The Edmonton Oilers are taking on the Los Angeles Kings what’s been an exciting matchup thus far. It’s a physical game and there are plenty of takeaways, so we’re providing live updates here at Oil on Whyte.
First Period:
About ten minutes into the first, Jesse Puljujarvi scored a beauty of a goal. The Finnish Winger beat Jack Campbell on the top left corner, using defenseman Matt Greene as a screen. That’s where the scoring stands right now, and here are other things to know so far.
https://twitter.com/EdmontonOilers/status/782756425701273600
Observations Through 20:
– The Milan Lucic-Connor McDavid-Jordan Eberle line looks a lot better than it did Wednesday against the Canucks. As Todd McLellan told the media, it’s not about keeping up ith McDavid’s speed, but matching up with his timing and being at the right place when necessary. The trio has exemplified more chemistry so far and has had a few strong scoring chances.
– Puljujarvi is excellent. He looks quick and is displaying excellent hockey sense out on the ice. The 18-year-old displays excellent skating, offensive chances and speed each shift. He and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are clicking on the second line.
– Laurent Brossoit looks solid in net so far. He has great lateral movement and seems to be aware on each play. It’s a good sign for a goaltender who’s looking for a full-time job in the NHL this year.
– Iiro Pakarinen left the game with an injury in the first period. He appeared to be grabbing his leg and not moving at the time, and it looks like a knee injury. His return to Sunday’s game is questionable, and Benoit Pouliot is replacing him on the fourth line. This isn’t a good sign, but could mean a chance for Tyler Pitlick to jump into the NHL lineup.
Second Period:
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Four minutes into the third period, McDavid came right off the bench and grabbed the puck from Jordan Eberle. He took it to the net, and with continued determination, took multiple shots on the rebound. The puck beat Campbell top shelf, McDavid had a beautiful celebration, and it’s 2-0 Edmonton.
Here’s the beautiful rebound goal.
If at first you don't succeed... #KraftHockeyville pic.twitter.com/uiYVDZnVbR
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 3, 2016
14:07: Edmonton will head to their first power-play, as Brayden McNabb heads off for two minutes for a cross-check to Drake Caggiula.
Nail Yakupov has joined McDavid and Eberle on the top power-play unit. They are creating some chemistry, and McDavid had a beautiful chance in front but couldn’t get the puck through.
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12:07: The Kings kill off Edmonton’s power-play, and the Oilers managed one shot on the man advantage. They still had great pressure.
10:58: Anton Slepyshev and Drake Caggiula look good together. The two of them are creating plenty of scoring chances on the top six. Could both crack the NHL roster? Hmm…
9:37: Kris Versteeg, Anton Lander and Slepyshev go on a line together, and the result is great. They put on a ton of pressure and produced multiple scoring chances, including a beautiful opportunity for Versteeg. Though they couldn’t capitalize, it was a great effort for the bottom trio.
9:00: Brandon Davidson goes down. This is not good at all. Tanner Pearson with a hard hit near centre ice. Pearson rose and used his shoulder to hit Davidson in the jaw. Pearson is done for tonight and has been ejected. Oilers to a five-minute power play.
4:00: Edmonton cannot convert on the five-minute major. The Kings were impressive with a strong penalty kill, and even had a couple of short-handed chances. More concerningly, the Oilers didn’t generate one shot; the power play needs some work.
21.3: The referees shout “HEY!” incredibly loud, breaking up some physicality in front of the Oilers net between Darnell Nurse and Nic Dowd.
Third Period:
20:00: Davidson (head) will not return to Sunday’s game, and Pakarinen (knee) will not return either. Big losses for Edmonton.
15:10: Paul LaDue scores after the puck goes off Darnell Nurse’s leg. It’s a 2-1 hockey game.
14:31: Jordan Eberle scores off a beautiful feed from Connor McDavid. He worked on one-timers over the off-season, and it paid off here. Lucic has the secondary assist, and it’s 3-1 for Edmonton.
10:31: Brayden McNabb steps in and fires it right past Brossoit. Jordan Oesterle possible screened him. It’s 3-2 Oilers.
7:25: Tom Gilbert will head to the box for two minutes for a trip on Nail Yakupov. Oilers to the power play.
5:25: Edmonton is 0-for-3 on the man advantage. They need to work on their power-play units.
52.9: Jack Campbell to the bench. Empty net for the Kings. Los Angeles takes their timeout.
44.8: Edmonton takes their timeout to go over a game plan.
0:00: Edmonton wins 3-2.