist, where Kosk shot out all 75 metres of his right pad. He failed to cover a loose puck off the goal post on Florida’s second goal, but what are d-men for if not to prevent loose puck shots? Huge poke-check on Barkov on his second period breakaway. Another huge save off a Barkov one-timer a bit later, then again off Marchment on a 3-on-1. He flashed his blocker to stop Vatrano early in the third. Monster glove save on Verhaeghe’s third period breakaway. A final highlight was him slamming it shut on Barkov with four minutes left. He had little chance on Barkov’s final goal, a cross-seam one-timer.