Posted by 
This game had a Decade of Darkness feel to it but fortunately Edmonton’s record is now 13 wins and five loss, not five wins and 13 losses.
In the end, Edmonton had just four Grade A shots, while Dallas had 13 ( running count ).
Connor McDavid, 4. His 17-game point streak this season came to an end in a game where he played only so so. His turnover late in the first kicked off the Sequence of Pain on Raffl’s breakaway. He finally got off a Grade A shot, charging urgently down the wing early in the second. But his back-breaking fly-by/lost battle on Gurianov’s breakaway was the major cause of Dallas’ third goal.
Zach Hyman, 3. Not his best game on the PK or at even strength. Two lost battles on face offs led to Grade A shots against, one of them a goal against.
Leon Draisaitl, 6. He led the DYNamite line on a great shift late in the second, but for all the pressure they could not get a Grade A shot, let alone a needed goal. The same thing happened late in the second with another great shift, but no Grade A shot, no goal, only a penalty out of frustration by Drai. He made a gorgeous feed to McLeod for Edmonton’s first and only goal.
Kailer Yamamoto, 4. Part of the problem on second Dallas power play goal.
Ryan McLeod, 6. Drai set him up for an open net but he did not miss it. He had his wheels going this game, unlike some of his teammates.
Zack Kassian, 4. He made a nice cross ice pass to Broberg, with Broberg firing on net and Foegele almost jamming it in. His turnover in the first was followed by two more and a Grade A shot by Hintz. He threw a major hit on huge Hakanpaa in the second, but was more shook up after it than the Dallas player.
Warren Foegele, 6. Hustled hard. Nothing too good, nothing too bad.
Colton Sceviour, 5. Solid game checking.
Derek Ryan, 3 . He was slow on the backcheck on a dangerous Radulov tip shot in the first. He and Yamamoto got way too high on the penalty kill late in the first, opening wide a seam for Dallas to exploit on their second goal.
Duncan Keith, 3. Six major mistakes on Grade A shot at even strength. Took a tripping penalty early in the game, then Dallas scored on the power play. His pairing with Bouchard fell apart in the first, with Keith a big part of the problem. To add injury to insult, he left the game early, half-way through the second period.
Evan Bouchard, 3. Five major mistakes on Grade A shot at even strength. Strong physical play to stop a hard-charging Michael Raffl early in the game. But his troubles started soon, making a weak n-zone pinch that led to a dangerous tip shot on net. A moment later, he fell down on the PK, then failed to take out Hintz’s shot tip in front of the net. And a moment after that, he hopped on the ice early, causing a too many men penalty. Late in the first he and Keith got beat by Raffl on a breakaway. He got a hard and tricky shot on net late in the second, but had little going on this game.
Codi Ceci, 6. At least one Oilers defender had a solid game. Another strong effort from Ceci. He got beat on the tip shot for Dallas’ fourth goal but that’s a tough stop to make.
Philip Broberg, 6. HIs failed clearance kicked off the Sequence of Pain on the first Dallas goal. Other than that error, he and Ceci had a good game at even strength. They kept it simple and safe. Broberg moved about smoothly and confidently, passing the puck well. He led the team with five shots on net.
Kris Russell, 6. Held his own and came up with a few defensive gems. Made a great defensive stop in the slot early in the game. He also made a huge block and coverage of puck on a Dallas power play in the second.
Tyson Barrie, 5. Beat on the Gurianov breakaway but that was mainly on McDavid. Otherwise was solid.
Stuart Skinner, 6. He stopped a Grade A tip shot by Radulov early on. Could not stop a double tip on the first Dallas goal. He made a huge breakaway save late in the first, then stoned Raffl again on a Dallas 2-on-1 in the second. Beat on the power play-ish breakaway goal, but no chance on the tipped shot fourth goal. He played well enough for the Oilers to have a shot in a game where they were badly out-played.
