A Baker’s Dozen To Tie the Franchise Record: Devils Down Oilers 5-2

1st Period

The top line started as they have most of the win streak. Different from previous Ruff years where the 4th line started every game.

Hischier and Tatar has a 2 on 2 but the puck rolled of Hischier’s stick

Hughes set up Haula for a one-timer and he sent it wide. Kostin got called for holding Smith giving the Devils a power play 2:03 into the game. Edmonton won the faceoff and cleared. Hamilton reset and dropped it to Hughes, who carried over the line. He sent it to Hischier who fed Bratt in the high slot and he fired a wrister past Skinner to make it 1-0 Devils.

I can’t say I’ve seen the Oilers have a shot attempt yet 4 minutes into the game. Oilers are flat, as Dano says, and aren’t matching the Devils’ speed. I haven’t noticed McDavid yet either.

Draisaitl got hooked by Haula trying to receive a pass for the Oilers first power play. Edmonton won the draw. Barrie had a slapshot from the point and there was chaos in front for a second before the Devils cleared. McDavid hit the outside of the post. Over a minute in to the penalty and with 40 seconds left Marino finally cleared the puck so the Devils could clear. The Devils cleared the Oilers next entrance attempt, bringing the penalty down to 15 seconds. The Oilers had to dump it in and the Devils killed the rest of the penalty.

Marino intercepted Hyman’s pass attempt to gain the blue line. Hughes and Bratt went the other way a moment later and Skinner stopped Hughes’ shot. Skinner was forced to cover the puck for a faceoff.

The Devils sort of had a 3 on 2 but Hamilton’s shot was blocked.

Over the last few minutes the game has been more even, but there haven’t been many shots on goal for either side. McDavid tried to blow past Siegenthaler and drew a hooking penalty. Barrie had a couple of blasts but no high quality chances for the Oilers in the first minute. McDavid has a chance near the side of the net but Vancek got in the way. A few seconds later Draisaitl had a similar chance on the opposite side. Smith got knocked down and it went off his stick and in. Tie game.

the Devils needed some energy, the and 3rd line brought it. Boqvist got the puck and sent it to Sharangovich who sent it to Mercer. He gained the line and passed back to Sharangovich flying towards the net. He backhanded it wide and it went around to Boqvist in a puck battle. The puck came loose and Mercer grabbed it and set up Sharangovich for a wrister that Skinner held.

Edmonton iced the puck off the faceoff. Bratt got a chance off the faceoff. Hughes and Haula went ahead on the re-entry and Haula hit the post.

McDavid was out on the next shift and he was flying around. A rebound came out and Vanecek made a great save. Zetterlund blocked a hard slapshot from Bouchard who walked in from the point.

Nurse cross checked Haula from behind, no call.

Hyman went on a 1 on 1 and beat Marino, spun around, and fired the shot wide.

Boqvist intercepted a pass from Skinner and centered to Sharangovich but his shot was tipped wide.

2nd Period

Siegenthaler coughed up the puck and it looked like an Oilers power play for a moment.

The 1st line was out next and Hughes set up Bratt for a one timer but he shanked it

McDavid used his speed to get alone with Smith and drove to the net trying to stuff it 5 hole, but Vanecek shut the door.

Hischier, Tatar, and Mercer was the next shift and Mercer had a far side spinaround shot that Skinner had to make a good glove save on.

Zetterlund was ok after the blocked Bouchard shot, having a shift with Boqvist and Sharangovich.

Skinner fanned on a pass and Hischier stole it. It bounced off the far post and right to Mercer who buried it for a 2-1 lead.

McDavid got free past a turned around Graves and Sharangovich trying to play defense and Vanecek stopped him.

Foegele ran into Vanecek fighting against Smith

Bratt got the puck and skated forward. He passed to Hughes who gained the line and passed it back to Bratt halfway down the left side, and he fed Severson for a 2 goal lead. Beautiful play.

Graves knocked away a cross crease pass.

Zetterlund tried to get a bit too fancy and had a pass blocked away.

Mercer knocked a Draisaitl pass out of the Devils zone

It looked like a Devils power play for a moment. Bratt took the shot, which Skinner saved.

Edmonton took a penalty, McDavid for slashing Mercer. It didn’t look like much, but I saw a couple missed Oilers penalties earlier so I won’t complain.

The Oilers have not done a good job of closing down passing lanes in this game. Shots are 10-4 in the period.

The Devils had some good puck movement and most of the time in the Edmonton zone, but no big saves from Skinner needed.

Wood was called for high-sticking Janmark

Draisaitl’s shot was stopped by Vanecek.

Haula cleared a loose puck in front of the net. Graves tied up McDavid on his next chance. Hischier cleared.

Campbell got a cleared puck right in the face and had to go down the tunnel.

Skinner almost had another bad turnover with about 10 seconds left but got lucky this time.

3rd Period

Severson’s point shot led to a scramble in front but a couple seconds.

Ceci shot a wrister from the point and the rebound came right to Nugent-Hopkins alone at the side of the net and he tapped it in.

Vancek barely deflected a Nugent-Hopkins shot in tight with his glove. Tatar went the other way, grabbed his own rebound, dropped it to his stick, and batted it past Skinner, 4-2 Devils.

Vanecek was down and either he deflected a McLeod shot with his stick or it went wide, but it seemed like the Oilers had an open net for a second.

The Oilers had some possession in the Devils zone

Marino knocked down Janmark, who was trying to make something happen for the Oilers.

McDavid flew around the net on a wraparound attempt and Vanecek made the save

Tatar and Mercer had some fancy moved and got it to Graves who walked way in and Skinner had to make a good glove save.

Mercer had a shot off a turnover in the Oilers zone and shot it wide.

Sharangovich forced a turnover, got the puck back, cut to the center to open a shooting line, and beat Skinner to make it 5-2 Devils. 3 goals in his last 3 games.

Bastian went to the box for hooking Kostin with 3:31 left.

Edmonton couldn’t get set up for the first minute. Draisaitl was robbed on a one timer by Vanecek sliding across and getting it with the glove.

Ryan McLeod took a penalty. 4 seconds of 4 on 4, followed by the Devils power play for the remainder of the game.

The final minute went by with a standing ovation from the fans, and there it is, number 13 in a row.

Final Thoughts

Overall this game was pretty even. The deserve to win o’meter was about 50-50, with a slight edge to the Devils. Expected goals were 3.24 to 3.07 in favor of the Oilers according to NST. At even strength it was 2.72 to 1.78 in favor of the Devils.

This was another game we’re used to seeing the Devils on the wrong end of. A pretty even game overall, that ended with a 3 goal difference.

Graves-Marino played 10 minutes against McDavid 5v5. Shots were 11-10 Devils and goals were 0-0 in that time. McDavid still got himself a couple good chances Vanecek had to stop, but he was held to 1 point on the power play, and Graves and Marino at least shut him down 5v5, at least as much as you can shut McDavid down.

13 in a row. The Devils just need to play .500 hockey the rest of the way and they’re almost guaranteed a playoff spot. And they’re clearly very capable of playing well above .500 hockey.

Vanecek had another good game, saving 1.24 goals above expected with 28 saves on 30 shots.

The Devils can roll 4 lines, 3 pairs, and they have an NHL caliber goalie in net. They’ve won 13 games in a row. Let’s Go Devils.