Oilers win: Grit helps produce victory over Flyers [Video]

The penalties didn’t help.

The Edmonton Oilers found themselves down 2-0 early in Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers because of them.

The first two Flyers goals came on the power play, also the first two of 18-year-old rookie Matvei Michkov’s National Hockey League career.

Playing without that edge that resulted in eight infractions, though, might have led to a different result for the host Oilers, perhaps a loss instead of an eventual 4-3 overtime victory.

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Oilers players and their bench boss described the intensity as a necessary boost while saying they’d like to cut down on shorthanded situations.

On the one hand: “We took some penalties that we didn’t need to take on.”

On the other: “It’s an emotional game, and tonight we had it, and it definitely helps you.”

Both are quotes following the game from head coach Kris Knoblauch, who …