McDavid scores his fifth goal on a Friday Night Hockey Night

Connor McDavid logged his fifth goal of the season, and also tallied his third assist. The points are starting to pile up now. It wasn't his prettiest goal; but it counted on the power play.


Mcdavid also logged an assist on this pretty play.

The Oilers lost 7-4. Evgeny Kuznetsov logged a hat trick. Taylor Hall had an assist, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal. Rough night for Anders Nielsen. Here are the player grades from the Cult of Hockey blog.

Other hockey things from the day:

1. I picked up EA Sports NHL 16. I am 2-3 with the Oilers so far. McDavid has no goals so far. It's pretty fun. I've played a lot of installments of this game through the years. 
2. Holy shit Canadiens, now 8-0 and absolutely bludgeoned to death the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 7-2. 
3. Jimmy Roberts passed away. 
4. Hockey Day in Canada is Saturday February 6th. The Oilers play at Montreal at 2:00 that day. 
5. Also noticed the Oilers play on New Years eve at Rexall, and on January 2nd at 4:00 ET. 
6. They play on Thanksgiving Eve and Black Friday. 
7. Huge hockey night again tomorrow night; the Blue Jackets are in action with an 0-8-0 record at Coloardo. 
8. I found this DFS Hockey site today. 
9. Spent some time reading about Howard Morenz the other day on a cool site about Hockey Legends. 

That's really all I got for tonight.

Connor McDavid Dominates first Hockey Night in Canada; Oilers win hist first Battle of Alberta 5-2

[Event Summary]

[Edmonton Journal] [Cult of Hockey]

Just as some are talking about blowing up the Edmonton Oilers. Maybe the pressure is finally off now. 

Connor McDavid was named the first star on enemy ice in his first Battle of Alberta; how very special. He scored two goals and recorded an assist. He was a really good save away from what would have been his second goal of the night and a hat trick on the night. He has four points now in five games. His first goal was absolutely beautiful. He finished. 

His second goal of the night put it away:



That came after he fed Nail Yakupov for the first assist of his career, a linemate whom we think that he'll turn into a star.

Taylor Hall was the second star, and he played all night like a man possessed. He recorded what went down as the game-winning goal for his 2nd tally of the season. He also recorded two assists, drawing multiple penalties, and skated all over the ice with command, leadership and power.

Scoring was kicked off by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the first period. All four first overall picks scored tonight. The OILERS are on Sportscenter right now as I type this. That's the first time in years.

This might go down as McDavid's finest game all season long. It was my first great Connor McDavid memory.

Game 1, 2015-2016: The Connor McDavid Debut Night is Spoiled

[Event Summary]
[Cult of Hockey]

The good news is the Connor McDavid era is officially underway. The bad news is it ended with a loss, a -1 in the +/- column, only two shots, and being stonewalled on a great scoring opportunity by Blues goaltender Brian Elliot.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was credited with the opening goal of the night to put the Oilers up 1-0. It was really a fluke goal that was tipped in by a St. Louis Blues player. From there, it was all downhill. 

Vladimir Tarasenko tied the game at 1-1 with this:

I thought Cam Talbot played alright - he stopped 28 of 31 shots and played in a lot of traffic. Taylor Hall had a quiet night, logging just three shots and I can't remember any of them as significant chances.

Rookie Robby Fabbri who was noted as being close friends of McDavid scored the first goal of his career in his first NHL game.

Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada says "it's crazy to think the Oilers are a playoff team". For right now, I must beg to differ. They seemed to me like the same old Oilers without any backbone. I think McDavid's scoreless streak could go on a little while as well. He just seemed to be out-muscled out there. 

Oilers lose Thursday Nighter in St. Louis

[Event Summary]

[NHL.com] [Cult of Hockey]

It's becoming a common occurrence. Another night, another Taylor Hall goal, another 4-3 loss. The season is slipping away from the Oil. The Oilers also got the news that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will be out 3 to 4 weeks with a separated shoulder.

We're just to that lull part of the year. I'll have the game on Saturday afternoon, but I like the Oilers players seem to know it's an exercise in futility. They'll go out, they'll lose, but they'll find a way to fall just short; and rinse wash repeat.

Right now I'm trying to just enjoy the development of Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle (Eberle added another goal last night too). That's what it's all about. Also I'm trying not to screw things up too badly on my hockey pool, but my fantasy lineup has been missing Scottie Hartnell now for two games this week (my own fault, I didn't update my lineup) of which he's scored a goal and he had 18 hits or something nuts in the Winter Classic.

Video of Taylor Hall's 13th Goal of the Year:


How about the fricking game the Bruins had last night against the Calgary Flames? A 9-0 win, Tyler Seguin nets his 16th goal of the season on a tip in, while adding two more assists.

Oilers fall short in Buffalo

[Event Summary]

[Edmonton Journal]

The Oil played in Buffalo last night, where I've heard that they still hand out nice score sheets with your admission at the door to The First Niagara Center. 

I had this game on while watching the Michigan-Virginia Tech bowl game, and I have to say the Oilers played inspired hockey, taking this into the 3rd period tied 2-2. Somehow from there I just had a feeling that they wouldn't be able to hold things, that Buffalo would find a way to eek out this victory and sure enough, if I'd bet it I would have been right. 

This was their first game without Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Ales Hemsky said that the boys gave up.

Here's Taylor Hall's beauty Goal #12 on the season:


One of my resolution as a hockey fan was to pay better attention to the WJHC going on right now, and when they started a few days before Christmas. I've failed miserably. Russia and Sweden going for the gold.

Oilers win in Chicago 4-3

[Event Summary]

[NHL.com] [Edmonton Journal]

Three Stars: 

*Ryan Smyth

**Taylor Hall

***Jonathan Toews 

The Oilers earned a win last night, but even in winning they had an element of defeat. Ryan Nugent Hopkins got hurt.

Taylor Hall's 11th Goal of the season (powerplay):

RNH to Taylor Hall for the first time

A little history, and hopefully the first of many.

Oilers lose 4-3 to Canucks on Hockey Night

[Event Summary]

Taylor Hall got robbed of a goal--but it was able to give Ryan Nugent Hopkins his first hat trick of his career. Hall had two assists on the night and was +2, but the Oilers in the end fell to 1-1-1 on the season with a 4-3 loss to the Canucks on Hockey Night in Canada. 

Oilers Opening Night

[Oilers 2, Penguins 1 (OT)]
[Lowetide] [Oilers Nation] [Empty Netters]

That was an epic opener. 

There were definite lulls in the play last night, but to go with it there was a certain degree of magic. The number one overall draft pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tying the game 1-1 at 15:05 of the third period with his first NHL goal--spanking in a backhand assisted by Taylor Hall and Tom Gilbert.

It was one of those magical, defining moments that you only know you're witnessing right when you see it.

The Oil battled hard, killing off each and every powerplay opportunity that the Penguins mounted. A huge part of that was Devan Dubnyk. He was absolutely lights out, matching and then outplaying Brent Johnson all the way into a shootout that would see the Oilers victorious after makes from Jordan Eberle and Ales Hemsky.

Something felt different about last night's game. This Oiler team is up and coming, and they can play with anyone on any given night. Tom Renney is now 8-0 in season openers. That is absolutely amazing.

No one out there is predicting them to do this thing this year and make a playoff run. Except this blogger. This team will be in it until the end. No one planned on Dubnyk arriving as a big-time goalie and no one outside of Edmonton and the people who watch the young signature talent on this team will know of the run they're about to make until it happens. But when they are put on notice after a hot start, the Oilers will have to adjust.

I think that this was a storybook start to what is going to be a special season.

And my God is Hockey season magical. Everything about it.

Oilers Opening Night is less than a week away

Less than a week from now, on Sunday night the Edmonton Oilers will open their season at a little hockey palace called Rexall Place against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The #1 overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will start the season in Edmonton.

The video is from one year ago at this time.