Oilers Bend But Don’t Break: 3 Positives In Tough Win Over Hurricanes

The Edmonton Oilers were not the better team on Saturday night when they faced the Carolina Hurricanes, but the theme after the game was “scratching and clawing”, adding points in the standings when they arguably didn’t earn them. The top guys in Edmonton were better than the rest of the team and the top guys in Carolina. Stuart Skinner was better than Frederic Andersen in goal. The Oilers’ special teams were better than Carolina’s. That was enough, despite being outshot and the possession game heavily favoring the Hurricanes to “scratch and claw” their way to an overtime win.

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Edmonton gets the two points in an important road matchup. Here are three takeaways from the game:

The Oilers’ Stars Delivered When They Were Needed Most

The Oilers came out strong in the first six minutes, but they didn’t control the game for long stretches after that. The Hurricanes outbattled Edmonton up and down the lineup, dictated pace, forced turnovers, and hemmed the Oilers into their own end more often than Kris Knoblauch would like.

But when the Oilers needed a play, their best players delivered.

Connor McDavid extended his point streak with a three-point night, Leon Draisaitl finished with the overtime winner, and Evan Bouchard quietly made several massive plays, including the breakout that set up Edmonton’s prettiest rush of the night. Edmonton’s elite talent came through in the clutch moments, and the rest of the roster bent, but didn’t break. “It would be nice if we had an easy one once in a while,” head coach Kris Knoblauch said after the game. That will have to wait for another day.

Zach Hyman’s Return Was a Legit Difference-Maker

It’s clear how much this Oilers team missed Zach Hyman, and his return couldn’t have come at a better time. Edmonton needed someone to drag them into the fight, and Hyman did it from the opening shift. He played over 23 minutes, registered 11 hits, and was the emotional ignition the Oilers had been missing.

Mark Spector argued that it looked like Hyman was trying to play his way into the Team Canada conversation from game one of his return, and maybe that’s true. Every shift had a purpose. Every battle mattered. Hyman was the one Oiler consistently pushing back against a Carolina team that won every battle along the wall, in front of the net, and at the blue line. He kept pucks alive, extended forechecks, and created room for Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid to attack. His drop pass to Draisaitl that led to McDavid’s rush chance was pure effort meeting awareness.

Stuart Skinner Held Strong

Every time it looked like the dam was about to burst, Stuart Skinner stepped up and kept Edmonton alive. He was much better than his opposing goaltender, and while fans roasted Skinner for the second goal against, where he was fronting the man behind the net, everything else was worthy of an A+ grade. If not for Skinner, the Oilers don’t win.

His 33-save performance wasn’t highlight-reel flashy, but it was effective. Specifically, the Oilers took two incredibly undisciplined penalties when Darnell Nurse took a cross-checking minor, and Leon Draisaitl followed by getting called for a slash. The Hurricanes had a chance to flip the game. Skinner and the PK slammed the door.

And in overtime, he did exactly what a coach needs from his goalie in 3-on-3: give your stars a chance. Nineteen seconds later, the game was over.

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