Los Angeles Kings goalie Anton Forsberg out-battled Edmonton Oilers goalie Connor Ingram, as the King won 1-0 in a boring, but hard fought game that picked up some steam as it went along.
The Grade A shots were 18 to 9 for the Edmonton, with the subset of most dangerous 5-alarm shots to seven each.
The Cult of Hockey
Connor McDavid, 8. Battled hard all game, maybe hardest working Oilers player. He won a battle, charged up ice to deke through the slot and set up Savoie for a Grade A shot in the first. He lost a nz-battle leading to Lafarriere’s dangerous shot late in the first. He won a puck in the corner to set up Savoie’s five-alarmer with eight minutes left. He played 26:50. Grade A shots plus-minus: Even Strength (EV): +5, -2; Special Teams (ST): +2, -0
Vasily Podkolzin, 5. Quiet game by his standards. Slammed a PP slotter on net off a McD pass in the second, but no goal. Grade A +/-: EV +0, -1; ST +1, -0
Matt Savoie, 6. Gathered in a pass off his skate and fired a couple dangerous shots on net in the first. Failed to drain a slotter from the top of the crease in the third. Grade A +/-: EV +3, -1; ST +0, -1
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 6. Failed to get much done on the attack, but part of strong defensive effort. Grade A +/-: EV +3, -0; ST +1, -0
Kasperi Kapanen, 5. One dangerous shot in the third off a McD feed. Not enough otherwise. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -1; ST +0, -0
Max Jones, incomplete. His legs got stretched making a hit, then limped off the ice early in the first, knocked out of the game. Grade A +/-: EV +0, -0; ST +0, -0
Trent Frederic, 7. Yet another good game. He charged up ice and ripped a seamer to Nurse for Oil’s first five-alarm shot of the game, then crashed into Doughty on the forecheck. He got off a good jam shot in the third. Grade A +/-: EV +5, -1; ST +0, -0
Colton Dach, 8. His best game, crashing and making plays. He was in the middle of numerous strong and virtuous cycles ending in Grade A shots. He tipped an outside Ember-shot on net in the first, then almost scored off Ekholm’a pass late in the first. He and linemate Frederic both had six hits. Grade A +/-: EV +6, -1; ST +0, -0
Josh Samanski, 6. Solid work. Took a big hit, kept at it. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -0; ST +0, -0
Jack Roslovic, 7. Good two-way game. Excellent pass to set up Henrique for a dangerous shot at the end of the first, then hammered Brandt Clarke with a hit. He ripped a PP one-timer on net in the second. Rushed up ice and got a dangerous shot on net in the third. He took a high stick in the face but the refs missed it. Grade A +/-: EV +5, -0; ST +1, -0
Curtis Lazar, 6. Good hustle. He almost tipped Nurse’s outside shot into the net in the first. Grade A +/-: EV +2, -0; ST +0, -0
Adam Henrique, 7. Solid game on the attack. His outside shot almost deflected in early on, then pounded on net a five-alarmer. Grade A +/-: EV +4, -0; ST +0, -1
Mattias Ekholm, 7. One more good game in a run of them. Took a hit to make a pass, rushed up ice, then set up Dach for a dangerous jam shot late in the first. Grade A +/-: EV +2, -1; ST +0, -0
Evan Bouchard, 4. Some good work on the attack, as always, but a colossal mistake or two on defence. He played 27:36. Needs to dial it in. Bad decision at the blueline, stripped of the puck, Panarin breakaway, 1-0 Kings. A few shifts later he successfully executed a second deke, so he evidently was not perturbed by his mistake. Late in the second he turned over the puck then failed to cover Byfield on a five-alarmer. Great pinch late in the game. Grade A +/-: EV +3, -2; ST +1, -2
Darnell Nurse, 4. Some good on the attack but he keeps making the same fundamental mistake on defence. Moved in for a dangerous tip shot in the first. He gave too much gap, then was caught puck-watching and deflected a five-alarm shot onto his own net in the second, and also failed to stop his man Kopitar on the rebound. This was Nurse’s 12th deflected on net even strength Grade A shot of the year. All other Oilers d-men have 10 in total. Nurse leads the team in this category almost every year. This is not bad luck for Nurse, this happens because of a fundamental error he makes. He all too often puck watches and stabs at outside shots with his stick, as opposed to taking the man. Grade A +/-: EV +3, -2; ST +0, -0
Connor Murphy. 7. Another solid game, taking the man again and again. His partner might learn from that. He kept a clean sheet at even strength, not one major mistake on a Grade a shot against. Grade A +/-: EV +0, -0; ST +0, -0
Jake Walman, 7. Some troubles with the puck early on, but moved into the slot for a hard shot. He stood up for Samanski, after the rookie took a had hit. He let Kopitar by him in the third, but chased him down a moment later. He also kept a clean sheet. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -0; ST +0, -0
Ty Emberson, 7. Another clean sheet ace. Some solid plays with the puck including sending in Dach and Henrique for a dangerous shot in the second. Grade A +/-: EV +2, -0; ST +0, -0
Connor Ingram, 8. Let in the early breakaway goal, but a big stop in the last minute of first on Laferriere’s break-in wrister. He was able to get a pad on Nurse’s dangerous deflection on his own net in the second, as well as thwarting Kopitar’s even more dangerous follow up jam shot. Monster Chiller Horror Thriller of a stop on Byfield late in the second, then glove Edmundson’s five-alarm harpoon. Another huge stop on Laferriere’s power play slot tip late in the third.