The Edmonton Oilers haven’t trashed the Calgary Flames like this since former Oilers coach Craig MacTavish ripped the tongue out of Harvey the Hound’s face.
The best players on the Oilers came alive and dominated the Flames 5-1 in a game that had a men vs. boys vibe.
Calgary simply could not handle the skill, speed, confidence and maturity of the Edmonton attack.
The game was a huge statement for the Oilers just before Christmas as they’ve now righted their sinking ship and dragged their way back to real .500, 19 wins and 19 losses in 38 games.
In the end, the Grade A shots (which go in about 22 per cent of the time) were 26 to nine for the Oilers, with the subset of 5-alarm shots 16 to two for Edmonton.
Cult of Hockey player grades
Connor McDavid, 10. Deadly with the puck, killer game. Five assists. Flying from the start. Five guys were staring at him as he passed off to Bouch on the 1-0 goal, leaving RNH free to sneak in unmarked to score. He broke in on a breakaway in the first and drew a penalty. Great zone entry on the 2-1 Edmonton goal. He found Drai in the slot for a second PP goal early in the second. He stopped a shot then rushed up ice, froze Wolf and set up Hyman on the 4-1 goal. Another great rush on the fifth goal. Grade A shots plus-minus: Even Strength (EV): +5, -2; Special Teams (ST): +8, -0
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 7. Went to the net on the first goal, picked up the undetonated Bouch Bomb and blasted it in. Slick work all game on the PP. Grade A +/-: EV +2, -0; ST +5, -0
Zach Hyman, 9. One goal, two assists and one collision with a freight train. Almost put in a crease backhand deke in the first. His dz-slot turnover kicked off the sequence of pain in the 1-1 goal. He went full Larry Bird on the second Edmonton goal with a no-look backhand pass to set up Drai’s harpoon. He took a hit from Big Boy Bahl early in the second. He launched a PP harpoon on Wolf a moment later, failed to score. Same with a rebound 5-alarmer and a breakaway in the following minutes. But he kept at it, going hard to the net for a tap-in off a brilliant McD feed for the 4-1. He also took a dirty knee-on-knee hit from Rasmus Andersson. Grade A +/-: EV +8, -1; ST +3, -0
Leon Draisaitl, 9. Three goals, great attacking game. His turnover led to a 2-on-1 rush on his first shift, but Podkolzin saved his bacon. He launched a blast into a wide open net on the 2-0 goal. Snapped in a second PP goal on a sweet McD pass early in the second. All kinds of great passes in this one, including sending in Hyman on a breakaway late in the second. Almost scored another on a break-in chance late in the second. Got his third in the third on a scramble after McD’s rush. Grade A +/-: EV +10, -1; ST +6, -0
Jack Roslovic, 6. Starting to get back in the groove. He went for an oz-steal in the first, causing a 3-on-2 against when his gamble failed. Burst in off the wing for a dangerous chance in the first. Allowed Backlund to get free for a Grade A late in the first. Another Grade A rush early in the third. Grade A +/-: EV +2, -1; ST +0, -0
Vasily Podkolzin, 6. Monster chiller thriller hustle on his first shift to break up a Flames odd man rush. Grade A +/-: EV +0, -0; ST +0, -0
Matt Savoie, 6. Good work in this one. Grade A +/-: EV +2, -1; ST +0, -0
Andrew Mangiapane, 6. He ripped a Grade A in the third off a Savoie pass. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -0; ST +0, -0
Adam Henrique, 7. His best game in some time. Tipped a puck and got the first 5-alarm shot 30 seconds into the game. He ripped a second 5-alarmer off a Nurse seam pass in the second. Grade A +/-: EV +4, -0; ST +0, -0
Trent Frederic, 7. Showed his quality taking on Bahl for the Hyman hit and got a few hard punches in. Grade A +/-: EV +0, -0; ST +0, -0
Mattias Janmark, 6. Won a battle to help set up Jones’ early third slotter. Grade A +/-: EV +2, -0; ST +0, -0
Max Jones, 7. Good game. He won a nz-battle, then powered across the slot for a Grade A shot in the first. A few shifts later he battled to win a puck behind the Calgary net then set up Hyman for a 5-alarm creaser. Got another Grade A slotter early in the third off a Nurse feed. Grade A +/-: EV +3, -0; ST +0, -0
Mattias Ekholm, 7. Solid passing in this one, including a stretch that sent in Hyman on a breakaway. Grade A +/-: EV +3, -0; ST +0, -0
Evan Bouchard, 7. Two assists. Turnover into the dz-slot on an early shift, but Calgary failed to shoot. But his slapper led to a rebound on the 1-0 for goal for Edmonton. He made a swell deke to kick off the virtuous cycle on the 3-1 PP goal. He got beat by Backlund on a breakaway chance. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -2; ST +2, -0
Darnell Nurse, 8. Tower of power. Playing some of the best hockey of his career in the last six weeks. He won all kinds of battles, made some swell passes, kept it simple, safe and effective. Another chapter in an old and painful story, a puck deflecting in off Nurse for Calgary’s first goal. Brilliant cross-ice dart to set up Henrique’s one-timer. He slammed Andersson with a cross-check, retribution for the dirty Hyman hit. Grade A +/-: EV +6, -1; ST +0, -0
Alec Regula, 6. Quiet name, solid game. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -0; ST +0, -0
Spencer Stastny, 6. Solid check on a Rasmus Andersson break-in in the first. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -0; ST +0, -0
Ty Emberson, 7. Good PK block late in the first. Ripped a Grade A on the rush in the second. Grade A +/-: EV +2, -1; ST +0, -2
Connor Ingram, 7. Not busy early on, then no chance on the first goal deflected in the crease by Nurse. Saved by the post when Backlund shot through a heavy screen late in the first. Mount Olympus of a save on Backlund’s breakaway moments after Hyman got Bahled over, a key play to stop Calgary comeback energy. Another solid save on Lomberg a moment later.
At the Cult of Hockey
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