In what was supposed to be a clash of the two
top forwards in the league as their teams try to solidify playoff positioning,
one side decided to show up and the other didn't. Macklin Celebrini tried to
motivate his side to get in the fight, but Connor McDavid had other plans. The
Oilers captain and NHL's leading score single handedly obliterated the Sharks
with a 5 point game as Edmonton struck a significant blow in San Jose's playoff
aspirations with a 5-2 victory at SAP Center on Wednesday night.
The
Sharks learned a number of lessons from a team that has reached the Stanley Cup
Finals the last two seasons. Edmonton is starting to smell the fact that it's
almost playoff time, and they sacrificed the Sharks in a contest.
McDavid recorded his hat trick and added 2 assists before the 2nd intermission.
Celebrini converted on the game's first power play after the Oilers were
whistled for too many men. The Sharks young forward collected a Dmitry Orlov
feed on the left side then skated inside the circle before sending a shot that
weaved through traffic to beat goaltender Connor Ingram for his 42nd goal of
the season.
Not to be outdone, Connor McDavid matched Celebrini with a
power play goal at 6:18 after Michael Misa was sent off for holding. The Oilers
captain put a shot on net from the left endline that goaltender Alex Nedljkovic
lost track of. McDavid was able to tap the puck home as it sat perched on the
goal line just inside the left post.
Vasily Podkolzin gave the Oilers
the lead they would not relinquish with 1:22 left in the opening frame on
another power play chance after Vincent Desharnais lofted a puck over the
glass. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tried forcing a puck into a mass of humanity. The
puck hit Podkolzin and found a seem underneath Nedeljkovic for the 2-1 lead.
Celebrini took an ill-advised tripping penalty 2:31 into the 2nd
period, which ended up helping Edmonton to their 3rd power play goal of the
game. Jack Roslovic scored his 21st of the season to make it a 3-1 contest.
Kiefer Sherwood redirected an Alex Wennberg shot
from the high slot at 4:37 to make things appear as if the Sharks could make a
game of it, but then McDavid put that to rest.
The Oilers superstar
made Nick Leddy and Sam Dickinson look like pylons after he skated past both of
them before cutting across the slot and throwing the puck into a wide open net
for his 46th tally of the season.
McDavid added his 47th at 14:13 on a
lucky deflection. Leddy tried to chip a puck up ice off the glass but it hit
Roslovic in the chest allowing the Oilers to immediately go on the offensive.
McDavid took a drop pass from his linemate then tried to return it with a pass
through the slot, but Dmitry Orlov had fallen to the ice and his errant stick
deflected it perfectly through Nedeljkovic's pads.
Just like that the
Oilers had a 3-goal lead and the Sharks had nothing left in the tank.
San Jose would muster only 14 shots in the game including a paltry 4 in the 3rd
period. Tristan Jarry would replace Ingram to start the 3rd period and was
credited with making all 4 saves.
Game Notes: * Dmitry
Orlov recorded his 32nd assist of the season on the Macklin Celebrini goal.
* The Sharks were only a net -5 for the night. Sam Dickinson, Michael
Misa and Igor Chernyshov were all -2.
* Celebrini was 9 for 14 (64%)
from the faceoff circle, which may be the highlight of the night for San Jose.
Michael Misa won 5 of 7 draws.
* Tristan Jarry replaced Connor Ingram
to start the 3rd period after Ingram sustained an undisclosed injury. Ingram
was seated in the backup's chair later in the 3rd period.
* San Jose
generated no shots 5-on-5 in the opening period. On your heels much?
