Player grades: Terrible penalties, weak kill thwarts Edmonton Oilers, 3, vs Dallas Stars, 6, in Game 1

What a way to lose a game! Two terrible penalties and three third period power play goals against saw the Edmonton Oilers lose to the Dallas Stars 6-3 in Game 1 of the Western Conference final.

Article content

Article content

In total the Grade A shots were 16 for the Oilers, 14 for the Stars, with the 5-alarmers seven to five for Dallas.

The silver lining? Edmonton dominated the first two periods. They lost mainly due to mental errors. And at even strength they were the better team with 13 Grade A shots to 11 for the Stars.

Article content

Connor McDavid, 8. Shot out of a Bull super gun. Rush after rush after rush after rush. A two-way monster. Broke in early, deking out Esa Lindell to launch a 5-alarmer on Oettinger. Excellent passes in the lead up to Draisaitl’s first goal. Rocket launched up ice early in second at 38.2 km/h skating speed for another Grade A shot. One more charge on the PP and this time a goal, his slot pass deflecting on to RNH’s trusty stick. Contributions/mistakes on Grade A Shots (GAS): Even Strength +6/-0; Special Teams +1/-0

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 7. Got the job done. He set up Hyman with a low-high pass, which Hyman drilled off the post.  No mistake on the PP, snapping home his wide open slotter low glove side. Total-Eclipse-of-the-Sun goalie screen on Nurse’s second period post shot. GAS: ES +4/-1; ST +1/-0.

Zach Hyman, 8. Another strong game. He led the team with 12 hits. Battled hard in front of the net on Edmonton’s first goal, then drilled one of the post. He blasted Marchment and Duchene with brutal hits early on. GAS: ES +6/-1; ST +0/-0

Article content

Article content

Leon Draisaitl, 7. Lots of good, some bad. One goal, two assists.  Some iffy moments on defence. Took a pass and moved in fast and hard, draining a nasty wrister for the first goal of the series. A shot worthy of a Rocket Richard Trophy winner. But his turnover at the offensive blueline led to Seguin’s goal rush to tie the game. Launched another Grade A off the rush early in the second. Excellent puck control and pass on Edmonton’s third goal. Deked his way past Lyubushkin for a 5-alarmer a moment later. GAS: ES +6/-5; ST +2/-0.

Vasily Podkolzin, 6. Solid game. Worked hard to set up Edmonton’s third goal. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST +0/-0.

Kasperi Kapanen, 6. Some good work in this one. Kept puck in early to set up Drai for game’s first dangerous shot. Got the puck deep to set up the Virtuous Cycle on Edmonton’s third goal. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST +0/-0.

Evander Kane, 2. If Kane had been quicker on defence, he wouldn’t have needed to reach and slash at Duchene, the stick riding up and hitting the Dallas attacker in the face. Kane took a penalty. Dallas scored to make it 4-3. Provided excellent defensive coverage on a failed Bouchard foray in the second. He went hard at huge rookie Lian Bichsel late in the second.  GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0.

Article content

Connor Brown, 6. Got an early break on a PK but failed to make his pass through to Janmark.  Deft pass to set up Kulak for a Grade A backhander in the second. Missed the net on a great chance late in game. GAS: ES +2/-1; ST +0/-1.

Adam Henrique, 5. Allowed the pass in on Steel’s early 5-alarmer. Otherwise OK.  GAS: ES 1/-2; ST +0/-0.

Trent Frederic, 4. He whiffed on a huge slot shot with four minutes left. Not good. I’d sit him for Viktor Arvidsson at this point, as Arvidsson provides more on the attack. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +0/-0.

Corey Perry, 2. Huge mistake in a key moment cost his team. He drove up ice, creating space and distraction on RNH’s PP goal. But he took a careless high-sticking penalty in the third, a corrosive mental mistake leading to a goal against. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +2/-0.

Mattias Janmark, 4. He drove in hard for a tricky deflected shot on net late in the second. Screened Skinner on the second Dallas goal, a Californian of a point shot goal against, a back-breaker of a goal manufactured out of a nothing situation. GAS: ES +1/-1; ST +0/-1.

Article content

Evan Bouchard, 7. In Zubov-like fashion he patiently scorched an outside wrister by Oettinger for Edmonton’s third goal. He jumped high to keep in a puck, then passed to Draisaitl for a dangerous shot. He went hard to the net and drew a penalty in the third. Strong on the kill when others were not. GAS: ES +5/-2; ST +0/-0.

Brett Kulak, 6. Out of position on Steel’s early 5-alarmer.  Swell pass to send in Drai for a Grade A shot. GAS: ES +4/-3; ST +0/-3.

Jake Walman, 5. Charged in early on to take a Hyman pass for a Grade A backhander. He could have helped on that first Dallas goal. Solid enough  GAS: ES +1/-3; ST +0/-1.

John Klingberg, 6. Solid game moving the puck. Part of the Virtuous Cycle on Edmonton’s first goal. GAS: ES +2/-2; ST +0/-0.

Troy Stecher, 5. He cleared a dangerous Rantanen shot out of the crease in the first. But he was one of three Oilers, along with Stecher and Nurse, who screened Skinner on the second Dallas goal. He lost a battle on the third Dallas power play goal, but got tripped up on the play. He battled hard to help set up a late Brown chance. Not a great pick for the PK, maybe we’ll see Mattias Ekholm in for the next game. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-2.

Article content

Darnell Nurse, 7. Good game, but part of PK melt down. Part of the five-man weave on Edmonton’s first goal. He made a nifty move to launch an outside shot on net that RNH almost jammed in. Swooped in and put one off the post in the second. Excellent blocked shot late in the second, stopping a 5-alarm shot. Screened Skinner on the second goal against. GAS: ES +3/-2; ST +0/-1.

Stuart Skinner, 5. Not great on at least one goal against, but the loss wasn’t on him. Huge early stop on a 5-alarm backhander by Steel, then a moment later on Granlund’s inner slotter. Iffy on Rantanen’s early shot but Stecher helped enough to save it. Beat on Seguin’s breakaway. Little action in the second, with Nurse making the big save on Seguin. Little chance on the third goal as three of his own players and one Dallas Star screened him. Little chance on Granlund’s wicked tying goal, which was sniped through a moving Dallas screen. But he lost track of the puck on the fourth Dallas goal. Not much he could do on the jailbreak of the fifth goal.

At the Cult of Hockey

‘Stars can flush them in relatively short order’: quick victory over Oilers, predicts official Dallas podcaster

Article content