The Edmonton Oilers were able to extend their winning streak to four games tonight, as they defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins by a 6-1 final. This game wasn’t always as out of reach as the final score indicates, as the Oilers had just a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.
Edmonton came out flying in the second, though, as they put four past Alex Nedeljkovic to give them a 5-0 lead heading into the final frame. Connor McDavid scored his first of the game in the third, which served as the final Oilers goal of the evening. Here are the three main takeaways from what was an excellent effort from the Oilers.
Hyman’s Brilliance Continues
Zach Hyman entered tonight’s game with eight goals over his past seven games. He has been absolutely phenomenal this season, and that continued in this one, as he added two more. He now has 42 on the season and has a very realistic shot at 60, as he is currently on pace for 58.
Signing Hyman to a seven-year, $38.5 million deal was undoubtedly general manager Ken Holland’s best move since coming to the Oilers. His $5.5 million cap hit is one of the biggest bargains in the NHL right now and should continue to be for some time moving forward.
McLeod Has Much-Needed Big Game
Ryan McLeod has been struggling as of late. The 24-year-old entered tonight’s game with no goals and just a single assist through his last 16 outings. His struggles have had many advocating that the Oilers target a third-line center ahead of the trade deadline. If tonight’s performance is a sign of things to come, that may not be necessary.
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McLeod had his legs going from the get-go in this one, as he was flying around the ice all night long. He picked up an assist on a great feed to Corey Perry early in the second to extend the Oilers lead to 2-0, and scored an excellent goal from a very sharp angle later in the period. Let’s hope it can get him going.
Pickard Impresses vs Penguins
Calvin Pickard appeared to be in line for his second shutout of the season. Evgeni Malkin had other plans, ruining that bid with less than 10 minutes remaining in the third. Nonetheless, despite only facing 24 shots, he was terrific between the pipes. He now owns an impressive 11-3-0 record on the season.
Though the score ended lopsided, Pickard made some great saves in the first and early second to keep his team ahead. He also made life easy on his defencemen, as he allowed very few rebounds. It felt like every puck that hit him stuck to him. The Oilers aren’t believed to be targeting a goalie at the deadline, and Pickard’s performance tonight indicates why.
Looking Ahead for the Oilers
With this win, the Oilers are now three points ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights for second place in the Pacific Division, while also holding two games in hand. Don’t look now, but they are all of a sudden within striking distance of the Vancouver Canucks, as they trail by nine points but hold four games in hand. They’ll look to close in further on Tuesday in a road game versus the Boston Bruins.
Next: Canucks Should Leverage Surprise Prospect at Trade Deadline
