The Edmonton Oilers had this game won.
Three times.
They were up 3-1 at home with 8:35 left in regulation. They were up 3-2 and on a power play with 20 seconds left in the game. They scored the overtime winner only to have it called by the situation room in Toronto.
At a stage in their season when they have to keep running hot just to keep pace in the Wild card chase, the Oilers took a game they had in the bank and let it get away in a catastrophic third-period breakdown and 4-3 shootout loss at Rogers Place.
It was a stunner. Just 49 seconds after Edmonton went up 3-1, Robert Thomas closed it to 3-2 and when all the Oilers had to do was run out the clock on a late power play, they left Vladimir Tarasenko all alone in the slot to tie it shorthanded.
St. Louis started the day in 12th place in the Western Conference, five points out of the final wildcard spot. They need the kind of charge they made in 2018-19 when they came back from 11 points out of a playoff spot in December.
The Oilers, meanwhile, are anything but secure themselves. Despite all the winning, they sat seventh in the West when the puck dropped, with just two points worth of breathing room in the wildcard chase.
So even though it’s only December, there was a very real sense of urgency for both sides.
It was the details that caught up with St. Louis out of the gate, however, as they iced an incorrect lineup and were penalized at the first whistle. And it didn’t take long for Edmonton’s power play to take advantage of the early gift. Hyman, who went from not being able to buy a goal (nine-game drought) scored his fifth in the last three games too make it 1-0 Edmonton just 63 seconds into the game.
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The Blues got it back six minutes later when three Oilers got caught behind their own net, allowing Jordan Kyrou to walk down Main Street and pick the top corner on Stuart Skinner to make it 1-1 at the intermission.
In addition to the incorrect lineup minor, the Blues also took two more bench minors for too many men on the ice before the game was even 25 minutes old and once again they were made to pay.
This time it was McDavid picking up the puck at his own blue line, cruising over centre, gaining the zone backing in the defender and snapping the puck inside the far post for a coast-to-coast thing of beauty that gave him a league-leading 27 goals on the season.
McDavid, who is having a career year offensively, has turned his shot into one of his most valuable weapons.
“The one thing I’ve noticed out of him a little bit more this year is his willingness to shoot through defenders,” said Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft. “I just see someone who’s trying to make the right play at the right time.”
Yamamoto delivered the third period 3-1 dagger, deflecting Tyson Barrie’s point shot home at 10:36 for Barrie’s third assist of the night, but the Blues got it right back just 49 seconds later when Robert Thomas caught the top line on its heels.
Leon Draisaitl scored in OT, but McDavid was offside on the play so it came back and they went to the shootout, where Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid and Draisaitl were all stopped.
NOTHING SPECIAL
Klim Kostin, who played 46 games with the Blues over parts of three season before coming to Edmonton in the trade for Dmitri Samorukov, wasn’t exactly marking the occasion.
“Just like a regular game for me, but it’s always nice to meet the old teammates,” smiled the engaging Russian winger, adding he has no interest in proving that St. Louis made a mistake in letting him go.
“I just want to prove myself. I don’t want to prove anyone (wrong), I just want to prove myself.”
He is so far, adding a heavy, tenacious element that’s going a long way with the coaching staff.
“I didn’t know much about him (when the trade weren’t down),” said coach Woodcroft. “Over time he’s shown that he represents a different dimension than what we have in Edmonton. He’s a huge man who plays a fairly simple straight-forward game. He’s given us some really good minutes.”
FOEGELE BACK SOON
Woodcroft said winger Warren Foegele, who’s been out of the lineup since Nov. 26 in New York, will be back very soon.
“He’s been scratching and clawing and champing at the bit to get back in,” said Woodcroft. “He’s had a good week here. We’ve taken a conservative approach with him. He’s right there, he’s very close.”
Twitter.com/rob_tychkowski
rtychkowski@postmedia.com
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