Nashville Predators 5 , Edmonton Oilers 4: What Just Happened

The Nashville Predators pulled off yet another big win at home tonight, prevailing 5-4 over the Edmonton Oilers.

The game started off with some silliness. First, Ryan Ellis bombed a power play goal to get the Preds on the board 1-0. Then 28 seconds later, Connor McDavid put on his hockey boots and skated right on down and scored himself a goal. He good, he real good.

But the Preds weren’t finished scoring in the opening frame. After Kris Russell was called for cross-checking James Neal, Nealer returned the favor by dishing an absolutely sick pass to Filip Forsberg to put the Preds up 2-1. It was Forsberg’s 24th goal of the year and his 8th in four games, but this goal was all Neal. The first period ended 2-1.

Holy moly, the 2nd period a doozy.

First, Vernon Fiddler put home his first as a 2016-17 Predator. He snuck a puck past Cam Talbot’s pads on the short side and it was 3-1. But the Oilers answered a bit later on the power play. Our old buddy Milan Lucic. So it was 3-2, until a minute later when Colin Wilson apparently scored (did score) to make it 4-2.

This is when it got weird.

First, the goal was reviewed and eventually called a good goal. Then there was much confusion and consternation because Craig Smith committed a penalty in the time after Wilson apparently scored (did score). It was all very chaotic and there was no explanation, but the penalty counts because the league is not interested in having scenarios where a hockey game is being played without penalty consequences. Makes sense. So then Mark Letestu scored to make it 4-3. And then Jordan Eberle tied the game with a minute left in regulation. Before we could even dig our way out of the NHL rule book, a 4-2 Preds lead had vanished.

But no matter. In the 3rd period, Viktor Arvidsson scored on yet another sick backhand pass from James Neal to put the Preds up 5-4 and the Preds held off the Oilers for 19 looong minutes to preserve the win.

This game was nutso.

Random Observations

• Edmonton didn’t score on their first shot!
• And Nashville has a good start. This is weird.
• Connor McDavid is good at hockey.
• Neal gets one shift with Wilson/Jarnkrok and draws a penalty. A bit later, Vernon Fiddler fell down trying to pass.
• That is probably the best pass of James Neal’s career.
• Austin Watson shot it in the only place he wouldn’t score.
• That move by Colin Wilson.
• The penalty on Smith was rightly counted, folks.
• Neal is all about the backhand passes today
• What if this was a playoff series? We would all need heavy medications.
• Arvidsson has 21 goals on the season. Das crazy.
• Maroon just went absolutely insane on Ryan Ellis

OTF’s Super Duper Stars of the Game

1. James Neal- Poor guy doesn’t deserve to be on the fourth line. And both his passes to Forsberg and Arvidsson were just filthy. Three assists on the night.
2. Filip Forsberg- I don’t think he can physically stop scoring.
3. Colin Wilson- Another flash of greatness with that drive and backhand goal. If he could turn flashes into trends....

Tweets of the Night

Game Extras

• Game Stats
• HockeyStats
• Natural Stat Trick

Game Video