Post by thedarkangel1975 on Nov 23, 2011 6:49:35 GMT -5
Jordan Eberle and Shawn Horcoff each had a pair of goals as the Edmonton Oilers rolled past the Nashville Predators to the tune of 6-2 on Tuesday night.
FIRST PERIOD
The Oilers came into the game with some shake-ups to their front lines. In addition to Alex Plante replacing Taylor Chorney on D, Taylor Hall lined up with Shawn Horcoff and Ales Hemsky, Sam Gagner played alongside Eric Belanger and Ryan Jones and Ben Eager, Magnus Paajarvi and Anton Lander made up the fourth trio. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Ryan Smyth and Jordan Eberle remained together.
The line of Eager, Paajarvi and Lander skated away with some of Edmonton's best chances in the early going. Both Eager and Paajarvi had point-blank opportunities and Predators starting goalie Pekka Rinne had to be sharp to turn both away.
Edmonton went on the power play for the first time on the night when Colin Smith was ticketed for hooking Eric Belanger in the Oilers zone.
It only took the Oilers 22 seconds to convert. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins took a shot from the right circle that was stopped by Rinne but Shawn Horcoff was right there to pick up the rebound in the crease as the Preds netminder was having trouble handling it. Horcoff used sheer force to dish the puck over the line and make it 1-0.
Ales Hemsky made it a two-goal lead for the Oilers several minutes later. On a breakaway, he made a nice delayed move before wristing it top shelf for the marker.
Shots on goal were 10-1 for Edmonton 13 minutes into the opening frame.
With 4:09 to go in the first, the Oilers struck again to extend their lead to 3-0. Moments after Taylor Hall was clocked by a Jordin Tootoo, Jordan Eberle took the pass and wristed it blocker side past Rinne for the goal.
After one period, the Oilers had a 13 to 3 edge on the shot clock and a 3-0 lead on the scoreboard.
SECOND PERIOD
Anders Lindback replaced Rinne between the pipes to start the second period for Nashville.
The goals on goal came fast and furious on both sides to start the middle frame. Edmonton had a 6-4 edge on the shot clock through the first seven minutes with both sides having some solid chances.
With 13:04 to play in the period, Ryan Smyth took a hooking penalty to give the Predators their first man advantage of the night.
A minute into the penalty, Tom Gibert was sent off for holding to give Nashville a two-man advantage and a great chance to get back in the game. Although the Preds kept the majority of the play in the Oilers zone, Edmonton did a good job killing off the five-on-three.
Sam Gagner dropped the gloves with Matt Halischuk late in the period. The two exchanged blows for a short period of time before falling to the ice.
The final moments of the period were The Devan Dubnyk Show as the Preds really poured on the pressure to try and get back in the game. Dubnyk's best stop was a save off Colin Wilson on a breakaway.
In all, Nashville peppered Dubnyk with 18 shots. After 40 minutes, the Predators had a 21-20 edge over Edmonton as the Oilers only had seven in the middle frame.
THIRD PERIOD
The RNH-Eberle-Smyth line did some outstanding work early in the third period pinning the Predators in their own end for an extended period of time with some sustained pressure. The hard work paid off as Eberle wristed a shot from the right circle past Lindback to make it a four-goal game. Ryan Smyth and Ladislav Smid got the assists on the play.
Just past the midway point of the period, the shot count was 7-4 for the Oilers.
The Predators got on the board with 8:28 to go in the third. Jordin Tootoo tipped in a Shea Weber point shot to make it a 4-1 game.
50 seconds later, the Oilers went back on the power play and quickly made it a 5-1 game. Jeff Petry took the puck along the side boards and slapped it past Lindback for the marker and four-goal lead for Edmonton.
Several minutes after that, Sam Gagner made a nice move before dropping a feed back to Horcoff at the left circle. Horcoff teed up a blast to make it 6-1 for the Oilers.
Jonathon Blum added a goal late in the third but it was far too little, far too late for the Predators.
FIRST PERIOD
The Oilers came into the game with some shake-ups to their front lines. In addition to Alex Plante replacing Taylor Chorney on D, Taylor Hall lined up with Shawn Horcoff and Ales Hemsky, Sam Gagner played alongside Eric Belanger and Ryan Jones and Ben Eager, Magnus Paajarvi and Anton Lander made up the fourth trio. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Ryan Smyth and Jordan Eberle remained together.
The line of Eager, Paajarvi and Lander skated away with some of Edmonton's best chances in the early going. Both Eager and Paajarvi had point-blank opportunities and Predators starting goalie Pekka Rinne had to be sharp to turn both away.
Edmonton went on the power play for the first time on the night when Colin Smith was ticketed for hooking Eric Belanger in the Oilers zone.
It only took the Oilers 22 seconds to convert. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins took a shot from the right circle that was stopped by Rinne but Shawn Horcoff was right there to pick up the rebound in the crease as the Preds netminder was having trouble handling it. Horcoff used sheer force to dish the puck over the line and make it 1-0.
Ales Hemsky made it a two-goal lead for the Oilers several minutes later. On a breakaway, he made a nice delayed move before wristing it top shelf for the marker.
Shots on goal were 10-1 for Edmonton 13 minutes into the opening frame.
With 4:09 to go in the first, the Oilers struck again to extend their lead to 3-0. Moments after Taylor Hall was clocked by a Jordin Tootoo, Jordan Eberle took the pass and wristed it blocker side past Rinne for the goal.
After one period, the Oilers had a 13 to 3 edge on the shot clock and a 3-0 lead on the scoreboard.
SECOND PERIOD
Anders Lindback replaced Rinne between the pipes to start the second period for Nashville.
The goals on goal came fast and furious on both sides to start the middle frame. Edmonton had a 6-4 edge on the shot clock through the first seven minutes with both sides having some solid chances.
With 13:04 to play in the period, Ryan Smyth took a hooking penalty to give the Predators their first man advantage of the night.
A minute into the penalty, Tom Gibert was sent off for holding to give Nashville a two-man advantage and a great chance to get back in the game. Although the Preds kept the majority of the play in the Oilers zone, Edmonton did a good job killing off the five-on-three.
Sam Gagner dropped the gloves with Matt Halischuk late in the period. The two exchanged blows for a short period of time before falling to the ice.
The final moments of the period were The Devan Dubnyk Show as the Preds really poured on the pressure to try and get back in the game. Dubnyk's best stop was a save off Colin Wilson on a breakaway.
In all, Nashville peppered Dubnyk with 18 shots. After 40 minutes, the Predators had a 21-20 edge over Edmonton as the Oilers only had seven in the middle frame.
THIRD PERIOD
The RNH-Eberle-Smyth line did some outstanding work early in the third period pinning the Predators in their own end for an extended period of time with some sustained pressure. The hard work paid off as Eberle wristed a shot from the right circle past Lindback to make it a four-goal game. Ryan Smyth and Ladislav Smid got the assists on the play.
Just past the midway point of the period, the shot count was 7-4 for the Oilers.
The Predators got on the board with 8:28 to go in the third. Jordin Tootoo tipped in a Shea Weber point shot to make it a 4-1 game.
50 seconds later, the Oilers went back on the power play and quickly made it a 5-1 game. Jeff Petry took the puck along the side boards and slapped it past Lindback for the marker and four-goal lead for Edmonton.
Several minutes after that, Sam Gagner made a nice move before dropping a feed back to Horcoff at the left circle. Horcoff teed up a blast to make it 6-1 for the Oilers.
Jonathon Blum added a goal late in the third but it was far too little, far too late for the Predators.
