Penalty Sinks Edmonton Oilers 4-2 Versus Detroit

A better Edmonton Oilers team was beaten, 4-2 Tuesday night, by a superior Detroit Red Wings club. I was just fine with the team’s effort, and there were (again) fewer glaring errors in their game. But making just enough little mistakes against a good team like Detroit is a recipe for a loss. 9 Things:

9. The officiating in this one was well below NHL standards, and it primarily hurt the Oilers. Derek Roy won two face-offs that were whistled down. An Oiler had clearly beaten a Red Wing on a botched icing call. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was visibly tripped late in the 3rd, to the point where Viktor Fasth actually started skating to the bench, then had to double back. Brutal. Just brutal.

8. Oscar Klefbom. Welcome to the world of having a rookie on your blue-line. As good as the kid was against the Islanders, Klefbom had “one of those nights” against Detroit. He was always a ½ step behind, never quite set in his own zone, made a number of forced errors, and was flat-out walked another time, and bailed out by his goalie. Kids. For all of you who want to run all the young D out there next season…this is what you would often get.

7. Boyd Gordon. Holy hell was he good, Tuesday night, winning 19 of 21 face-offs. This is a terrific performance on any night, but this one was laid down against the #1 face-off team in the entire NHL. He is just “money” in the dot, especially in his own zone. There’s some talk that Gordon may be moved at the deadline. I can’t imagine who they’d replace him with.

6. Viktor Fasth. I have all but written off Fasth, as a member of the Oilers goaltending tandem for next season. And I don’t think Tuesday night changes that, at all. It only serves to improve the return you may be able to get for the pending UFA. I’m 100% convinced Ben Scrivens is back next year. All the same, good performance, worthy of the 2nd Star Selection.

5. The Nail Yakupov-Anton Lander-Matt Fraser line was an absolute tire-fire all night long. I know what Todd Nelson was trying to do, when he swapped Yakupov for Purcell, late. But while he ultimately managed to put that blaze out, Nelson at the same time snuffed out what had up until that point been a very good night for Roy-Puliot-Purcell. That third line, man, I don’t know…

4. Jordan Eberle. At what point, over the first 41 games of the season, have we been able to say that any one of our best players was “on”? I’d argue that this is the first: Eberle has been excellent, lately, and his scoring skills were sublime Tuesday night. His power play marker was a goal-scorer’s goal, the equalizer was clutch, and #14’s feet were moving all night. Encouraging.

3. The number of Red Wings jerseys at Rexall last night arguably outnumbered Oilers jerseys at Rexall, last night. That will happen when you are playing an original 6 team, and your boys are (mostly) losing. I look forward to the day when wearing an opposition sweater into our barn is again akin to taking your life into your own hands. At least they are not as obnoxious as Leafs fans.

2. Jeff Petry looked for all the world like a guy who wanted to show the Red Wings just how good of an NHL defenceman he was, Tuesday night. He was the Oilers best blue-liner, skating miles, playing physical, winning battles along the boards, and logging substantial ice-time on the Power Play AND the Penalty Kill. I’m upset this guy isn’t re-signed, and I fear he never will be.

1. Benoit Pouliot. I’ll start by saying I admired how, in the post-game interview, Pouliot absolutely fell on his own sword and took complete responsibility for his double-minor late in the 3rd period. Having said that, it would have been obvious to a blind man how irresponsible it was. Yes, it cost the game. Worse, it came from a veteran player who knows better, and who is counted on to show the kids how the game should be played. If no other Oiler shows up against Chicago Friday night, Pouliot had better.

Honestly? While I hate losing, I wasn’t bitterly disappointed in the performance, and certainly won’t discount it as some already have. Any time you are tied at 2 with the Red Wings with less than 3 minutes left on the clock, after Detroit played as well as they did, you’re pointed in the right direction.

I would argue that Chicago will be a tougher test, except that the Oilers almost always seem to play them tough. We’ll see.