Mike Babcock could laugh about the Edmonton Oilers win on Saturday night because the number on Seattle's scoreboard finally stopped at one.
“We didn’t give up a touchdown!” Babcock joked after the Oilers held the Kraken to 20 shots in a 3-1 win at Rogers Place.
There hadn't been much worth laughing about defensively through Edmonton's first two games, though. Thirteen goals and 45 shots against Vancouver, including seven on Thursday night.
The Oilers did a good job of keeping the Kraken out of the middle and minimizing the traffic around Devon Levi. Natural Stat Trick counted only 10 high-danger chances between the two teams.
“It was bound to happen, stringing one (together) that was quite low-event,” Leon Draisaitl said. “I thought it was a good game for us. We played heavy for the most part and played structurally well and defended well.”
Edmonton spent most of the night operating inside a 1-1 game, albeit without giving up many chances themselves. Seattle's rushes frequently ended along the boards, and the Oilers routinely established net-front coverage in their own zone.
“That was pretty tight (defensively), I have to say,” Levi said. “If we play like that every game, we have a good chance.”
The Oilers were tied 1-1 until the final three minutes, without desperately searching for another one for the previous 57 minutes. Ryan Shea kept the puck in Seattle's zone, fired it off McDavid along the left wall, and watched it ricochet directly to Draisaitl and into the net.
His one-timer beat Seattle with 2:27 remaining, and McDavid added the empty-netter shortly afterwards.
Jordan Eberle had Seattle's best opportunity in the third period with 12:22 remaining. Levi moved across his crease and caught Eberle's attempt with his glove, keeping enough of the puck from crossing the line to survive video review.
“After some of the bounces in the last game, I was hoping we got this bounce in this game,” Levi said.
Babcock had gone back to Levi after his seven-goal night against Vancouver. That decision could have looked questionable quickly if the problems from Thursday had followed Edmonton into Saturday.
“We got good goaltending tonight,” Babcock said. “You have to give him credit because we haven’t had that. That was really positive tonight.”
When Edmonton did give Seattle an opening, Levi made the save. That is about all the Oilers should need from their goaltending on a night when they defend well.
“I personally walk away from that Vancouver game just with the win. That's all I took from that game,” Levi said. “It's not easy, but I've definitely been through harder. Just the past few years, there's definitely been some adversity that's really taught me it's one day, it's one game. The ups, the downs? They come, they go.”
Frederik Andersen has also been helping from the sidelines.
“(I’ve had) some great conversations with him, a lot of support from him,” Levi said. “I've never really had a veteran goalie on my team, on the goalie team with me. So having his support — he's been through so much — and just hearing what he has to say and his leadership has been super helpful.”
Edmonton came into Saturday with a .711 team save percentage and lots of scrutiny on their goaltending.
This Saturday thought, twenty shots reached Edmonton's net, one went in, and Babcock can probably live with that.
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