The Edmonton Oilers toe the playoff cut-line after a 5-2 win over the Dallas Stars – Edmonton Journal

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To some extent, the Dallas Stars have been the nemesis of the Edmonton Oilers this season.

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That changed, Wednesday night, as the Oilers outplayed the Stars over the lion’s share of the 60 minutes en route to a solid 5-2 win. To these eyes, Dallas had trouble contending with Edmonton’s quickness. The Oilers converted that advantage into a 50-36 edge in shots.

More importantly, the victory brings the Oilers tantalizingly close to punching their ticket to the post-season.

Here’s the tale of the tape…

Edmonton Oilers Player Grades

MIKE SMITH. 8. Remained red hot. Stopped 34 of 36. No chance on the 2-1 by Jason Robertson, an absolute rocket that also may have been deflected a touch on the way in. That snapped Smith’s shut-out streak at 144 minutes 39 seconds. The 2-2 was a wild net-front scramble. Smith had many good moments on the evening but perhaps his best was on a 1^st Period Dallas Power Play, when he stopped Gurianov, Seguin and then Gurianov again in quick succession. A late stop on Pavelski (on which he lost his mask) capped off a good night. Also took a couple shots at the empty net late which had the building buzzing. The game’s 2^nd Star. .948 SV% in his last 10 starts.

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CONNOR McDAVID. 8. Looks at the top of his game. Burst up the right-hand side at almost 40 km/h and slipped a lovely reverse back-hand to a hard-charging Evander Kane who swept it home for the 1-0. A gritty turnover created in the attacking zone was converted into the 4-2. Topped off the scoring by receiving an excellent pass from Keith and breaking in on the RHS before back handing it home. A terrific defensive sequence deep in his own zone early in the 2^nd. The 3-point night moves him back into the NHL scoring lead with 113.

EVANDER KANE. 7. Kane gave his club an early lead by slamming home a nifty backhander from 97. That was one of 4 shots on his evening. Provided an additional screen on the 4-2. Played a workman-like game. Didn’t at all look like he had just flown clear across the content in order to make it for game time.

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KAILER YAMAMOTO. 5. Hustled but ultimately didn’t get a whole lot done. A couple shots, a couple hits. 1:50 on the PK. Threw a bit of a grenade to Ceci at the attacking blueline which very nearly resulted in a Stars odd man break in the other direction.

DARNELL NURSE. 7. Got better as the night went on. Vacated his side of the net during a goalmouth scramble and (of course, as luck would have it) the puck ended up sitting wide open in the very spot Nurse had just left. The author of the hit of the game when he launched Jamie Benn into the Oilers bench, much to the delight of the hometown crowd. Dicey give-away forced Smith to make a good stop on Pavelski. But in his 25:52 of TOI, Nurse amassed 6 shots, 5 hits and 2 shot blocks.

CODY CECI. 7. Logged a lot of hard minutes (23;54). Ceci was part of the scramble against on the 2-2. A desperation play helped prevent a Dallas jail break late in the 3^rd. 3 hits, 2 take-aways. Broke even on 5v5 scoring chances.

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LEON DRAISAITL. 7. A super-smart wrist shot by Draisaitl from long range which created a rebound that Zach Hyman hunted down and backhanded in for the 3-2. A 2^nd Period laser pass sent Hyman in all alone but he couldn’t convert on that one. Threw a thundering check on Jacob Peterson in the 2^nd who was clearly wobbled by the collision. Was on the ice for 13 scoring chances 5v5, 9 of them HDSC’s, just 2 against.

ZACH HYMAN. 8. Best player on the ice. Zach Hyman skated miles, a lot of them hard miles with a defender (or two) hanging off his back. 8 shots (!) on net. Scored a huge goal, the go-ahead and eventual game winner, snapping a 2-2 tie. From there, the Oilers mostly took over for the rest of the game. Scooped up a Draisaitl pass and split the Dallas D, only to be denied by Wedgewood late in the 2^nd. On the ice for 15 scoring chances for. Named the game’s 1^st Star.

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JESSE PULJUJARVI. 7. Planted himself strategically between shooter and net and had the puck go off him and in for the 4-2. Jesse Puljujarvi has been doing a lot of things right lately. Sometimes you just need one to hit you and go to a good place. But his 5v5 CF on the evening shows how the flow of play was with him on the ice (26-7, 79%). 4 shots, 3 hits. Hopefully lighting the lamp helps them start to go in a little easier.

EVAN BOUCHARD. 8. Is picking a good time to play some of his best hockey of the season. Earned a 2^nd assist on the 3-2 with a pass to Draisaitl. Then, it was his shot that deflected off Puljujarvi and in for the 4-2. Named 3^rd Star. High Danger Scoring Changes For/Against was 8-1 with him on the ice. He and Keith were excellent.

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DUNCAN KEITH. 8. Keith and Bouchard had a most excellent evening on the 2^nd pairing. A sharp headman pass to Connor McDavid for the empty netter. On the ice for all 5 goals for, +5 on the night. Only a single HDSC against in 17:24. The +5 is a career high in his 1,251 game stay in the league.

RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS. 5. Was “just o.k.”. His line broke even on scoring chances. Nugent-Hopkins couldn’t find the puck on an excellent 2^nd Period setup from McLeod. I thought he was his best at 4v5, where he offered 1:33 of solid work. That included back-to-back zone clears during a critical Dallas PP in the 3^rd Period. 45% on draws.

WARREN FOEGELE. 6. Playing his best hockey as an Oiler. No points but played hard and fast in straight lines and was a physical as I have seen him all season. 5 shots, 5 hits, a couple good defensive back-tracks too.

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KRIS RUSSELL. 6. Earned the 2^nd assist on the 1-0. Russell’s man passed off on the 2-1. Over-all a steady, veteran game. Also pitched in on the PK. As a former D-man I’d like to point out that playing both sides interchange-ably in-game is not an easy task at any level, let alone in the best league in the world.

TYSON BARRIE. 7. Earned a helper on the 2-0 with a smart slap pass down low to McLeod. 2 shots. Moved the puck well, made mostly good decisions when he was under pressure and was solid defensively. Seems to have found a home with Kulak.

BRETT KULAK. 7. Too cautious coming across to his man on the 2-1. I also thought the puck may have clipped a bit of Kulak’s stick on the way on. But it was one of precious few iffy moments for the tall defender. Led all Oilers in 5v5 CF (21-4, 84%).

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RYAN McLEOD. 6. Flying. McLeod earned as assist on the 2-0 when his shot went off the bar and to the waiting Derek Ryan net side. Could have had another when he flew into the zone and zipped a pass in front to Nugent-Hopkins who couldn’t pull the trigger. Effective yet again in a minute of PK work.

DEREK RYAN. 7. Slammed home the 2-0 on a McLeod rebound. Threw himself in front of a Hakanpaa drive in the 3^rd and limped off but would later return. A part of the confusion on the 2-2. Gritty, effective performance.

ZACK KASSIAN. 6. No assist but helped create the 2-0 goal with an aggressive forecheck. Missed the puck, and his man, in the neutral zone on the 2-1. Good defensive stick in the 1^st. 3 hits.

The win, their 45^th of the season, gives the Edmonton Oilers 96 points. It was a regulation victory. So, Edmonton is now 5 points up on the Stars for the final wild card spot. And L.A. is now 4 back (with just 4 games left) and in 3^rd place in the Division.

Find me on Twitter @KurtLeavins

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