The Edmonton Oilers snapped an almost five-year losing skid against one of the NHL’s elite clubs on Thursday, with a commanding 7-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild.
The Oilers had last won in Minnesota on February 7th, 2019. But a combination of superior special teams (PP 2-4, PK 1-3) and an all-world performance by Leon Draisaitl ended that dry spell in convincing fashion.
Draisaitl’s 27th 4-point night also tied the great Mark Messier in the all-time Oilers record book. And helped chase one of the league’s best goaltenders from the crease forty minutes in.
The Oilers have now won four straight, the last two against top-tier NHL teams.
Here is the tale of the game tape…
Edmonton Oilers Player Grades
CALVIN PICKARD. 8. Terrific save off Kaprizov after a giveaway in the Oilers’ D-zone. Back-to-back saves first on Foligno then a push across to the other post to stuff Hartman…great series by Pickard. Did not see the 2-1 tipped through a triple screen and tip. Got slender pieces of pucks fired by Kaprizov and Rossi to keep the game 2-1. Kept the game 5-1 with two short-handed saves near the buzzer, one with a right pad stab, another with a 9-iron chip of a rebound. Enjoyed a two-post shift part way through the third. But then stuffed Kaprizov point-blank a shift later. Stopped 29 of 30. This game was never really in doubt but Pickard was quality yet again. His last two losses were shut-outs.
CONNOR McDAVID. 7. Slick feed through seam to Draisaitl for the 1-0. He & Ekholm had a miscommunication leading to a Kaprizov chance in the first. Part of a cycle that earned a power play with a puck flipped over the glass. Secondary assist on the 6-1. Very good but not the biggest star of this one.
RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS. 7. Helped out with the face off win in the 1-0 PP goal. Scored the 4-1 on another power play, kicking a Draisaitl rebound up from skate to stick, where he back handed it home. Splendid play net-side.
ZACH HYMAN. 7. Drew a first period PP which he and his mates converted on, Hyman tipping a Draisaitl shot home for the 1-0. D-zone takeaway. Drew another PP with a hard pay along the wall toward the end of the second. In the goalie’s face all night long.
EVAN BOUCHARD. 7. No assist but his pass to McDavid triggered the sequence leading to the 1-0. A very fine defensive play on Kaprizov at his own blueline part-way through the first. Took a deserved stick-holding penalty early in the second but his mates scored short-handed. Secondary assist on the 4-1. Earned another helper on Draisaitl’s 5-1. Left the game awkwardly near the end of the night favoring what appeared to be his leg.
MATTIAS EKHOLM. 5. A drive up the Minnesota slot early in the first beating three defenders. A mix-up between him & McDavid led to a Kaprizov chance. Four blocks but also four giveaways.
LEON DRAISAITL. 10. An absolute force. Won the faceoff on the opening power play and his shot nicked off Hyman’s stick and in for the 1-0. Had his helmet pulled off by Hartman but no call from the zebras, leaving the Oilers short-handed in their own zone. A powerful display on the 2-0 as Draisaitl skated three-quarters of the Minnesota zone with multiple Wild players hanging off him before a perfect pass to Kapanen for the 2-0. A fine defensive stick the next shift. Then, drew a PP with another strong play along the wall. Strong second period backcheck. On a stacked-up line that cycled the Wild to death, earning a Power Play. Primary assist on the 4-1 with a shot that created the rebound Nugent-Hopkins chipped home. Scored the 5-1 on a 1-timer that knuckled over the Wild goalie and in. Led a back-breaking sequence in the Wild zone in the third that lasted almost 90 seconds. Beat his man 1-on-1 and clipped a post in the third. 5 shots led the team. 58% on draws. Tremendous at both ends of the ice. Dominant performance.
VASILY PODKOLZI. 7. Secondary assist on the 2-0. Earned another a bit later. Blocked a hard shot with a 7-1 lead late in the third. Seems to only have one gear: Hard.
KASPERI KAPANEN. 7. Lobbed a pass to Draistaitl in the slot but Leon could not get a stick on it. Slammed home a pass from Draisaitl glove-side for the 2-0 after a tremendous power forward play by Len to set up the play. Second period takeaway. Looking like a splendid waiver claim.
DARNELL NURSE. 7. Part of the screen in front of Pickard for the 2-0. Primary assist on the 6-1 for his 200th career helper. Earned another apple with the point shot that Ryan tipped home to make it 7-1. Ended the night +3. HDSC’s 5v5 3-3. Playing his best hockey in 18 months.
TROY STECHER. 6. Hard shot off a Janmark feed. Heady PK play to take his man then deliver a clear down the ice in the third. Seeing eye shot through traffic for the 6-1. Not looking ready to surrender his spot on the roster to the new acquisition.
ADAM HENRIQUE. 5. Lovely pass from behind the net to Janmark who just missed. Terrific feed to Skinner for a second period chance.
MATTIAS JANMARK. 6. Fed Stecher for a first period shot. Could not bury a terrific pass from Henrique in the first. Took a bit of an odd path to his point man on the 2-1, allowing the shot to squeeze through a screen. Earned an assist on the 3-1 as an intermediary of sorts, tipping the puck across to Brown while at the same time subtly lifting the Wild defender’s stick.
JEFF SKINNER. 5. Good forecheck created a chance for Janmark in the first. Faceoff win and a shot on a second period PP. A glorious chance in front a shift later off a Henrique pass. Third period shot block.
BRETT KULAK. 7. Part of the screen in the way of the puck’s path on the 2-1. 3 shots, 2 blocks, 2 hits, 2 takeaways in 24:20. That is the first time in my memory that someone other than Bouchard, Ekholm or Nurse has led the Oilers D-corps in TOI. HDSC’s 5v5 9-4.
TY EMBERSON. 8. His best game as an Oiler. A spirited tilt with Lauko in the first that back in the day would end up on some Rock-em, Sock-em reels. Well-earned assist on the 3-1 shorty by Brown to put him within a goal of the Gordie Howe. High Dangers 5-0 5v5, perfect on the PK.
DEREK RYAN. 6. A nice deflection in front made it 7-1 and ended his forty-six-game dry spell. Did not lose a faceoff all night. A solid, professional night of work.
CONNOR BROWN. 7. Hit the post on a goal mouth flurry in the first. Wristed a hard shot home for the 3-1 short-handed. Secondary assist on the 7-1.
COREY PERRY. 5. Early deflection stopped. First period blocked shot. Part of a withering Oilers cycle that drew a PP and led to the 4-1.
The Oilers season record goes to 17-10-2, 36 points, third in the Pacific, one back of L.A., 5 back of Vegas…who Edmonton takes on Saturday.
Now on Bluesky @kurtleavins.bsky.social. Also, find me on Threads @kleavins, Twitter @KurtLeavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and Mastodon at [email protected]. This article is not AI generated.
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