Make theirs a triple.
The Edmonton Oilers are officially on a roll.
Back-to-back road wins in Utah Friday and Denver Saturday make it three straight as the Oilers equalled their longest winning streak of the season and improved to 7-2-1 in their last 10.
After a rocky start, things continue falling into place for the Oilers, who got a strong night in goal from Stuart Skinner and depth scoring from Vasily Podkolzin, Brett Kulak, and Kasperi Kapanen in a 4-1 decision over the banged-up Avalanche.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins potted the empty-netter for his second goal of the road trip.
“Playing back-to-back, you need your entire bench, and I thought everyone stepped up their game,” said head coach Kris Knoblauch. “It was nice to see pretty much everyone contributing.”
The win also secured Edmonton’s spot in the Western Conference’s top eight at American Thanksgiving, which usually means a spot in the post-season. Thirteen of the 16 teams that held a playoff spot at this time last year went on to make the playoffs (six in the Western Conference and seven in the East).
More importantly, they’re starting to look a little like the Oilers of a year ago. In a start that’s been a mirror image of what happened last season, this is also the point when the Oilers hit the gas and never looked back.
“It’s a good team win,” said Podkolzin. “We can rest (Sunday) and then go finish it in Vegas).”
HE’S SO HOT RIGHT NOW
The wait is over, the floodgates are open, and the goals are flowing for Podkolzin. His second-period deflection Saturday makes it a goal in three-straight games for the 23-year-old winger, who didn’t find the net once in the first 21 games of the season.
He is repaying the coaching staff for the faith they’ve shown, giving him top six minutes since mid-October despite his inability to score. He’s turning into exactly what the Oilers hoped he’d be: a smart, physical winger who works hard on the forecheck and generates a little offence.
“There are a lot of things he does well,” said Knoblauch. “Offensive play, defensive play. He had the goal tonight, a big one, but also the battle in the second period, along the boards for 20 seconds, working and working, and then he draws a penalty. It’s stuff like that continually helping our team.
“It’s nice to see him getting recognized and getting some goals. It’s nice that he’s being rewarded. Everyone is happy for him.”
HE IS ALSO PRETTY HOT
The Oilers have only played 24 games this year and Kulak is already one goal away from his career high of six in a single season, set in 2018-19 with Montreal. He’s got the magic touch this year and sits fourth in Oilers goal-scoring behind only Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard.
“He’s another one who puts in the work,” said Knoblauch. “And he’s being recognized for some goals.”
BIG HURTS
The Oilers are still without injured forwards Zach Hyman and Viktor Arvidsson, but their injury woes are nothing compared with what Colorado is dealing with. They are minus five regulars: Josh Manson, Jonathan Drouin, Oliver Kylington, Ross Colton, and Miles Wood.
OOPS
Crazy blown call in the second period when Mattias Ekholm crosschecked Nikolai Kovalenko into Podkolzin, but the referees gave the crosschecking penalty to the Avalanche winger instead. The referees made up for it in the third period with another gaffe: Connor Brown took two minutes for high sticking when Mikko Rantanen actually clipped himself with his own stick.
LATE HITS
The Avalanche came into the contest 5-0-1 in their last six home games against Edmonton and 8-1-1 in their last 10 overall.
The Avalanche are wrestling with serious goaltending problems as they sit dead last in the NHL in save percentage (.855) and 30th in GAA 3.781.
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