Player grades: Iffy penalty kill work is death to Edmonton Oilers in 4-2 loss to Utah Mammoth

Much has gone right for the Edmonton Oilers so far this year, but the team’s iffy penalty kill isn’t on that list. Utah got ahead on two power play goals, and went on to beat the Oilers 4-2.

The Grade A shots in the game were seven for Edmonton, 10 for Utah, with the subset of more dangerous five-alarm shots seven to five for Utah (running count).

Connor McDavid, 7. His line had a few hard-working shifts throughout the game, often trapping Utah in their own zone. But he could create little in the way of Grade A shots much of the game. He deked dangerously into the slot early in the second but muffed his shot. He tipped a shot on net half-way through the second. The lines hard work paid off when McD slid the puck to Drai on the rush in the second, Drai slamming it home. He got some revenge on Drai’s rough treatment by crosschecking Logan Cooley into the boards. Had a wicked top shelf shot get blocked by Weegar in the third. He cut in hard and almost scored on the rush with seven minutes left.

Vasily Podkolzin, 6. Hustled hard all game. He won a board battle leading to McDavid’s nasty tip shot in the second.

Leon Draisaitl, 7. Some solid board work in the o-zone in the first. He moved into the slot and ripped a low shot into the net to make it 2-1 in the second. But he missed the net a few shifts later when McD set him up in the slot. He got illegally blasted into the boards by big McBain.

Filip Hallander, 5. Last minute fill-in at centre for the injured Jason Dickinson. Blasted Trochek with a nasty hit in the first.

Kasperi Kapanen, 4. Quiet game. More needed from him with so many top players out. He did launch a nasty shot on net with two minutes left in a slot scramble.

Trent Frederic, 5. Almost slammed home the rebound of a Hallander outside shot late in the first.

Alex Formenton, 7. Not a perfect game, but his best game as an Oiler. He took Joseph’s slot pass on an odd-man rush early in the first and almost scored. He went out determined to make an impact, throwing hit after hit. He led the team with seven hits. But he lost a puck battle in the slot on the second Utah PP goal. He got mugged in front of the Utah net, then set a Total Eclipse of the Sun screen on Edmonton’s second goal

Owen Michaels, 6. Solid n-zone deke to help set up Formenton’s early five-alarm slotter. He was standing flat-footed in the dz-slot on Utah’s 2-0 power play goal. He won the faceoff, then passed to Mukhamadullin on Edmonton’s second goal.

Mathieu Joseph, 6. He set a high screen on Edmonton’s second goal. Solid enough otherwise.

Max Jones, 4. He charged up ice to launch a Grade A shot in the first. He made two turnovers leading up to Yamamoto’s nasty tip shot in the second.

Isaac Howard, 4. Another quiet game.

Josh Samanski, 4. Took a double minor for highsticking in the first, with Utah scoring the 1-0 goal. Quiet otherwise.

Mattias Ekholm, 6. As we’ve seen so often in Edmonton’s seemingly haphazard PK this year, Ekholm was out chasing the puck up to the blueline and failed to get back into position in time to help stop Utah’s wide open 2-0 goal. Great sliding defensive stop in the third to take away a dangerous shot.

Evan Bouchard, 6. Strong at even strength but he got beat clean with an PP entry pass at the blueline, kicking off the sequence of pain on Utah’s 1-0 goal. His bad line change led to Crouse’s second period break-in five-alarmer. He made a quick pass to kick off the goal rush on Edmonton’s first goal.

Connor Murphy, 5. Blasted Nick Schmaltz into the boards with a hard hit. Generally held his own on defence.

Ryan Shea, 5. He failed to make the right read and take out Barrett Hayton on the Yamamoto breakaway rebound, so 1-0 Utah. He was otherwise OK.

Ty Emberson, 5. He got beat down the wing by Trocheck late in the second, allowing the pass in on the 3-1 goal. But got the job done the rest of the time.

Shakir Mukhamadullin, 5. High event, some good, some bad. Solid hit on big Jack McBain in the first, knocking him down. His nz-bobble of the puck led to an extended Utah cycle in the second. The young d-man failed to take out Logan Cooley in front of the net, allowing the 3-1 tip shot. He put the puck at net and saw it deflect in for Edmonton’s second goal. A couple good blocks late in the third.

Devon Levi, 6. Solid enough in the first, stopped Yamo’s PP breakaway but no luck on the rebound, where Edmonton’s defensive coverage was poor. Great stop on Lawson Crouse’s break-in slotter. He had very little chance on either the second or third Utah goals. Huge stop on Cooley’s pass deflected off Emberson onto the Edmonton net. Great stop on Yamamoto’s dangerous tip in the third.