Roslovic wins second straight overtime win, leads Oilers past Flyers – Hockey Writer – Edmonton Oilers
About 24 hours ago, the Edmonton Oilers were arguably at their lowest point of the season, trailing 4-2 against the Columbus Blue Jackets after a 9-1 blowout to the Colorado Avalanche late in the third quarter. But Connor McDavid’s magic and a lucky bounce sent them into overtime, with Jake Roslovic playing the hero against his former team.
A night later, the Oilers had the same result, although their road there was (mostly) smoother. They surrounded Roslovic again after Roslovic’s goal ended overtime, ending Edmonton’s three-game losing streak in the City of Brotherly Love. They defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in overtime because of a great 5-on-5 performance, but also had the usual finishing issues. That allowed the Flyers to rebound from a first-half slump and pick up a point, but they couldn’t avoid a second consecutive overtime loss.
game review
The game started out evenly matched, with both sides exchanging scoring chances in the first 12 minutes. Even though the Oilers didn’t score on their only power play of the quarter, it did help them take control of the start. Edmonton was 6-5 on Nick Seeler’s hook free throw with 6:17 left, but the visitors led 13-5 through 20 minutes.
A late run by Edmonton also led to the game’s first goal, although it didn’t come from their power play, which entered the night ranked third in the league. Instead, Connor McDavid sent a quick midfield pass into the penalty area to create a chance for Evan Bouchard, and the attacking defenseman scored his third goal of the season 55 seconds before the break.
That trend continued into the second quarter, as the Oilers fired 17 straight shots on goal to end a 19-minute slump. But after starting to gain territorial advantage with the man advantage, the two went in opposite directions in the final five minutes of the game. Owen Tippett used his speed to get to the blue line and convert the penalty kick, and Matvei Michkov capitalized with a searing wrist shot. Michkov, who had just one goal in his first 13 games, has won three straight games, a career-high.
Although no goals were scored, the third quarter was filled with drama. The two teams combined for three power plays, including one each in the first five minutes, and Philadelphia added another late when Trent Frederic hit Dan Vladař. Then, just as overtime was approaching, Travis Konecny tipped in a layup in the final 30 seconds to break the tie, but Chris Combracuch (former Flyers assistant coach) successfully challenged for offside.
Just when it looked like the Flyers had a chance to recover, the game got away from them. Trevor Zegras made a strong play, stabbing a loose puck back to Cam York at the red line to preserve possession. But York misplaced the pass and immediately lost his balance, giving Roslovic and Matthew Savoie a clear 2-on-0. The two handled it perfectly, helping the Oilers win their third straight game this season and first since Oct. 21-23.
The Oilers’ road trip has taken a quick turn, with their next game against the Blue Jackets on Thursday coming just 24 hours after Monday’s 5-4 overtime victory over the Blue Jackets in a rematch in Edmonton. The Flyers do have Thursday off, but they will go on a back-to-back trip, visiting the St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars over the weekend before having four days off, their longest off day of the season (not including scheduled holidays and Olympic breaks).
