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Big players show up in big games.
Leon Draisaitl was magnificent in his return from injury on Saturday, almost single-handedly lifting the Edmonton Oilers over the Calgary Flames in overtime in the final Battle of Alberta of the season.
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With their 3-2 win, the Oilers fought their way back into the Pacific Division race while also effectively burying their provincial rivals, who now sit eight points back of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Key Player Grades
Leon Draisaitl: A+
Now that's what an MVP looks like. Draisaitl wasn't even supposed to play on Saturday, but he argued his way into the lineup against the Flames and didn't disappoint. He factored into all three Oilers goals, setting up Viktor Arvidsson with a gorgeous pass in the second before scoring the game-tying and game-winning goals to complete Edmonton's third-period comeback.
Even better, Draisaitl's first goal was his 50th of the season, clinching the fourth 50-goal campaign of his career. His 51 goals this year are nine(!) more than second-place William Nylander. On top of that, his sixth overtime goal of the season set the NHL record for most in one year.
"I think he sure garnered a few votes for some hardware after this season," head coach Kris Knoblauch said after the game. Hard to argue there.
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Before Draisaitl came alive in the third, Viktor Arvidsson was the Oilers' best player on Saturday night. He scored Edmonton's first goal on a sweet feed from Draisaitl in the second period and was all over the ice the entire night. His expected goals share of 79% led the Oilers.
Corey Perry: B
Draisaitl's late-game heroics may have won the game, but they probably don't happen without the intervention of Corey Perry late in the second period.
After chastising himself for not defending his netminder against Dallas on Wednesday, Perry did not make the same mistake twice. Late in the second, he took exception to a snow shower delivered to Calvin Pickard by Mikael Backlund, tearing the Flames captain away from a scrum to deliver some vigilante justice.
Perry's--and everyone else's--engagement in that scrum seemed to galvanize the Oilers coming into the third period, refuting any claims that they lacked toughness. Darnell Nurse poked fun at that very idea after the game:
"I know our group has zero toughness," Nurse told the media sarcastically. "So hopefully we showed a little bit tonight."
The Oilers have had horrible injury luck in recent weeks, and it's still ongoing even with Draisaitl back. But everyone can breathe a little easier now that the Oilers have their MVP back, and more importantly, get back to winning hockey games.
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