Top 3 Oilers studs from 4-1 win over Bedard and the Blackhawks
A look at the three best Oilers on a night when they faced Connor Bedard for the first time, but improved their winning streak to eight games.
The inaugural ‘Battle of the Connors’ turned out to be the must-watch television event the NHL hoped it would be. However, what was most important for the Oilers was that they emerged victorious 4-1, and improved their winning streak to eight games.
As a result, the Oilers now sit just one point out of a playoff spot following Tuesday’s slate of games. From the depths of being tied for the fewest points in the NHL, they now have a winning record for the first time this season.
Connor Bedard proved he was the real deal, including a highlight reel goal which gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead just 3:21 into the game. However, we’re here to focus on the Oilers, with a countdown of their best three players on the night:
3) Stuart Skinner
If you want, you could call Stuart Skinner’s performance run of the mill and just a professional day at the office. At the end of the day he didn’t have that much to do, but still got the job done.
This doesn’t mean Skinner didn’t come up big when facing quality shots, what few there were of them. Most of them came during the opening 20 minutes; the only one which beat him was Bedard’s shot, but not many goalies were going to stop that one.
When it was all said and done, the Edmonton native saved 22 of the 23 shots he faced on the night. With every passing game he’s looked more like the version from last season, who finished as runner up for the Calder Trophy.
Along these lines, Skinner has now won his last seven starts — the first NHL goalie to do so this season — and 10 of his previous 12. During this stretch, he has a .914 save percentage and 2.30 Goals Against Average.
The 25-year-old has come a long way from the goalie who began the season 1-6-1 and at one point had the third-worse save percentage among all NHL goalies. Coincidence or not, his return to form coincided with the decision to assign Jack Campbell to Bakersfield after he cleared waivers.
Postgame, Skinner was asked about how he dealt with the criticism earlier in the season, when things weren’t going well. Speaking to the media, he said:
“At first I was a little bit frustrated, a little bit upset. You never want to be hearing that from your fans obviously. At the same time I knew I needed to be better. The whole group did, (but) that starts with me. For me it was sticking to it, keep on working on my game and just keep on grinding. Never give up. There’s a lot of that, a lot of perseverance as a complete group.”
Skinner will undoubtedly face bigger challenges moving forward, compared to the one on Tuesday night. Regardless, he is now providing the type of stability between the pipes, which gives more confidence to the rest of the team.
2) Sam Gagner
There were those who wondered about the wisdom of bringing Sam Gagner back into the fold on a PTO during the summer. He was only able to practice during training camp, due to still recovering from surgery on both hips.
However, after finally recovering and looking good in Bakersfield, he was re-signed by the Oilers to help boost their faltering bottom six. Since then he’s done that and more, as he’s taken the fans on a trip down memory lane during his third tour of duty in Edmonton.
It started with the Oilers’ 2007 sixth overall draft pick scoring twice in his debut against the Stars. Yes it came in a loss, but right away he was providing the team with the help it desperately needed.
Since then, Gagner has proved to be a steadying influence with his extensive experience in the NHL. Then came Tuesday night, when he produced two points for the first time since his season debut versus the Stars.
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The 34-year-old’s first point turned out to be his most crucial, with his goal ultimately proving to be the game-winner. Coming with less than two minutes remaining in the opening period, he was in the right place to finish Derek Ryan’s pass from behind the Blackhawks goal.
Gagner’s other point came via a secondary assist, as he kept the play alive with his hustle, resulting in Leon Draisaitl scoring. There was some luck as it took a deflection to send Draisaitl’s shot home, but they all count and all that ultimately mattered was it made the score 3-1 Oilers in the second period.
Postgame, Gagner was asked about the contributions of the bottom six, particularly his line. Speaking to the media, he said:
“I think we have the ability to do that, to contribute on the offensive side. Our main objective is to make sure we’re playing good defensively and giving our team good minutes, and trying to tilt the ice so that when our big guys get out there, they’re in an advantageous situation. I feel like we’ve been playing well, but we have to stay on it.”
1) Connor McDavid
Some will understandably argue that Gagner deserves to be in this position. However, it’s ultimately still Connor McDavid who makes everything tick for the Oilers, as he did once again on Tuesday night.
If there was anyone guaranteed not to let the hype surrounding the game get to him, it was McDavid. He took everything in his stride and — as per usual — let his play do the talking for him.
The five-time Art Ross Trophy winner responded well to Bedard’s goal, which had given the Blackhawks the early advantage. He set himself up with a quality chance, then created another one for Zach Hyman after winning a face-off.
Then came the breakthrough, as McDavid worked his magic to set up the tying goal. He received the puck on the left wing and subsequently provided an inch-perfect pass Ryan Nugent-Hopkins just couldn’t help but convert to make it 1-1.
After this, the 26-year-old just continued to exert his influence, looking to help the Oilers finish the game off. That moment came early in the third on a power play, with an almost carbon copy of his first assist set up, and ultimately scored by Hyman to make it 4-1.
As a result, McDavid extended his points streak to 10 games. He just can’t be stopped right now, with 22 points in his last eight games; at the time of posting he is seventh in the NHL with 38 points, just one behind a tie for third place.
Of course no matter how great McDavid is, he knows better than anyone that even he needs help. When asked pregame about what’s been key to the turnaround in results, he said:
“When you start as poorly as we did, a lot of things are wrong. I would say the penalty kills been great, goaltendings been great, the overall defensive play’s been better, giving us an overall chance to win games.”
Next. 3 solutions for Jack Campbell and the Oilers. dark
Moving forward, the Oilers will now aim to equal their season-high nine-game win streak from last season, when they host the Lightning on Thursday night. As for Bedard and the Blackhawks, they will next face them on Jan. 9, in Chicago.