Oilers rediscover offensive touch as win streak hits five games

By Shane Jones, The Canadian Press on December 14, 2024.

Edmonton Oilers' Darnell Nurse (25) and Leon Draisaitl (29) celebrate a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during second period NHL action in Edmonton, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

EDMONTON – The Edmonton Oilers have rediscovered their scoring touch.

One game after scoring seven goals against Minnesota, Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists as the Oilers earned a 6-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday to extend their NHL win streak to five games.

The Oilers struggled to score early on in the year, but the goals have been coming a little easier at the moment.

“We created looks early on in the year, too – it just didn’t seem to go our way,” said Draisaitl, who has seven points in his last two outings. “With that being said, I think that everything is a little more clean right now and we are hitting the right spots at the right time.

“I like our game right now. I think we’re playing well and starting to find our roles a little bit and our rhythm a little bit better. Obviously we have some really good teams coming up here, so we are just looking to continue that.”

It was Draisaitl’s fifth consecutive multi-point game, recording 13 points in that span. Draisaitl has had multi-point performances in seven of his last 11 games for a total of16 multi-point games this season. Fifteen of those have come in his last 22 outings.

The Oilers have won 39 consecutive home games when Draisaitl has three or more points.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor Brown each had a goal and an assist for the Oilers (18-10-2), who have won eight of their last nine. Zach Hyman, Corey Perry and Jeff Skinner also scored.

“It has been a slow build,” Brown said of the Oilers ramping up their offence.

“It’s tough to point to any specific game or play. I think our puck play has been really good and there is just a level of intensity and also poise with the puck. When we have a good combination of that we’re pretty deadly.”

Stuart Skinner made 39 saves in net for the Oilers.

“When teams are having success there is a lot of instinct that goes into it and you’re kind of just playing,” said Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse, who had two assists. “That’s where our team is getting to. It’s also a group that always wants more.

“If you look back to last year we were never satisfied with our game, we are always pushing for more. That’s the mindset within our group – no matter how well we’re playing or how many points we’re putting together there is always another level to get to.”

Victor Olofsson, Ivan Barbashev and Brett Howden replied for the Golden Knights (19-8-3), who had a four-game winning streak halted, but are nonetheless 8-2-1 in their last 11 contests.

“I think we just got away from our game a little bit, in the first period we had success in the O-zone kind of playing heavy and creating a lot of offence from below the circle and below the goal line,” said Noah Hanifin, who had two assists.

“In the second period, we kind of got away from that a little bit and we kind of gave them a lot of their chances and fed their offence, which is something you can’t do to a team with that amount of skill.”

Adin Hill recorded 28 saves between the pipes in the loss for the Golden Knights.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 14, 2024.