Player grades: Edmonton Oilers shoot themselves in the skate, lose 6-2 to L.A.

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The Edmonton Oilers looked like a team that hasn’t played together much. They constantly shot themselves in the skate in this one. They were plagued by offsides, missed passes and turnovers. For the second game running, they also got crushed on special teams, this times three goals to none. It all added up to a 5-2 win by the Los Angeles Kings.

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The Grade A shots were XX for Edmonton, XX for the Kings, with the subset of most dangerous 5-alarm shots XX to XX for Los Angeles.

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Connor McDavid, 4. He got little done at even strength in this one. Out on the PK against the five L.A. forwards, McDavid set up Edmonton’s first 5-alarmer, a Connor Brown harpoon. He made a few feints then set up Hyman’s two 5-alarmers. A bit out of position on the PK, allowing Kempe’s outside shot, with Kuzmenko pounding home the rebound for L.A.’s third goal. Contributions/mistakes on Grade A Shots (GAS): Even Strength +1/-0; Special Teams +3/-2.

Leon Draisaitl, 5. Looked rusty on the power play, missing on a number of passes. But no rust on his magnificent tipped shot to score Edmonton’s first. GAS: ES +4/-0; ST +0/-0.

Corey Perry, 4. Hustled, but no much impact. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +0/-0.

Zach Hyman, 5. Not his old self just now. He spun around the net to launch an early Grade A. Almost jammed in McDavid’s crease pass but stopped by Kuemper, then by Gavrikov, two great strikes, two massive saves, and a tough lost opportunity. Had a great chance late in the second, but pushed the puck wide. Why do I get the feeling he would have scored on that one last year? GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +2/-0.

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Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 4. Little impact at even strength. This line failed to click. One of the culprit’s on the seam pass on L.A.’s fifth goal. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-2.

Evander Kane, 5. A bit excited, went too hard on an early cross-check and took a penalty. Solid hit and Quinton Byfield early in the second. He got a Grade A in garbage time in the third. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST +0/-0.

Adam Henrique, 4. Not much to report, save for one solid Grade A one-timer in the third. He got angry at Byfield’s aggression in the third, then took a retaliatory penalty, which L.A punished with its fifth goal. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +0/-3.

Trent Frederic, 3. Moving slowly out there.  He got beat off the wall by Kuzemenko and took a penatly in the second, leading to the third L.A. goal. Got caught flat-footed on the sixth Kings goal. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0.

Connor Brown, 5. Failed to score on his early short-handed one-timer. Set up Henrique’s third period one-timer. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +1/-0.

Mattias Janmark, 4. One of the many ineffective Oilers. GAS: ES +0/-1; ST +1/-0.

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Vasily Podzolzin, 6. One huge play, then booted from the game for aggressive slashing. Excellent rush and button hook, then pass to help set up Edmonton’s second goal. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +0/-0.

Viktor Arvidsson, 5. Some good hustle, one rough mistake. Great battle on Edmonton’s second goal, fighting for position in front of the net and making the winning tip. But muffed a pass leading directly to the death grip of the fourth Los Angeles goal. GAS: ES +1/-2; ST +0/-0.

Evan Bouchard, 6. Strong rush up ice under heavy stickworrk in second to set up McD, but no connection on the pass. He kept a clean sheet at even strength, not one major mistake on a Grade A shot against. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST +0/-0.

Darnell Nurse, 2. He moved in fast to jump on a Draisaitl rebound and hammer the game’s first Grade A shot. But major mistake on first L.A. goal, going down to the ice instead of making the easier play by simply blocking or taking Brandt Clarke’s stick. Even worse on the second Kings goal, wandering aimlessly up ice instead of holding defensive position, allowing a two-on-one and Byfield an unharassed and clear path to the net. Terrible. Had a sneaky backhander on the shorthand rush late in the third, Edmonton’s last real gasp. Capped off a terrible night when he failed to cut out the seam pass on the fifth goal. GAS: ES +1/-1; ST +1/-3.

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Jake Walman, 3. Solid at even strength, but eaten alive on the PK. He had a tough time on the the PK, with big shoes to fill in for Mattias Ekholm. He started off the Sequence of Pain on the first L.A. goal, getting badly beat down the boards by Foegele. He lost the battle to Kuzmenko on the third L.A. goal, but a bullet rebound, hard to anticipate. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-6.

John Klingberg, 6. Good quick shot on net in the first but Oilers couldn’t jump on tantalizing rebound. Pure class, winning the puck, controlling it, spotting Draisaitl and sending him a perfect pass to deflect home for Edmonton’s first goal. Lost a battle kicking off the goal rush on the sixth L.A. goal. GAS: ES +2/-1; ST +0/-0.

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Brett Kulak ,5. Huge play by blocking a Kempe pass to Kopitar on a 2-on-1 in the second. Smashed a shot on net that Arvidsson tipped in for Edmonton’s second goal. GAS: ES +1/-3; ST +0/-0.

Ty Emberson, 4. He lost a battle behind the net leading to an early Kings’ 5-alarmer, but thwarted Kopitar on the rebound. Got caught up ice on a 2-on-1 rush in the second.; GAS: ES +0/-2; ST +0/-0.

Stuart Skinner, 4. This ugly loss was on his teammates, not him. Huge stop early on a low-high slot pass to Kempe, then thwarted Byfield’s dangerous power play shot. Tough to blast him on the five L.A. goals, all tough plays, a wicked pass hard into the slot, a wide open run to the net for Byfield, an unlucky hard bounce off the boards right to Kuzmenko,  a wide open lightning strike by Kempe, then a seam pass slammed in by Kopitar.

Calvin Pickard, 4. Whipped by Kempe’s wicked shot when he came in the game.

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