CHICAGO — Win the 3-1, tight-checking game against the hard, veteran opponent in St. Louis? Check.
Come out the next night and grab the two points in a 6-5 power-play-fest against the pesky Chicago Blackhawks — erasing three deficits and scoring the game-winner with 37.4 seconds left in the third period?
Double check.
If Wednesday in St. Louis was tame, with two hardened contenders playing playoff hockey in October, then this one was one of those wild one-offs that we so seldom see. Eleven goals, 17 combined power plays, 40 minutes in minor penalties assessed to the two clubs …
“We’d like to keep our goals against down a little bit, but it was just such a bizarre game,” marvelled Leon Draisaitl. “So it’s kind of a write-off. We’ll take the two points and move on.”
Draisaitl buried a pass from Evander Kane in the game’s final minute to notch the winner in the thriller, capping a three-point night (1-2-3) – on his 27th birthday, no less.
“It’s the best present I’ve had,” quipped Draisaitl.
It was here in Chicago, at the old Chicago Stadium 37 years ago, that these two teams played the highest-scoring National Hockey League game since the inception of the red line – a 12-9 Oilers win on Dec. 11, 1985. Wayne Gretzky had seven assists that night (no goals), and the oldtimers in the press box at the United Center Thursday were recalling that game as today’s Blackhawks and Oilers took us back to the ’80s.
Edmonton’s penalty kill has surrendered a goal in every game this season, but an Oilers penalty-killing unit that killed eight out of 10 on Thursday was like an old-school Grant Fuhr: It simply refused to allow the next one that would have extended Chicago’s lead beyond the comeback.
Edmonton was assessed nine minor penalties in the second period alone, but in the end – on the strength of another magical night from Connor McDavid, who had a hat trick and four points – the Oilers power play outscored Chicago’s on a 3-for-7 night with the man advantage.
“It’s hard for everyone, because there’s no rhythm, right?” Draisaitl said of all the penalties. “You have guys sitting on the bench for a full period. Guys probably playing a little too much. There’s no rhythm in our system or our game – for either team. It was a crazy game.”
The team settled down after 40 minutes – or at least Edmonton did, as Chicago took three of the four minors called in Period 3. Edmonton buried two on the power play to win it in the third.
“We were a little yappy on the bench for a little bit, and that doesn’t help,” Draisaitl said. “Just staying off the refs sometimes is a good place (to start).”
“Certainly not the prettiest win,” added McDavid. “But a win like that can bring guys together. It was fun out there. Lots of emotions.”
McDavid gave the Oilers their first lead of the night midway through the third period when he absolutely walked past defenceman Jake McCabe before zipping a puck through Alex Stalock’s pads. The Oilers captain now leads the NHL with eight goals, and is tied with Draisaitl and Boston’s David Pastrnak with 15 points after just eight games.
But while McDavid put on yet another clinic here Thursday, Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews wore the goat horns, meekly coughing up a puck to Kailer Yamamoto in the game’s final minute. Yamamoto zipped the puck to Kane, who wheeled it over to Draisaitl, and it was in the Blackhawks’ goal.
It was a wasteful play by Toews, a player who is seldom if ever identified with that calibre of defensive hockey.
“It wasn’t exactly our script – not how we wanted to win the game,” said head coach Jay Woodcroft. “We found ourselves down at different times, and there was emotion in that game. But our players dug in when it mattered, and found a way to win.
“We didn’t give up, and we played the full 60 minutes. That’s what it took tonight for us to get the win.”
Look, an 82-game season can be a long and winding road. You’re going to have nights where a single mistake can be the difference, and nights like this one – where the last mistake is the only one that anyone will remember.
The fact the Oilers, in a span of 24 hours on the road, took home a pair of wins in two diametrically opposed games like these speaks well of this team.
“It shows we can adapt,” said Kane, who had two assists and had a goal called back on a controversial goaltender interference call. “There was a lot of adversity tonight, and credit to all the guys for sticking together and battling to the very end.
“We feel pretty good about the win tonight.”
