Game 51 review – Not even close

Deslauriers was a busy guy last night for the Oilers - Photo from John Lucas / Canwest News Service

Last night Chicago doubled up on the Oilers 4-2 and as a result now have double the points of the Oilers in the standings too. The game was in no way as close as the final score would indicate. The description used over at The Copper & Blue of men versus boys is about as an accurate a description as any I can think of.

Things got off to a rocky start when the first shot of the game got past Deslauriers. Granted Toews is a pretty damn good hockey player but a wrist shot from the bottom of the circle simply shouldn’t get past an NHL netminder it as simple as that.

It hard to say whether the Oilers came out flat or whether the early goal – Toews scored 44 seconds in – sucked away any life they might have had. Regardless of the reason the Oilers were awful in the first period and only marginally better in the second period when then gave up three more goals.

The Hawks first score of the second period came off the stick of Brouwer but it was the result of a great play by Kane. Kane skated around the ice as if he owned Rexall Place all to himself before making a pass to Brouwer for the shot. If you watch the replay you can actually tell that all six Oilers on the ice are staring at Kane just before he passes the puck – they look like six year olds out there.

The other two Hawk goals in the second period were a Byfuglien tip-in of a Keith point shot and a Hossa powerplay goal that came off a scramble in front of the net that resulted in a loose puck and an open net, not the kind of opportunity a player like Hossa doesn’t convert on very often.

With time running out in the second period the Oilers finally got on the board. The puck was bouncing all over the place eventually making its way to the front of the Chicago net where Moreau jammed the puck under Huet. Somehow the puck came out the other side and Pisani was standing there to slap it in. The puck would have gone in without Pisani’s help but he’s had a tough season so I think he deserves the goal. He certainly deserves it more that Moreau.

Potulny pulled the Oilers to within two when he beat Huet high to the blocker side just past the five minute mark of the third period. The Potulny goal started with a Hjalmarsson turning the puck over deep in Chicago’s end. O’Sullivan picked up the turnover and moved it out to Potulny. Not a highlight reel goal but at this point I’ll take anything.

That was it for the Oilers though. They did have a couple of more chances before the final buzzer went but I don’t think anyone in the building harbored any thoughts that the games final result was in jeopardy.

The third period was the Oilers best of the night but that had more to do with the Hawks taking their foot off the gas more that anything that the Oilers did. As a fan I want to win every game but I understand that no team wins them all so on any given night I will always walk away with a smile on my face if the home team at least plays hard and the game has some entertainment value. The Oilers previous two home games – losses to the Canucks and Stars – were games like that, last night was not.