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Edmonton Oilers goalkeeper Mike Smith (41) and Dallas Stars Jamie Ben (14) enter a push-up match during the NHL action at Rogers Place in Edmonton, April 20, 2022. Ed Kaiser / Postmedia Photo by Ed Kaiser / Postmedia
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To some extent, the Dallas Stars have been the enemy of the Edmonton Oilers this season.
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That changed on Wednesday night when the Oilers beat the Stars over the lion’s share of the 60 minutes on the road to a solid 5-2 victory. For those eyes, Dallas had trouble fighting Edmonton’s speed. The Oilers turned this advantage into a 50-36 shot advantage.
More importantly, the win brings Oilers incredibly close to earning his post-season ticket.
Here is the story of the tape …
Edmonton Oilers players ratings
MIKE SMITH. 8. Stay hot. Stopped 34 out of 36. No chance at 2-1 from Jason Robertson, an absolute rocket that may also have been deflected with a single touch when entering. This interrupted Smith’s series of shutdowns at 144 minutes and 39 seconds. 2-2 was a wild bout in the net. Smith had many good moments tonight, but perhaps his best was in the 1st Period Dallas Power Game, when he stopped Gurianov, Seguin and then Gurianov again in quick succession. Pavelski’s late stop (where he lost his mask) ended the night. He also took a few shots of the empty net late, which made the building buzz. The second star of the game. .948 SV% in his last 10 starts.
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CONNER McDAVID. 8. Look at the top of your game. It exploded on the right side at almost 40 km / h and transferred a wonderful backhand to the stubborn Evander Kane, who swept it for 1-0. A foul called during a 4-2 attack. He improved the score by receiving an excellent pass from Keith and testing RHS before returning it. Great defensive sequence deep in his own zone early in the 2nd. The 3-point night put him back in the NHL lead with 113.
IVANDER KANE. 7. Kane gave his club the lead at the start by hitting home with an exquisite 97 backhand. That was one of four strikes that night. Provides an additional 4-2 screen. You played a game as a worker. It didn’t look at all like he’d just flown through the content to get to play time.
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KYLER YAMAMOTO. 5. Suffered, but in the end I didn’t finish much. A few shots, a few hits. 1:50 on PC. He threw a small grenade at Ceci in the attacking blue line, which almost led to a breakthrough by a strange man from Stars in the other direction.
NURSE DARNELL. 7. It got better during the night. He freed his side of the net while knocking on the door and (luckily, of course) the puck turned wide open at the exact spot Nurse had just left. The author of the game’s hit when he shot Jamie Ben on the Oilers bench, much to the delight of the audience in his hometown. Dicey’s handout forced Smith to stop Pavelsky well. But in his 25:52 on the TOI, Nurse amassed 6 shots, 5 hits and 2 strike blocks.
CODY SESSION. 7. Registered very heavy minutes (23; 54). Ceci was part of the battle against 2-2. A game of despair helped prevent Dallas from escaping from prison at the end of the 3rd. 3 hits, 2 receivables. He broke even with a 5v5 goal chance.
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LEON DRAISITLE. 7. A super smart shot from Draisaitl’s wrist from a long distance, which created a rebound that Zack Hyman chased and scored with a backhand for 3-2. Laiman sent a laser pass for the second period all by himself, but he could not convert this one. He threw a thunderous chess to Jacob Peterson in the 2nd, who apparently shook from the collision. He was on the ice for 13 chances for a 5v5 goal, 9 of which on HDSC, only 2 against.
ZAC HYMAN. 8. Best ice player. Zack Hyman drove miles, many of them heavy, with a defender (or two) hanging on his back. 8 strokes (!) In the net. He scored a huge goal, a green light and a possible winner in the game, with a 2-2 draw. From then on, the Oilers went mostly until the end of the match. He took a Draisaitl pass and split Dallas D, only to be abandoned by Wedgewood at the end of the 2nd. On the ice for 15 goal positions for. Named the 1st star of the game.
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JESSE PULUDJARVI. 7. He landed strategically between the shooter and the net and made the puck fall off him and enter for 4-2. Jesse Pulyuarvi is doing a lot of things right lately. Sometimes you only need one to hit you and go to a good place. But his 5v5 CF in the evening shows how the game flowed with him on the ice (26-7, 79%). 4 shots, 3 hits. We hope that lighting the lamp will help them start entering a little easier.
EVAN BUSHAR. 8. Choose a good time to play some of your best hockey of the season. He won a second assist at 3-2 with a pass to Draisaitl. His shot then deflected from Pulyuarvi and resulted in a 4-2. Called the 3rd star. Changes with a high degree of danger for / against was 8-1 with him on the ice. He and Keith were excellent.
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Duncan Keith. 8. Keith and Bouchard had a great night in the 2nd pair. Sharp main pass to Connor McDavid for the empty net. On the ice for all 5 goals for, +5 at night. Only one HDSC against at 17:24. +5 is the peak of his career for his stay in 1251 league games.
RYAN NEWGANT-HOPKINS. 5. It was “just fine.” His line broke even with a chance to score. Nugent-Hopkins could not find the puck in an excellent setting for the second period from McLeod. I thought it was his best in 4v5, where he offered 1:33 solid work. This includes clearing the back to back area during critical Dallas PP in Period 3. 45% when withdrawing.
WARRAN FOELE. 6. Play your best hockey as an Oiler. No points, but he played hard and fast in straight lines and was physically as I have seen him all season. 5 hits, 5 hits, some good defensive backs too.
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CHRIS RUSSELL. 6. Won 2nd assist at 1-0. Russell’s man lost 2-1. Overall a stable, veteran game. He also joined PK. As a former D-man, I would like to point out that playing both sides interchangeably in the game is not an easy task at every level, let alone in the best league in the world.
TYSON BARRY. 7. Win an assistant 2-0 with a smart slap down to McLeod. 2 shots. He moved the puck well, made mostly good decisions when he was under pressure and was stable in defense. He seems to have found a home with Kulak.
BRET KULAK. 7. Too cautious encounters your man at 2-1. I also thought the washer might have cut off Kulak’s wand a little on the way. But this was one of the few valuable unpleasant moments for the high defender. He led all the Oilers in 5v5 CF (21-4, 84%).
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RYAN MACLEOD. 6. Flying. McLeod won as an assist at 2-0 when his shot went off the crossbar and into the net of the waiting Derek Ryan. There could have been another when he stormed into the area and gave a pass to Nugent-Hopkins, who couldn’t pull the trigger. Effective again after a minute of PK operation.
DEREK RYAN. 7. Hit 2-0 when rebounding McLeod. He threw himself in front of the hakanpaa in the 3rd and limped, but will return later. Part of the confusion. Rough, effective execution.
ZAC CASSIAN. 6. No assist, but helped to score 2-0 with an aggressive fork. He missed the puck and his man in the neutral zone at 2-1. Good protective stick in the 1st. 3 hits.
The win, their 45th of the season, gave Edmonton Oilers 96 points. It was a victory in the regulation. So, Edmonton is already 5 points ahead of the Stars for the last place with a wild card. And LA is already 4 behind (only 4 games left) and is in 3rd place in the division.
Find me on Twitter @KurtLeavins
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