The Edmonton Oilers lost a game few thought they would lose on Thursday, falling to the Columbus Blue Jackets by a 4-2 final. With the loss, the Oilers’ five-game winning streak they entered the day with has come to an end. With some fresh faces trying to get accustomed to new linemates, costly turnovers killed any momentum the Oilers could have gained off a strong first couple of minutes.
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This was an ugly one from the Oilers, who looked horrendous in the early going before being able to straighten things out somewhat as the game progressed. There are never easy wins in the NHL, and this game certainly proved that, as the Blue Jackets entered sitting 29th in league standings with a 21-31-210 record, but were able to defeat an Oilers team that has been pretty good as of late. Here are the three main takeaways from this one.
Embarrassing Effort Out of the Gates
The Oilers’ first period was about as bad a 20 minutes as they’ve had this season. They were giving pucks away left and right, many times while not facing a ton of pressure. Not every game is going to be smooth sailing, but the opening frame tonight is not one that head coach Kris Knoblauch will be happy with.
The Oilers gave up three to Mathieu Olivier, Alex Nylander, and Dmitri Voronkov in the first as they headed to the locker room down 3-0. The third was incredibly disappointing as new Oiler Sam Carrick engaged in a fight with a tough customer in Olivier, only to see Warren Foegele cough up the puck on a turnover during the very next shift.
Zach Hyman was able to score early in the second which had many thinking a comeback was in store, but they were only able to find the back of the net one more time in the third on a power play goal thanks to a nice deflection in front by Corey Perry.
Tarasov Came Ready to Play
It was evident pretty early into this one that Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov was dialed in. He made some big saves in the first and continued that on for the rest of the night. His best work came late, as he made a few great saves while the Oilers had their goalie pulled, including one on Zach Hyman right in the crease.
Though Tarasov has struggled this season, he certainly didn’t tonight, kicking aside 29 of the 31 shots he faced for a .935 save percentage (SV%). Calvin Pickard was solid for the Oilers as well, stopping 30 of the 33 shots fired his way, though he would certainly like to have Voronkov’s goal back in the first that made it a 3-0 game.
Tough Night for Bouchard
Evan Bouchard is putting together a fantastic season for the Oilers, but tonight’s game was a rough one. The 24-year-old gave away the puck several times tonight, many of which resulted in high-quality scoring chances against. It serves as a reminder that as talented as he is, there are still some flaws, particularly defensively, in his game.
Bouchard was unable to get on the scoresheet in this one as well, ending a mini two-game point streak. He is still having an incredible season, however, as he sits with 15 goals and 60 points through 61 games. Expect a much better game from him on Saturday morning.
Looking Ahead for the Oilers
This loss will hurt the Oilers in the standings, as the Vegas Golden Knights and Vancouver Canucks are currently in action. If the Canucks win, they will have an 11-point lead over the Oilers in the Pacific Division. If the Golden Knights are able to pull out a victory, they will be just three points behind the Oilers for second.
As mentioned, the Oilers’ next game will take place Saturday morning at 10:30 am MT against the Buffalo Sabres. They will have another early outing the next day versus the Pittsburgh Penguins, with puck drop in that one set for 11:00 am MT.
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