GAME CHANGER: Gryba clinches playoffs

It was a game many Oilers fans, especially those in attendance, won't soon forget. The club's 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings secured their first playoff berth since 2006. It all came on Fan Appreciation Night as well, a fitting end to the then-longest drought in the League.
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While Connor McDavid provided plenty of excitement, scoring the go-ahead goal at 14:44 of the first, it was an unlikely hero who actually secured the victory and sent Rogers Place into fits of celebration.

Gryba, usually known for his gritty, physical role on the team, provided plenty of that all game. His consecutive hits on Kyle Clifford early in the game got the crowd going. The pair would eventually drop the gloves as a playoff-like atmosphere unfolded in Edmonton.
Jarome Iginla quieted the party a few minutes after McDavid's goal, tying the game at one.

With just their second shot of the second period, Edmonton would take back the lead. The goal would come from Gryba, who had just two tallies on the season. This, of course, would be the biggest one.
Gryba shot the puck on Jonathan Quick through traffic and it bounced its way past the netminder. Jubilation followed, and the Oilers were able to close things out from there.

"I think (the goal) was a lot bigger than I'm thinking it is or was," Gryba said. "For me, if it wasn't me that was going to score it was going to be somebody else. We were all confident we were going to win that game."

But it was in fact Gryba who scored the big goal, and it was a game-changing moment for the playoff-bound Oilers.
Gryba's steady presence last season earned him a two-year contract extension. He had six points and 65 penalty minutes in 40 games during 2016-17.