Just when Evan Bouchard really, badly, terribly needed a bounce and a goal he got one of both, scoring on a rebound in overtime as the Edmonton Oilers beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2.
After the game, Connor McDavid said of Bouchard: “You guys can say what you want about him. We love him in there. We know his best is among the very, very, very best. We got his back no matter what is going on.”
How about that for a vote of confidence?
The Grade A shots were 18 for Edmonton 11 for Chicago, with the subset of more dangerous 5-alarm shots seven for the Oilers, five for the Blackhawks (running count).
Cult of Hockey player grades
Connor McDavid, 8. Dynamic on the power play. Three assists. Solid pass on the OT goal. He set up RNH early on for a Grade A. He charged hard into the Chicago zone early in the second and took out a Hawks player in a collision, opening up the passing lane for Draisaitl’s goal. Slick pass to set up Roslovic’s late second power play goal. Grade A shots plus-minus: Even Strength (EV): +4, -2; Special Teams (ST): +6, -0
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 7. He ripped a slotter on net in the first. Put it right Drai’s stick for Edmontons’ first goal. Grade A +/-: EV +2, -0; ST +2, -0
Andrew Mangiapane, 6. Solid check to thwart a Nazar in the slot int he first. He tipped a McD outside shot on net in the second. He failed to connect on a great slot feed from McDavid late in the third. He set up Ekholm in OT but Ek couldn’t drain it. Grade A +/-: EV +3, -0; ST +0, -0
Leon Draisaitl, 8. What’s not to love. Goal and an assist. He fired away on a late first period power play and looked to have scored in the final second but the puck as 0.1 seconds too late to count. He launched his dread Executioner’s Shot for Edmonton’s first goal. Set up a Podkolzin’s harpoon in the third. Great feed to Bouchard on the winning goal. Grade A +/-: EV +4, -0; ST +4, -0
Vasily Podkolzin, 7. High event, most of it good. He led the team with six hits. He made a slick pass to set up Draisaitl for a slot backhand in the first. He charged hard to get a breakaway and penalty shot in the first, but failed to drain the shot. He allowed the initial slot shot on Chicago’s second goal. He got another one-timer in the third. Smart line change in OT to get fresh players out against tired Hawks; Chicago d-man Arytom Levshunov was caught out for 1:44 when Bouch scored. Grade A +/-: EV +7, -2; ST +0, -0
Jack Roslovic, 8. He’s looking like the winger the Oilers have been searching for for years, a fit with Draisaitl. Slick to start the game with key passes on Grade A shots. Kept his stick on the ice and jammed in McDavid’s pass to putt in a goal in the second. He charged up ice for a break-in chance in the third. Grade A +/-: EV +5, -0; ST +2, -0
Adam Henrique, 7. Deflected a shot on his own net early in the first, leading to two quick Grade A shots. Solid on the attack, he set up Podzilla for a late second period harpoon. Grade A +/-: EV +2, -3; ST +0, -0
Trent Frederic, 7. Picking it up a bit in recent games. He moved hard into the slot to set up a wicked shot from Savoie in the first. Fired a hard one-timer on net in the second. Grade A +/-: EV +2, -0; ST +0, -0
Matt Savoie, 7. One of his better games. He nailed a hard slotter on net in the first. He won a battle and set up Frederic for a dangerous harpoon in the second. Grade A +/-: EV +2, -0; ST +0, -0
Noah Philp, 5. He and Lazar both threw hits to help set up Howard’s first period Grade A. He took a penalty going for the puck, a tough call, especially as the Blackhawks scored. He got stripped in the d-slot by Bedard, who rifled a 5-alarmer. Beat by Burakvosky in the slot on Chicago’s second goal. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -2; ST +0, -0
Curtis Lazar, 5. Quiet game. Played just nine minutes. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -0; ST +0, -0
Ike Howard, 6. Nose for the net, shooter mentality, which saw him get a hard Grade A wrister off in the first. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -0; ST +0, -0
Mattias Ekholm, 7. Stretch pass to set up a Grade A in the first. Best game in some time. He kept a clean sheet at even strength, not one mistake on a Grade A shot against. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -0; ST +0, -0
Evan Bouchard, 6. The OT hero, going to the net for two 5-alarmers and putting in the second one. One goal, one assist. Until that moment he appeared to have the yips with the puck. His stretch pass help set up Podkolzin’s first period break-in and penalty shot. He second-guessed a shot and gave up a breakaway on the PP early in the third, but Skinner saved him this time. A few other gaffes as well. Grade A +/-: EV +3, -2; ST +2, -1
Jake Walman, 6. Up and down. Failed to cover off Bertuzzi on his power play goal. Great stretch pass in third to kick off a Grade A sequence. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -2; ST +0, -1
Darnell Nurse, 5. Also up and down. He gave Bedard too much room to pass on the power play and Bedard threaded it to Bertuzzi for a goal. Great defensive stop in the slot in the third to save a goal. He let in Nazar for a dangerous shot in the third. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -1; ST +0, -1
Brett Kulak, 6. One rough sequence but good otherwise. He lost a battle at even strength on Chicago’s second goal. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -2; ST +0, -0
Ty Emberson, 7. Another solid game. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -1; ST +0, -0
Stuart Skinner, 7. Got it done in the first, though nothing too tough came his way. Little chance on Bertuzzi’s goal but came up big a moment later on Bedard’s sizzling slotter. Stupendous save for both Skinner himself and Bouchard on Mikheyev early in the third. He got beat on a slot goal by Burakovsky, but he thwarted Nazar in tight in the third.
At the Cult of Hockey
STAPLES: Why I have goodwill and patience for embattled Evan Bouchard
STAPLES: ‘There’s got to be some accountability’: ex-NHLers call for Evan Bouchard benching
LEAVINS: Player grades vs Rangers