The Edmonton Oilers remain hungry in the hunt for a Pacific Division title, with a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Kraken.

The Oilers turned in an excellent defensive effort over the opening twenty and went to the room with a 2-0 lead.

Seattle pushed back hard in the second but the while the Oilers bent, they did not break, behind solid tending from Connor Ingram.

A Connor McDavid empty net goal salted it away late, for the Oilers first four-win streak of the season.

Here is the tale of the tape…

Cult of Hockey player grades

Cult of Hockey player grades

 

 

 

 

CONNOR INGRAM. 9. Got a pad on an Eberle bid 4 minutes into the first. Bailed out Walman on a turnover with a big pad save on Myers. Stood tall though a rare Kraken flurry part way through the second. Quick right pad save on McCann. Very good through a late second period Kraken PP as well. Good third period save on Lindgren. Big PK stops on Tolvanen and Beniers on that late third period PK. Did not allow any of the 27 shots from Seattle to evade him, for his first shutout. The game’s first star. And the team’s best player.

CONNOR McDAVID. 7. Sent Savoie in for a first period chance. And repeated it next turn, too. Drew a first period holding minor but the PP could not capitalize. Sent a pass off to Podkolzin for a one-timer. Good look from the high slot in the second but it deflected wide. Bit of a knuckle-puck on a feed form Hyman. Sent Savoie breaking in hard down the right-hand side. Sublime seam pass to Ekholm late in the third who just missed. His teammates killed off his late second frame interference call. Dumped in the third late but no call. 3 shots.

MATT SAVOIE. 7. Had all kinds of jump. Took in a McDavid and dashed in on net for a shot. Did it again next shift. Sprung Henrique on a shorthanded breakaway. Just missed on a one-timer feed from Dickinson. Steamed in from the right side but could not bury a 97 feed. 4 shots.

VASILY PODKOLZIN. 5. Solid chance off a Bouchard setup. Just missed a one-timer on the PP.

MATTIAS EKHOLM. 8. The top pairing was excellent. Had a great look late in the second with his one-timer off a McDavid seam pass. Took an interference call but his mates killed it off. Just a single High Danger Scoring chance against 5v5. 2 blocks and a hit.

EVAN BOUCHARD. 7. Very good performance. Fed Podkolzin for a chance. Like his partner Ekholm, allowed just a single HDSC against 5v5. A single shot and a takeaway in 21:18.

RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS. 7. Terrific defensive effort 5v5. The best chance on the first period PP, an effort right up the gut. Great play on the wall to spring McDavid for the empty net goal. 58% on draws. 1 Assist, 1 Shot.

ZACH HYMAN. 5. Third period hooking call. 0 shots, 0 hits. 1 Assist.

JACK ROSLOVIC. 5. Gained the zone & fed Nurse for a first period shot. Clever defensive play to clear his own zone under pressure. 0 shots.

DARNELL NURSE. 8. Excellent defensive performance. Point shot in the first. A rush and shot early in the second. Has the puck under control on the second period PK but drilled the ref with the puck, leading to extended Kraken zone time. Won a puck battle while double-teamed and also had a blocked shot on the late second period PK. Not a single HDSC against in 19:03 of 5v5 work. Played 23:12 to lead the club.

CONNOR MURPHY. 7. First period shot off a Dickinson dish. Finally stopped the cycle after the Nurse PK turnover and cleared the zone. Excellent stick right at his own crease. Clear on the late second period PK. Four blocked shots over 40. Like Nurse, not a single HDSC against 5v5 (18:01 of his 22:08). A lot of heavy lifting late. Assist on the 3-0.

JASON DICKINSON. 5. Fed Murphy for a first period chance. Fed Savoie for a one-timer in the second. Had a couple chances to get the puck out on the PK late in the second but could not quite get a handle on it. Post in the third. +1.

ADAM HENRIQUE. 6. Good pass out of the corner to Kapanen in the high slot for a shot. The decoy on the 2-0. Nabbed a puck in the slot but just missed making it 3-0 at the buzzer. Stopped on a short-handed breakaway in the second. 67% on draws, a shot, a hit.

KASPERI KAPANEN. 7. Good look early. Terrific stick at the defending blueline then sprinted in and fired a shot low blocker for the 2-0. Another great stick after a long Kraken PP zone press at the end of the second. Third period shot block. Solid PK work.

JAKE WALMAN. 6. Primary assist on the 1-0 as his point shot sailed off Max Jones and in. Ripped a shot the Samanski grabbed a rebound from. Turnover led to a Seattle chance in the second. Dangerous shot later in that frame. High Dangers 5-1 5v5. 2 shots.

TY EMBERSON. 6. 5 hits led the team. HDSC’s 5v5 5-1. Really steady.

JOSH SAMANSKI. 5. Dished a nice pass to Lazar in the slot. Part of the sequence on the 1-0. Strong defensive read in the neutral zone to interrupt a Seattle sortie. A shot off a Walman blast. Solid on the OK, 40% on draws.

MAX JONES. 7. Excellent effort and was rewarded with a game star. Net front on the Walman shot from the point and was rewarded for going to the hard area for the 1-0. Two hits and a takeaway. Effective.

CURTIS LAZAR. 5. Solid. A chance on his first shift. 2 hits.

The Oilers are now 38-28-9, 85 points, 2 back of Anaheim for top spot…3 up on third place Vegas.

This article is not AI generated.

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Leavins Cult of Hockey

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