Waching daily Dec 31 2017

Edmonton Oilers beaten by another backup goalie

The sentimental favourite Friday night in just about every city but Edmonton, was Chicago Blackhawks netminder Jeff Glass, a 32-year-old journeyman making his first ever NHL start.

He was a Cinderella story just waiting to happen.

And, as has been the case so often this season, he happened to the bewildered Edmonton Oilers.

A team that for some reason is deathly allergic to second-string goaltenders once again felt its throat close against an unproven opposition backup.

The Glass slipper posted a 42-save 4-3 overtime victory, joining Juuse Saros and Curtis McElhinney before him as relievers who've sent the frustrated Oilers to a humbling defeat in the last few weeks alone.

The Oilers deserve some credit for fighting back from 3-1 down on goals from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with 2:19 to play in the third period and Leon Draisaitl with 54 seconds left to force overtime, but it wasn't enough.

Patrick Kane scored 50 seconds into the extra period to steal back the win.

It was as shocking as it is costly for the Oilers, who were expected to walk right through a team playing it's second game in as many nights and a goalie who'd never faced a big league shot before.

Didn't happen.

And now they've lost two in a row, and all of their hard-earned momentum, after winning four straight before the Christmas break.

For a team that can't afford to be losing two games in a row anymore, this was a painful, painful defeat.

The Oilers were all over Glass in the first period, pumping 15 shots, including a Draisaitl breakaway, in the first 12 minutes, but he wouldn't break.

The Oilers finally found the back of the net on Jesse Puljujarvi's power-play goal on Edmonton's 17th shot of the first period at 14:26.

Chicago tied it, though, on Ryan Hartman's rebound goal at 19:05.

Despite registering 19 shots in the first period it was 1-1 after 20 minutes.

It was more of the same in the second, with the Oilers peppering Glass with a dozen more shots but unable to do any damage.

They fell behind 2-1 on a power-play goal from Alex Debrincat to lead 2-1 at the intermission.