اخبار العرب-كندا 24: السبت 20 ديسمبر 2025 08:08 مساءً
Calvin Pickard came up with a strong effort and some heroic saves, giving his Edmonton Oilers a chance to win, but the Minnesota Wild outplayed and outclassed the Oil in a 5-2 win.
The Oilers were ultimately done in by letting in a wretched goal on a pathetic defensive effort late in the first period. Those are strong words, I know, but how else can you describe the play?
The Grade A shots in the game were 27-to-14 for the Wild, with the subset of more dangerous 5-alarm shots 14-to-10 for the Wild.
Cult of Hockey player grades
Connor McDavid, 7. Killed it on the power play, not so much elsewhere. But, still, 12 major contributions to Grade A shots. He and Hyman clobbered Quinn Hughes with a hit, one of the few bright spots in the first. He went chasing after the puck — a common mistake by 97 on defence — throwing Edmonton’s PK formation out of kilter on the 2-0 goal. He won a battle and set up RNH in the slot, but Nuge couldn’t get it on net. Almost scored on a wrister a moment later, then did score the 2-2 goal on a power play scramble at the Wild net. Took it hard to the net with six minutes left but failed to get off a shot. Grade A shots plus-minus: Even Strength (EV): +7, -1; Special Teams (ST): +5, -0
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 5. Almost slammed home a slotter off a McD feed in the second. But he and Hyman got mixed signals and left an open puck unattended, kicking off a 3-1 Wild rush and 5-alarm shot. Almost scored with 90 seconds left but no goal. Grade A +/-: EV +3, -2; ST +0, -0
Zach Hyman, 7. Good game, full of hustle to good effect. Eight major contributions to Grade A shots. Fine pass to send in Bouchard in the first on a fast-developing breakaway. He kicked off the virtuous cycle on the 2-0 goal by winning an oz-puck battle, then jammed away in the crease until McDavid popped in the goal. Almost jammed in Bouchard’s post rebound in the second. A moment later, failed to pick up the puck at the oz-blueline. Grade A +/-: EV +5, -2; ST +4, -0
Leon Draisaitl, 4. Some pop on the attack but a rough game on defence. He got high above the puck and out of position on Faber’s 5-alarm rush in the first. Took two ill-advised penalties in the first, one for bitterly complaining to the ref. He went to the net and got a great shot, then popped the rebound over to McDavid on the 2-0 goal. But he turned over the puck in the o-zone then was slow on the backcheck on the Wild’s 3-2 goal. He blasted Spurgeon with a nasty hit, but two more turnovers led to two more Wild Grade A shots. He took a Bouch pass and ripped a harpoon on net with the score 3-2 eight minutes into the third, Edmonton’s last real chance at a comeback, but couldn’t score. Grade A +/-: EV +6, -5; ST +5, -0
Trent Frederic, 3. Another rough game in a season of rough games for a player who has lost a step he needs to get back. Bumped up to second line, but failed to cut out the pass on Middleton’s early slotter, then got beat clean by Faber’s deke leading to a 5-alarm shot. Grade A +/-: EV +0, -2; ST +0, -0
Vasily Podkolzin, 6. Great backcheck helped kick off Bouchard’s first period breakaway. He almost tipped in Savoie’s backhander in the second. He led the team with six hits. Grade A +/-: EV +2, -0; ST +0, -0
Adam Henrique, 3. Some slip-ups on defence, little on the attack. He and Emberson were a step late covering Foligno on a flurry of jam shots in the second. Good backcheck to thwart a 2-on-1 in the third. Grade A +/-: EV +0, -4; ST +0, -0
Matt Savoie, 4. Smart backhand pass to set up Ekholm’s first period shorthanded 5-alarmer. He got caught chasing the puck and went after Stillman’s check on the 3-2 goal against. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -2; ST +1, -0
Andrew Mangiapane, 5. Brilliant top shot for Edmonton’s first goal to pull it back to 2-1. But he was slow on the backcheck, coasting in the red light zone, not covering anyone or any pass or shooting lane, on the Wild’s 3-2 goal. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -1; ST +0, -0
Quinn Hutson, 4. Some issues on defence. He got bumped up to the Drai line in the third, but got caught flat-footed on a dangerous Kaprizov rush due to a one-second hesitation. Welcome to the NHL, kid! Grade A +/-: EV +0, -3; ST +0, -0
Max Jones, 5. He threw a nasty hit on Sturm and was otherwise aggressive. Grade A +/-: EV +0, -1; ST +0, -0
Mattias Janmark, 5. He battled hard at the oz-blueline to keep in a puck, allowing a hard shot from Hutson. Grade A +/-: EV +0, -1; ST +0, -0
Mattias Ekholm, 3. Not his night, not even close. Rough start allowing an early slot shot then headlining the sequence of pain on the Wild’s 1-0 goal, giving away the puck at the oz-blueline to Boldy. He gave up too much gap on the initial shot in the Wild’s 4-2 goal sequence, then failed to cover off Tarasenko on the rebound. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -6; ST +1, -0
Evan Bouchard, 6. High event, plenty good, plenty bad. Got a delectable, deflectable puck on net for Mangiapane to tip in on the 2-1 goal, then broke in on a breakaway but failed to drain it. Ripped a ferocious wrister on net early in the second, hitting the post. He lost a battle then was slow to cover Trenin on the rebound leading up to the 4-2 goal. Grade A +/-: EV +7, -6; ST +3, -0
Darnell Nurse, 5. Also high event against the relentless Wild. Won two battles, one in his own end, one in the Wild end, on the 2-1 goal. He lost a battle leading to a third period Kaprizov Grade A. Grade A +/-: EV +2, -4; ST +0, -0
Spencer Stastny, 4. Gave up too much gap allowing an early combo play where Zucarello put it off the post. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -3; ST +0, -0
Riley Stillman, 3. He got caught in the red light zone on the 3-2 goal against. Blasted Jiricek with a bucking bronco of a hit. Grade A +/-: EV +0, -3; ST +0, -0
Ty Emberson, 3. His worst game in a month or two. Many tough plays came his way on defence and he didn’t always succeed in stopping them, including on a dangerous Kaprizov backhander in the third. Grade A +/-: EV +0, -7; ST +0, -0
Calvin Pickard, 8. He did his job. Wild could have easily had seven goals on him, not four, but for his heroics. Faced a storm early in the game, the first seven Grade A shots of the game, letting in one. Sharp stop on a nasty Marcus Johansson slotter just seconds into the game. Beat like a rented mule on Boldy’s breakaway, but came up huge on Faber’s break-in. Little chance on when Boldy sunk his harpoon into the back of the Edmonton net on the 2-0 goal. Kept Oilers in a 3-2 game with seven consecutive saves on Grade A shots in the second, including a Monster Chiller Horror Thriller of a blocker save off Eriksson-EK on the uggo 3-1. Thwarted a 5-alarm slotter by Johansson a moment later. Huge stops on Foligno’s multiple stuff shots. Kept it up early in the third with tough stops on a Trenin tip, a Kaprizov rush shot and a Kaprizov backhander. The fourth goal against was a mad scramble.
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