Player grades: Edmonton Oilers with iffy goalie and get goalied in loss to Boston Bruins

It was bound to happen. After weeks of great goaltending, an Oilers goalie didn’t have his best night, with newcomer Connor Ingram struggling in a 6-2 loss to the Bruins of Boston.

At the other end, Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman was outstanding, thwarting Connor McDavid on an armada of Grade A and 5-alarms shots.

Swayman stopped the Oilers on five breakaways. Ingram was at fault on four of six goals against.

In total, the Grade A shots were 26 to 10 for the Oilers, with the subset of more dangerous 5-alarm shots 13 to four for Edmonton.

Connor McDavid, 9. He was marvellous at everything but finishing and puck luck in this game. Nineteen major contributions to Grade A shots and you’d normally expect three or four points on that kind  of play. Eight Grade A shots himself. He and his attack buddies did everything on the Edmonton power play but score. Charged in for a first period breakaway but failed to beat Swayman on the backhander. A moment later broke in again and almost scored on a breakaway and rebound shot. One of four Oilers wandering in the red light zone and slow to the shooter Mittelstadt on the 2-0 goal. Pounded a 5-alarm slotter on net late in the first, then went full Baryshnikov on an array slot dekes to set up Hyman’s one-timer 2-1 goal. He bull-rushed his way to the net late in the second for two dangerous shots and took a hard thump on the ice. He was part of the garbage time mess on the 6-2 goal against. Grade A shots plus-minus: Even Strength (EV): +11, -1; Special Teams (ST): +8, -0

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 6. Tipped Hyman’s pass off the post in the first. Almost jammed in a rebound shot early in the third. Grade A +/-: EV +5, -0; ST +1, -0

Zach Hyman, 7. Came alive just when his team needed him to do so late in the first. Almost jammed in Bouchard’s outside shot late in the first, then set up McDavid’s 5-alarm slotter, then snapped in McDavid’s pass on the 2-1 goal. Almost scored again on a power play jam play early in the second. He almost scored on a jam mid-way through the second. Grade A +/-: EV +8, -0; ST +1, -0

Leon Draisaitl, 7. His game is in a bit of a lull. He came alive in this one, but a little too late. Snapped a couple Grade A shots on net on the power play in the first. Broke in on a late first period breakaway. Got off a rush Grade A early in the third. Launched a harpoon on net late in the third. Grade A +/-: EV +4, -0; ST +5, -0

Vasily Podkolzin, 6. Cut hard into the slot to unleash Edmonton’s first Grade A shot. One of four Oilers slow to the shooter on the 2-0 goal. Helped set up two Grade As early in the third. Grade A +/-: EV +3, -0; ST +0, -0

Andrew Mangiapane. 4. He got a Grade A slotter off a Podz feed in the first. But that’s about it. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -0; ST +0, -0

Matt Savoie, 3. Not getting it done just now. He lost his check Fraser Minten in the first on a low 5-alarm shot. He allowed Lindholm’s outside shot on the 3-1 goal. Grade A +/-: EV +0, -2; ST +0, -0

Jack Roslovic, 6. He deflected on his own net Boston’s first Grade A shot, but then set up Podz for a slot shot. Bumped to the Drai line in the third, he broke in right away but failed to drain a breakaway shot. His turnover kicked off the sequence of pain on the 5-1 goal against, another one that Ingram muffed. Scored a sneaky goal in garbage time, making it 5-2.  Set up a beauty of a shot from Draisaitl. Grade A +/-: EV +5, -1; ST +0, -0

Mattias Janmark. 4. He allowed a high-low seam pass on Minten’s first period 5-alarmer. Got the puck to McDavid on his first period breakaway. Once more, one of four Oilers slow to the shooter on the 2-0 goal. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -1; ST +0, -0

Adam Henrique, 3. Quiet game. More needed. Grade A +/-: EV +0, -0; ST +0, -0

Trent Frederic, 4. Also a quiet game. Another one. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -0; ST +0, -0

Max Jones. 5. He tipped on net Regula’s outside shot in the first. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -0; ST +0, -0

Mattias Ekholm. 7. He took a nasty slash from Geekie in the second. Drilled a Grade A on net early in the third. Grade A +/-: EV +4, -3; ST +0, -0

Evan Bouchard. 7. Fired off numerous passes leading to Grade A shots. but some iffy moments on defence. Strong play early on to take away a dangerous Lindholm slot opportunity. One final time, one of four Oilers slow to Mittelstadt on the 2-0 goal. Late to Arvidsson on a break-in and took a penalty. Allowed Pastrnaki’s shot on the 6-2 goal. Saved a goal against or two with blocked shots in the third. Grade A +/-: EV +9, -1; ST +0, -0

Darnell Nurse, 4. Moved the puck well in the first on a few Grade A shots sequences. His turnover kicked off the sequence of pain on the 4-1 goal against. Advanced the puck on Roslovic’s goal. Grade A +/-: EV +2, -4; ST +0, -0

Alec Regula, 5. Deked out by Pastrnak on the 4-1 goal, hardly the biggest crime in NHL history. Grade A +/-: EV +1, -2; ST +0, -0

Spencer Stastney, 4. Weak clearance of the puck on the 5-on-3 and it was in Edmonton’s net a few ticks later for Boston’s first goal, a key moment in the game. Good block and might have saved a goal on a second period PK. Grade A +/-: EV +0, -1; ST +0, -0

Ty Emberson, 5. Quiet game, but that’s OK for a dman. He kp Grade A +/-: EV +0, -0; ST +0, -0

Connor Ingram, 2. First bad game from an Oilers goalie since the Skinner trade. At fault on all three of Boston’s first three goals, as well as the 5-1 goal against. Oh oh of a  puck handling error early for playing the puck in the forbidden zone behind the net. Thwarted Lindholm early on the 5-on-3. He got beat when Pastrnak deflected one in off of him. Rebounded with big stop on Minten. Beat on an outside shot from Mittelstadt. He leaned the wrong way to look around a screen and got beat by an outside shot on the killer 3-1 goal. No chance on the 4-1 goal, though he did stop Nurse’s tip shot on his own net. Solid on a Geekie wrister in the third, but beat from the high slot on the 5-1. Little chance on the 6-2 goal against.