POST-GAME: Oilers come together to shut Canadiens down in third period

EDMONTON, AB - In a victory over the Montreal Canadiens that even included a three-goal second period for the Blue & Orange, buoyed by extended 5-on-3 time and a major cross-checking penalty to defenceman Joel Edmundson, the aspect of their game Head Coach Jay Woodcroft appreciated the most was how they finished.
"I thought our third period was our probably our best period," the bench boss said. "I know we scored some goals in the second period, important goals, but I thought our best, most mature, most professional period was probably that third period where were able to lock them down."

Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid each posted four points in the 5-3 win over Montreal that marked the ninth time in their careers where they both contributed four points in the same game, including five combined points on the power play. During the Dynamic Duo era, the precedent for a deadly Oilers man advantage has been set season after season to almost historic levels.
"Want to score on the power play no matter what happens," McDavid said. "And obviously, it's a form of our team toughness. If teams want to come in and take shots and runs and all that type of stuff at guys, we got no problem scoring the power play. That's what we get paid to do."
But wasn't the prevailing theme post-game on Saturday night.
With all the work that's gone in behind the scenes in Edmonton's camp toward shutting down opponents defensively, the final 20 minutes versus Montreal after letting the Canadiens back into the game was a sign that some of those lessons are leading to results.
"Obviously we don't hide behind the fact that we need to better defensively," McDavid added. "I think it's always theme around here -- we find ways to score goals and we've got to keep them out of our net."
"I didn't like coughing up the 3-1 lead, but I thought we did a good job of kind of holding it there, and that's a positive sign."

The power play came through thanks to its regular contributors -- Draisaitl, McDavid, Tyson Barrie, Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- but closing out the Canadiens in the third period was a full team effort as Woodcroft let the bench roll to allow every player to put its touch on the victory.
"I thought we rolled four lines going into that period, so I was proud of our guys because we didn't really love our first," Woodcroft said. "There was parts to our second that we liked, but I thought our third, as a complete period, our third period was the best.
Among the notable names making the most of their opportunity to contribute defensively over the final period was Philip Broberg, who found himself on the ice for some critical moments late in the game and recorded four blocks on the night.
But the commitment to playing as a five-man unit and defending from the offensive zone with a strong backcheck to their own end paid dividends.
"I think especially when we're in that position, we're up by one, we're heading in that third period, I think the ability to have another team have to work through you rather than giving up freebie chances against (was beneficial). I saw us commit to working back to our end in an organized fashion, and the other team had to work through five people.
"We weren't perfect that entire third period, but I saw people sacrificing to get the win, and we did a lot of good stuff. Like I said, I thought it was a mature and professional period for us."