EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers are finally starting to find a way to hang on to their leads.
Zach Hyman had a goal and two assists as the Oilers won their fourth consecutive game Tuesday night with a 5-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken.
“You have to find ways to win,” said Hyman, who now has a career high 29 assists on the season. “We weren’t able to properly string games together and now we have won some in a row, but we are happier with the way we are playing, I think that is the key thing.
"We are playing the right way, we are playing strong, mature third periods. That is the key, playing to our game and making sure we make it difficult on the other guys on the other side and understanding the type of game you are in when you are up. I think that is really encouraging.”
Connor McDavid, Derek Ryan, Warren Foegele and Ryan McLeod also scored for the Oilers (25-18-3) who won for just the second time in their last eight home games.
“That was the 15th time we’ve scored five goals this year … and we haven't lost when we scored five or more goals,” said Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft. “To do that at even strength, that's a positive.
“We're putting a lot of emphasis on defending the right way, and I thought we did a lot of really good things towards that direction tonight.”
Daniel Sprong and Vince Dunn responded for the Kraken (26-14-4) who have lost two in a row on the heels of an eight-game winning streak.
“It’s really disappointing not to get that win,” Dunn said. “We talked before the game, it’s a big one, we needed those two points, so it’s really disappointing not to get a result.
“We had a good run, we let two games slide. We have to go back home and get back to work.”
The Kraken took a 1-0 lead 3:11 into the opening period on the power play as a Sprong shot hit a defender and deflected past Oilers goaltender Jack Campbell, who was making his fourth consecutive start. It was Sprong’s 15th goal of the season.
Edmonton tied the game 1-1 with 5:52 to play in the first as McDavid went coast-to-coast, taking on four defenders and dancing past a couple of them before taking a shot from his off foot that picked the top corner on Seattle goalie Martin Jones for his league-leading 38th goal.
The Oilers moved in front 3:15 into the second period as a shot by 26-year-old rookie Vincent Desharnais snuck under Jones and was just sitting there before Ryan swooped in to guide in his sixth of the campaign.
Edmonton took a two-goal lead 12:30 into the middle frame during a mad scramble in front of the Kraken net as the puck came loose to Foegele who sent a backhand shot into the net despite the fact he was sitting down on the ice at the time.
There were a couple bizarre goals to start the third.
Just 22 seconds in, Dunn unleashed a long shot that Campbell would love to have back as he flubbed it and it tipped off his glove and went in.
The Oilers responded 61 seconds later, however, as Eeli Tolvanen poke-checked a puck away from Hyman, but straight into his own net past a surprised Jones. The goal was credited as Hyman’s 21st.
Edmonton made it 5-2 midway through the third as Dylan Holloway hit a post and the puck popped straight to McLeod at the side of the net for the easy tap-in. It was Holloway’s second assist, giving him his first multi-point game in the NHL.
McDavid extended his points streak to eight games and has at least one point in 25 of his last 26 games.
NOTES
The game marked the earlier-than-expected return of Oilers forward Evander Kane, who suffered a scary wrist laceration when he was cut by a skate on Nov. 8 in Tampa Bay, causing him to miss 31 games.
“It felt fine. No issues, other than my (lack of) finish,” said Kane, who had seven shots on the night. “I guess I can’t expect too much. But I had my looks tonight, which is a positive. I’ll just try to build on that.
“I felt a lot better tonight than I did when I came in here last year for my first game.”
Following surgery, Kane was initially expected to miss three to four months. Kane had appeared in 14 games for the Oilers this season before the injury and had five goals and 13 points. Last season, Kane notched 22 goals and 39 points over 43 games for the Oilers after signing with the team midseason, and he added 13 goals and 17 points in the playoffs as he helped the team advance to the conference finals. To make room for the 31-year-old, forward Kailer Yamamoto and blueliner Ryan Murray were both placed on LTIR, with Yamamoto unable to return until after the All-Star break. Defenceman Markus Niemelainen was also sent back to the AHL's Bakersfield Condors on Monday. … Oilers forward Jesse Puljujarvi was a healthy scratch. … Out with injuries for the Kraken were Joonas Donskoi (upper body), Chris Driedger (knee) and Jaden Schwartz (undisclosed). … Edmonton came into the game with the league’s top power play, while the Kraken had the second-worst penalty kill.
UP NEXT
Both teams return to action on Thursday night.
The Oilers wrap up a short two-game stint at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Kraken launch a five-game homestand against the New Jersey Devils.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 17, 2023.
Shane Jones, The Canadian Press
