I’m not sure of the recipe Edmonton used in their victory over Columbus a few nights prior.
This game seemed to be on the precipice of disaster. Khabibulin had himself a clinic in the first period, and before anyone knew it Linus Omark was scoring off of terrible rebounds from centre ice.
Today, we’ll look at the goals with lustrous video provided by NHL.com. To the film room.
Let’s begin at the beginning. Okay with you?
OILERS 1, BLUE JACKETS 0
It’s not a Vesa Toskala style 200 footer from opposite the rink, but goals like this aren’t going to earn you any contract extensions. A flip in from behind the blue line at the very least should be covered instead of offering rebounds so juicy that Wrigley’s Gum would like to speak with you.
Linus Omark picks up a gift and promptly places it behind Mason for Omark’s first regulation goal of his career.
In Steve Mason’s defence, Jan Hedja should’ve been able to swat that coming back for it. Still a terrible goal. Ryan Whitney picks up his team leading 24th assist. That’s really remarkable. If Whitney is able to keep ups his performance at this level, there’s a very good chance that he could finish with over 50 points. They might be all assists, but fifty points on this squad would be a dynamite feather in your cap. Whitney has as many assists in 31 games this year as he did in 62 games with Anaheim last year. Now you know.
OILERS 2, BLUE JACKETS 1
Youth is served again in this goal, scored by one Jordan Eberle. A feed from Sam Gagner to Taylor Hall, Hall streaks up the left side and gets it over to Eberle before taking a tumble to the ice. Eberle scoots in on Mason’s right side, unloads a backhander that probably should’ve been stopped at this level, and you have your second goal.
Credit to the trio involved on this goal, Gagner to Hall, Hall was able to dish it to Eberle, and Eberle cashed his chips. Columbus’s Rostislav Klesla allows Eberle in just enough, and Eberle doesn’t miss. The old cliché about going to the net…
OILERS 3, BLUE JACKETS 2
Alright, if you had any doubts about this Omark guy up to this point, I understand. Watch this.
That’s video game stuff right there. Full marks to Paajarvi for setting Omark up, but then this little no-look pass through the legs to Dustin Penner? Penner throttles this one past Mason, giving the Oilers a 3-2 lead late in the first.
In the middle of this, Nikolai Khabibulin was being kept pretty busy after twenty minutes. Only Kristian Huselius (who would end up later scoring his third goal in the third) was able to get past Khabibulin, doing it twice in the first. Khabibulin had 21 saves on 23 shots. Edmonton had the firepower this game, Khabibulin was serviceable. Both of those have to happen in order for this club to win.
SECOND PERIOD
OILERS 4, JACKETS 2
As questionable as the defence was in period one, the offence certainly was able to cash in on some pretty apparent defencive gaffes in the Blue Jacket zone. Watch Taylor Hall pick up a loosie in the corner here, flicking it out to Ryan Whitney at the point. Whitney takes a shot, and Eberle is there.
Eberle is in front of the net for a nice redirect, and the Oilers will have ended up scoring all they need at this point. But there’s more.
OILERS 5, JACKETS 2
Magnus Paajarvi starts the play at the blue line, and he’ll reap the rewards at the end.
Paajarvi slips it to Omark shortly after coming over the blue line. Omark launches one at Steve Mason with Ryan O’Marra in tow, and MPS is there to clean up the mess. Fundamentals.
OILERS 6, JACKETS 2
A complete and utter meltdown in the Columbus end leads to Sam Gagner putting the finishing touches on the six pack. To the camera.
Gah, that’s just painful to watch. Kristian Huselius never ends up getting his telegram from Mike Commodore while Taylor Hall and Sam Gagner go to work. Gagner picks up his ninth goal of the year on this one.
That’s all the scoring that Edmonton would do in this game. Kristian Huselius would end up with one more for his hatter, but it would matter not. Oilers finish with a half dozen to Columbus’ quarter dozen.
Edmonton’s first period was a defencive disaster. 23 shots against, and Khabibulin was the main reason it wasn’t 5-0. I’m sure the intermission chat with Coach Renney was a fun one. Periods two and three weren’t nearly as awful. Youth shone for Edmonton this game. Omark had a goal and a couple of assists, Taylor Hall had 3 points, Jordan Eberle had a couple of goals, and Paajarvi had himself a cleaner-upper. Khabibulin…well, he wasn’t bad. Oilers finish their six game homestand at 4-2, which isn’t all bad.
The Oilers travel to San Jose for tomorrow night’s matchup against the Sharks.
Until then, breathe deeply.