Mark Spector

Goalies are supposed to be sacred in hockey. The combination of frequency and impunity with which the Stars bulldozed through the Oilers' net was concerning for a team that claims to have pushback.

Simply put, if Connor McDavid doesn't find his game, it's lights out in Edmonton. When McDavid is just OK as he has been — by his standards — all season long, it seems like the team follows suit.

“You have to learn how to dig yourself out of the hole.” Adversity has arrived for the Oilers, who looked slow, small and soft in a whupping at the hands of the league-leading Capitals.

With the Oilers in danger of losing, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl stepped up. In a matter of minutes, the Oilers turned a late deficit into an overtime victory.

If it wasn’t Evan Bouchard dropping a puck right on to a Colorado stick for an Avalanche shorty, it was Zach Hyman passing backwards late in a 4-4 game, catching all his teammates skating the wrong direction on Colorado’s game-winning goal. The Oilers can't play this way after the break.

It’s time for Evan Bouchard to be good all the time, not just most of the time. Time to be a pro. “Once he figures it out between his ears, he’ll be even better.”

The Edmonton Oilers had collected seven of eight possible points since their last loss, and trucked through January playing .750 hockey. But truth be told, they hadn’t loved their game of late, and we all know where that road eventually leads.

Before he stepped behind the bench of a young and hungry Detroit Red Wings team, Todd McLellan was the coach who helped usher Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl into the NHL. He spoke to Mark Spector about lessons learned from that experience.

How old is too old? As Brandon Saad leaves St. Louis, the team now being run by his old GM from Chicago — Stan Bowman — is musing about whether he'd be a smart add. Mark Spector looks at whether the Oilers should add the 32-year-old winger.

This win for Edmonton — their 32nd in Game 50 on the season — was workmanlike, with goals from Corey Perry and Mattias Janmark and a fine start from backup goalie Calvin Pickard.