The way Edmonton Oilers showed against Dallas in an 8-3 loss Tuesday night in Edmonton — like a group of people — it would be fair to wonder if a sport like tennis or golf might be a better idea.
But if team play becomes an issue for the Oilers in a few days in Seattle, then Mason Marchment, whose father Brian, so famously the author of the above quote, has, as a unapologetic open-ice attacker on the Edmonton blue line, made sure the Oilers have the necessary glue to look more like the team they are trying to be.
Marchment drilled Darnell Nurse with a blind check early on and found the goalkeeper. Stuart Skinner a little later and generally provided a goal to the Oilers' efforts in an impressive 4-0 win over Seattle.
By the end of the game, Marchment had declined the nurse's invitation while trashing. We assume he felt he had helped his opponent enough that evening.
“Just a little bit of team identity to stick with,” head coach Chris Knoblauch said. “It was nice to see that energy and that excitement. They're doing something together.”
Marchment was a target all night long, but not an obsession for an Oilers team that promised itself it would bounce back from an awkward Tuesday night when the entire hockey world (with Stars-Oilers being the only game on the NHL menu) tuned in to see the tragic loss at Rogers Place.
“Of course, that’s how you want to react,” said Ryan Nugent-Hopkinswho returned from injury on Saturday. “It shows a lot of good things for our group.”
It is often said about Nugent-Hopkins that his value lies in the way he approaches the game. A top-nine center and forward at equal strength, he is a fixture on Edmonton's power play and a regular penalty killer.
In his return, the special teams were flawless, killing all six Seattle power plays, including a five-on-three at 1:45, with Nugent-Hopkins scoring a goal and an assist on an Edmonton power play that ended 2-for-2.
“Probably the biggest thing (in the game) was the special teams,” Knoblauch said. “We were able to get those kills and then when we had the opportunity to score, our guys stepped up and did it.”
Behind it all was goalkeeper Stuart Skinner, who was much maligned after conceding four goals on just eight shots before being pulled from that debacle in Dallas. He was perfect on this night, had a subtle, economical shape, excellent rebound control, but also allowed the Oilers to make some mistakes with big saves that made people forget about the odd breakaway or two-on-one play.
“He just let it all go tonight,” Knoblauch said. “He wasn't worried about what happened. He had a couple of good days of training and he just looked very calm and collected in goal.”
“It's so important when your goalkeeper makes a big save at a key moment. And I thought Stu did it.”
Skinner stopped a 2-0 Berkeley Catton lead late in the second period. Soon the score was 3:0, and the game was in Edmonton's pocket.
“The way we were put together tonight really showed a lot of maturity and the way we were able to bounce back was impressive,” Skinner said. “Definitely needed those two points.”
Edmonton spent most of the season in a win-one-lose mode, playing the most road games in the NHL (17) while trying to find the strength they would need to close the short distance between themselves and the Pacific leaders.
Does a 4-0 away win provide that traction? We'll let you know in a few days: Edmonton opens a five-game homestand on Tuesday, its longest of the season.
OIL SPILLS – Leon Draisaitl (1-1-2) extended his point streak to eight games (5-8-13) with a strong performance against the Kraken… Connor Clattenburg made quick work of Freddy Gaudreau in his first NHL game. He played 6:38 and had a game-high six hits… Zach Hyman scored his first goal of the season when Draisaitl's tough center pass hit the net on his skate… Edmonton takes Sunday off before settling into its homestand for practice on Monday. They've been home for 12 days after a busy schedule of away games.
