Edmonton Oilers Lack Aggression, Offense in Loss to Toronto Maple Leafs
Though the Edmonton Oilers looked solid against the Toronto Maple Leafs Tuesday, they couldn’t seem to stop Nazem Kadri from making his mark.
In fact, Kadri was the top player on the ice. He was incredibly physical, especially when it came to defending against Connor McDavid. Kadri even added punches to the back of the head and held him down. Not to mention, he had six shots, opened the scoring and won the game in OT for the Maple Leafs.
However, despite Kadri’s efforts when it came to pestering McDavid and adding unwanted physicality, the Oilers weren’t all that effective in stopping it, let alone trying to stop it.
Lack of Aggression
Here’s the last play that led to the Maple Leaf’s overtime win.
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In a tight battle with McDavid, Kadri pushed past McDavid and outskated him, taking the puck to the goal and scoring on his breakaway chance. Though it could be argued that McDavid was held, Kadri was more physical and outplayed him to win that race.
The Oilers did finish the night with 46 shots on goal, outshooting Toronto 46-31 on the night. However, they were outhit 34-32, and when Kadri began to mess with McDavid, the Oilers didn’t do too much to prevent it from continuing.
Sure, they reacted in all the right ways, getting in his face and making comments. However, no one truly acted to drop the gloves or worked to shut him down. The entire game, Kadri was all over McDavid, shutting down not only his ability to score but his overall skill of carrying the first line.
Edmonton cannot let this happen. They have these big, physical guys who can pack a punch and make this team tough. Also, they can make an impression and be a menacing presence that will stop players from making certain moves. However, when Kadri was attacking McDavid, the Oilers laid low and didn’t react as far as to push around or talk trash.
Player of the Game
Jesse Puljujarvi
RW, Edmonton Oilers
The three stars of the night were Nazem Kadri, Darnell Nurse and Jesse Puljujarvi. Nurse tied the game on an amazing wrist shot and played a solid overall match, and Puljujarvi’s effort reminds us why he remains in the NHL.
Goaltending Glance
Cam Talbot sported another great start, stopping 28 of 31 pucks that came his way. He played a tough game and had great movement through the crease, and at times, the Oilers didn’t help too much on the Leafs’ offensive rushes. Otherwise, he played a solid game and didn’t truly come across as unprepared or struggling.
Relatable GIF of the Night
This is pretty much how we’re all feeling right now. Feel free to unleash your inner Rask. Let that anger out, just don’t take a tumble like he did. Because that’d be embarrassing.
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