Edmonton Oilers Send Legions Of Bruins Fans Home Sad
By Kurt Leavins
What an entertaining hockey game, and yet another example of a game the Edmonton Oilers had no business whatsoever being in. In the end, I thought the better over-all team on this night took home the 2 points in the standings. And that has to sting the Boston Bruins, who desperately needed both of them. 9 Things;
9. That, my fellow Edmonton Oiler fans, was the first time that your team has defeated the Boston Bruins in the friendly confines of Rexall Place in 15 (count ‘em) long years. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was what…8? Let that sink in for a few, before you move on to Thing #8.
8. In December, adversity as innocent as a bulb going out somewhere in a dark, abandoned room in the bowels of Rexall Place was knocking the Oilers for a loop. Now, they dig their heels in and bend but refuse to break against the Boston Bruins? What a turnaround.
7. After the game, Nail Yakupov took to Twitter and wrote “I hope OILERS FANS really enjoyed the game tonight”, followed by a long string of happy emoticons. Folks, if this kid starts having this much fun every night, watch him go, because he runs on confidence.
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6. That might have been the best game I’ve watched Justin Schultz play all season. He logged 29 minutes of ice-time, with his partner Oscar Klefbom not far behind him at 26. Schultz is moving the puck much more confidently, and closing his D-Zone gaps way better.
5. The Oilers power play, under Dallas Eakins and with an arguably much stronger lineup than they have today, ran at 12%. Since Todd Nelson took over this club, the man advantage is humming along at 22%. And in a league as competitive as the NHL, special teams are huge.
4. First and foremost, I hope Jeff Petry is ok. I don’t believe that injuries are ever something to joke about. If he is ok, however, then my secondary point is that the Edmonton Oilers will breathe a massive sigh of relief. If indeed they do not plan to re-sign him, then they sure ‘nuff can’t afford to get him go for nothing.
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3. The “small, skilled” Edmonton Oilers out-hit the “big, bad” Bruins 26-23 on the night. Sure, Boston had the puck more, but that stat shows that this team is competing harder. Jordan Eberle, who may win a Lady Byng one of these years, went at Chara and took the body three times (3!) Wednesday, for pity sakes. When your best, and (nearly) smallest players do that…
2. Martin Marincin started off the night very quietly, which I remember sitting in my seat thinking “this is exactly the kind of game Marty needs”. But then Jeff Petry got hurt, and the kid turned it up a notch…playing almost 21 minutes of smart, physical hockey. The fact that he scored the winning goal on his birthday was a great story, but it is the game he played up until that point which will keep him in the NHL.
1. Ben Scrivens was magnificent. He scared the bejesus out of me when he left the net on that partial break-away, and threw a hip into the oncoming Bruin. But then, he proceeded to stop all 12 shots (well, ok, he actually touched 11 of them) in the shootout. He looked huge in his crease.
And I will not soon forget that deflating sound from thousands of obnoxious Bruins fans at Rexall Place, after Scrivens sat down Krejci, Lucic and Chara, all of them with their pockets picked by the kid from Spruce Grove.
Are the Boston Bruins as good, and as intimidating, as they used to be? No. But then again, the Edmonton Oilers are not nearly as bad and as easily intimidated as they used to be.