My hands are stiff, my nerves are frayed, my eyes are wet, my throat is sore. It lasted three hours but felt like three days, with several momentum swings and as much emotion as you’ll ever find packed into the second game of the regular season. In the end, the Edmonton Oilers lost, 5-4, to the Vancouver Canucks in a shootout. All my thoughts are jumbled, so let’s go to the bullet points and try to assess what just happened.
- Now that was an entertaining game. It was also a disheartening loss, with the Oilers blowing a couple two-goal leads and slowing down as the game progressed. By the end of it Edmonton was running on fumes, unable to keep up with a better team, and the defence looked completely overwhelmed.
- Brad Hunt scored his first NHL goal on a power play howitzer from the point, getting the Oilers off on the right foot. While he provides some scoring punch, he seems to be a one-dimensional wonder. Hunt was not adequate in his own zone, but it’s unlikely the coaching staff sees enough reason to pull him from the lineup.
- Viktor Fasth was excellent, and it’s Exorcist-level scary to think how the Oilers would have fared without him. Fasth faced a steady barrage from the Canucks after a slow first period, stopping 39 of 43 shots. He earned another start, and the Oilers wouldn’t have garnered the loser point without him.
- Nail Yakupov only had 9:50 of ice-time, second-lowest on the team after Leon Draisaitl’s 9:24, but made the most of his limited minutes. His goal was a masterpiece, driving hard to the net and shoveling the puck past Ryan Miller. Once again, Yakupov was in the running for the Oilers’ best forward of the night.
- Edmonton welcomed Vancouver back into the game with six consecutive penalties in the second and third periods. Complain if you’d like, but aside from a chintzy hooking call on Mark Fayne each one was warranted. The refs aren’t under a mandate to even things up, the Oilers have to show better discipline.
- Andrew Ference was the worst defenceman on the ice. That’s difficult to say about a veteran who’s signed through the 2016-17 season. However, the Sedins dangled him out to dry, exposing his defensive shortcomings. Swap out Ference for Darnell Nurse, because he doesn’t deserve a spot in the lineup after that.
- Edmonton’s fourth line was terrific, giving the team an element it’s been missing. Boyd Gordon had a solid night, just missing out as the hero late on the third-period power play. Jesse Joensuu scored an absolute beauty shorthanded, roofing a backhander over Miller, and Matt Hendricks was reliable at both ends.
- How about Ryan Nugent-Hopkins dropping the mitts with Dan Hamhuis? If the Oilers want respect they need to stand up for themselves and earn it, both on the scoreboard and in the corners. I loved Nuge’s willingness to chuck knuckles. Plus, I’m immensely relieved that he didn’t bust his hand on a visor.
- RNH held his own in the scrap, but the Oilers were absolutely ragdolled in overtime. Vancouver dominated the puck, outshooting Edmonton 5-0 in the extra frame and forcing Fasth to make a couple 10-bell saves with traffic in front. The Oilers looked happy just to be there, rather than pressing for the win.
- I’ve stopped trying to figure out Dallas Eakins’ mind. Nobody has any clue why Taylor Hall wasn’t chosen to participate in the shootout. He’s the team’s best player and future captain, with the second-highest shootout percentage on the roster. However, Hall was passed over. This doesn’t make sense to me.
- Jeff Petry was the Oilers’ best defender, which isn’t saying much. He did his best to pick up the slack for Ference, neutralizing scoring threats and moving the puck well under pressure. There’s an underappreciated player on every NHL roster. Petry is Edmonton’s, so I fully expect him to be traded for a third-round pick at the deadline.
- Jordan Eberle was the worst player on the ice for either team. It’s appalling to see him going through the motions—refusing to skate after loose pucks, making feeble attempts at board battles, and showing a general lack of interest. In overtime, he weakly batted the puck to an empty wing, letting Vancouver launch another wave of attack. Put Will Acton in the lineup, because something is wrong with Eberle.
- Teddy Purcell is the anti-Eberle. He was great again on Saturday night, creating offensive opportunities nearly every time he crossed the blueline. His pass to Mark Arcobello for Edmonton’s second goal was incredible, and he made a nifty play to set up David Perron for a potential game-winning one-timer during the Oilers’ last power play. Purcell has been simply exceptional through two games.
- Each Oilers defenceman looked lost at times, but Justin Schultz and Nikita Nikitin were a special breed of terrible. They weren’t as bad as Ference, but caused a few misadventures in their own zone and couldn’t keep up with Vancouver’s skilled forwards. There are massive red flags on the Oilers’ blueline, where it’s become obvious that having players with NHL experience doesn’t translate to NHL success.
- The Oilers are still searching for their first win of the season. Things won’t get any easier this week, visiting Los Angeles on Tuesday and Arizona on Wednesday, then back home for a rematch against the Canucks on Friday. None of those look to be winnable games, especially after the Coyotes edged the Kings in overtime on Saturday night. Despite some positives, it looks like another season is slipping away.
ryan.garner@hockeybuzz.com