Special teams rule the day as the Edmonton Oilers top the Wild 4-3 in OT: Cult of Hockey Player Grades

The Edmonton Oilers scored three power play goals Tuesday, en route to a 4-3 OT win over the Minnesota Wild, in what was just a dandy game between two terrific teams. That’s entertainment.

The Oilers’ PK was also perfect 4-for-4 at the other end, as special teams and goaltending decided this. The Wild came into the game with the NHL’s best combined special teams.

The Oilers were not perfect, especially at 5v5 and they sat back in the third and coughed up a 3-1 lead. But they won in the end. And that’s what matters.

Here’s the tale of the tape…

DEVON LEVI. 8. Levi stopped the initial slot on the 1-0 goal but could not grab the rebound. An initial save and two rebounds right in tight with just a couple minutes left in the first or its 2-0. Good stop on Spacek in the second. Corralled a floater in front on the Minnesota 5v4. Robbed Hughes with a brilliant glove save on the 3v5. Got a glove on a Kaprizov shot that then glanced off the post. Stoned Kaprizov late in the second frame. Stopped the Russian again a third of the way through the third. Save of McCarron. Zero chance on the 3-2. Stopped 27 of 30 for the victory. Making a lot of fans. A 5-1 record will do that.

CONNOR MCDAVID. 6. Was moving down as Bouchard’s support man on the 1-0 but in the process left a Man unchecked in front. Set up Draisaitl for a chance off an O-zone cycle. Drew the 5v3 call. Then, found a seam to feed Draisaitl through for the 1-1 goal. Swooped around the net then fed Draisaitl in front for the 2-1. A clear on the second period PK, and again on the 3v5. Drew a PP via a dirty cross check by Brodin. Fed Bouchard for the winner. Four shots, -2. This line gave up a couple 5v5, otherwise they would be graded higher.

VASILY PODKOLZIN. 5. Fine play below the goal line which eventually turned into a nigh-skill deflection by Draisaitl. Another excellent setup of Howard late in the first. Secondary assist on the 2-1. Hard second period backcheck. Third period board battle in his own zone won. Caught gliding back on the 3-2. -2.

LEON DRAISAITL. 7. Nearly fooled the Wild goalie with a flip shot off the mask in the first. Terrific back-handed tip but was robbed by Wallstedt. Won a hard puck battle on the PP then his one-timer beat a red-hot Wallstedt for the 1-1 with just two seconds left on the clock. He has goals now in four straight. Then scored another from the bottom of the circle off a McDavid pass to make it 2-1. Deft little play to allow Shea to clear on the PK. Fed Hyman for a third period shot. Third period backcheck. Won the faceoff on the OT winner. Four shots. 55% on draws. The game’s First Star.

EVAN BOUCHARD. 7. Looked to have his man boxed out but the puck popped right out into the slot for the 1-0. Terrific dipsy-doodle off a Howard pass but fired it wide. A slick pass dep to Draisaitl for a dangerous tip. Secondary assist on the 1-1. Snaked his way up the ice to kick off the sequence that led to the 3-1 goal. Beat by Kaprizov who hit the post. Move his way into the zone and whistled one off the post. Celebrated his birt5hday in overtime with a wicked wrist shot short side high for the 4-3. Marked him up a full grade for that shot. The game’s Third Star.

MATTIAS EKHOLM. 5. Both he and McDavid left a man unchecked in the slot on the 1-0. Excellent clear up the wall through heavy traffic. Another tough slog clear in the second. Stretch pass led to a great Formenton chance. Third period interference call was killed off. Bent but did not break.

COLTON DACH. 5. First period shot after a hard rush down the left side. Could not stuff home a chance from the slot late in the frame. Drew an interference call leading to the 1-1. Fed Howard for a crossbar. Bang-bang chance off a Hyman feed. Second period turnover. Excellent position and stick in front probably saved a goal. Just 27% on the dot.

ZACH HYMAN. 5. Set up Shea for a great early chance. No assist on the 1-1 but quick on a puck in deep to get the puck back to Bouchard at the point. Served up a Grade “A” to Dach. Busted his ass to beat an icing. Third period chance off a Draisaitl feed. His effort is always there but I felt he struggled to keep up in D-zone coverage in the third.

KASPERI KAPANEN. 5. Hard play in front to win a puck battle on the 5v3. Important clear on the 3v5. A clear and a hard hit on a third period PK.

RYAN SHEA. 6. The second pairing was solid and battled hard in their own zone. Could not hammer home a low-to-high pass from Hyman in the first. Second frame PK clear. Just a terrific defensive play to engineer a clear on the early third period PK. Took a dash on the 3-2 but it was a bad change that left Shea chasing and not a misplay on his part.

CONNOR MURPHY. 6. Heavy hit on Boldy on the second. Took a tripping call (it was a slash) to put his team on a 3v5 but his mates killed it off. 4 hits led the club.

OWEN MICHAELS. 6. This line sawed off 5v5, which is good work. Deflected a puck in the high slot to draw the secondary assist on the 3-1. Fed Formenton for a brilliant chance. Smart, safe dump while protecting the lead in the third. Just 25% on the dot. HDSC’s 5v5 3-1, as were his linemates. Too late back on the 3-3 but not principally at fault.

ALEX FORMENTON. 6. Nabbed a first period turnover but was robbed by an absolutely filthy glove save. Poor clear attempt later in the frame. Unlucky to not draw a call on a late period break. His blast created the loose puck which Howard cleaned up for the 3-1. Great chance off an Ekholm-Joseph setup.

MATHIEU JOSEPH. 6. Johnny on the spot to tap home the 3-1. Puck battle won down deep. Took a high sticking call in the second. Failed to get a stick on the puck on the 3-3.

JAKE WALMAN. 5. Two good clears under duress on back-to-back PKs in the second. Beaten by Kaprizov in the slot. Excellent stick on a third period PK. Lost board battle on the 3-3.

TY EMBERSON. 5. A chance off a Howard setup. Blew a wheel leading to a Wild chance. Watching on the 3-3.

TRENT FREDERIC. 5. A tiny detail in this game but a smart back-check cleared a dangerous puck away from the slot in the second. 80% in the circle.

IKE HOWARD. 6. Excellent opening twenty minutes. Solid wall play early in the first for a clear. Nice grab in the O-zone to free up Bouchard for a chance. Had two of his own a couple shifts later. Set up Emberson for a chance. Could not convert a Podkolzin setup.

FILIP HALLANDER. 4. Good clear under pressure in the first. Set up Howard for a late first period opportunity. Played a quiet 6:55.

This article is not AI generated.

Bruce McCurdy, 1955-2025.

Do not miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.