Going into last night's game the question was, would the Washington Capitals be more hungry than the Edmonton Oilers as they are fighting for their playoff lives right now? The answer is that they may have been more hungry, but the Oilers are the better team and they showed it last night.
In a game where just after the first half of the first period the score was 2-2 and it looked like neither team was going to play defense or stop the puck, the Edmonton Oilers got a huge save from Stuart Skinner where he dove across the net to rob a wide-open Alex Ovechkin. That save turned the game around for the Oilers who then went on to score 5 in a row, to end up winning 7-2.
Skinner Solid After Slow Start
As I mentioned above the first 11 minutes of the game weren't the best for either goalie as they each had let in 2 goals. For Stuart Skinner though, his two goals allowed came against his first two shots. Also mentioned above though was the game-changing save on Ovechkin. A shot that would have gone in it would have been 3 goals on 3 shots for the Capitals and likely would have spelt the end to Skinner's night.
Skinner did make the save though and didn't let a single puck hit the net behind him the rest of the night. He ended up with a 0.920 SV% on 25 shots. For me, Skinner having the ability to bounce back like that in a game is a good skill to have and can be very helpful when it comes to the playoffs.
Connor Brown Gets Monkey Off His Back
In his 55th game of the season, Connor Brown has finally scored a goal. It has been a pretty tough season for the two-time 20-goal scored when it has come to offensive production this year, but last night he finally got the monkey off his back.
CONNOR BROWN! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/AHrDhCtmLn
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 14, 2024
On a 2-on-1 with Evander Kane, Brown drove the net hard and Kane was able to find him with the puck it got deflected off Brown and ended up in the net. It was not the prettiest goal by any means, but Brown will take it I am sure. Hopefully, this will add a bit of confidence for Brown who going into last night's game likely thought he would never score again.
Another Two Days Off For The Oilers
After having two days off after their road trip the Edmonton Oilers now have another two days off before they host the Colorado Avalanche down at Rogers Place on Saturday. The Avalanche will also have two days off as they were able to come from behind last night and beat the Cancuks in overtime.
The game on Saturday has the potential to be a preview of the Western Conference final this year. Both of these teams are playing really well right now. Both teams are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, and the Oilers sit only 6 points back of the Central-leading Avalanche but have 3 games in hand.
It will be another 8 PM start this Saturday, but the excitement on the ice should be enough to keep you awake, just as it was last night. Just don't expect the Oilers to score 7 goals on the Avalanche, a team that is much better than the Washington Capitals.