The Edmonton Oilers stretched their winning streak to 16 games with a 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators Saturday afternoon at Rogers Place.
“It takes a lot of good efforts–a lot of good games to get to that number,” Leon Draisaitl said post-game.
“We don’t talk about it in the room,” Oilers Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said. “Maybe it’s on our minds a little bit, but as boring as it sounds, we take it one game at a time and we’re worried about who our next opposition is.”
They’re tied with the 2016-17 Columbus Blue Jackets for the second-longest winning streak in league history. The record of 17 straight wins is held by the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Oilers struck first when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins sniped a power play goal with 12:05 left in the frame. The Predators had a glorious chance to tie it on a man advantage of their own, but Stuart Skinner came up with a monumental blocker save on Luke Evangelista.
The teams exchanged several good scoring chances in the first few minutes of the second period. Dylan Holloway made a bold net drive down the right side but couldn’t tuck the puck past Kevin Lankinen. Filip Forsberg stickhandled across the goalmouth and had the whole net to shoot at, but he rolled a backhand through the crease and wide.
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Later in the second, Draisaitl ripped in a power play one-timer for his 800th career point.
“It’s nice to score a few on the power play,” Connor McDavid said. “It’s been an area that’s probably been our weakest through this stretch, and we know that it can change games and be a huge asset for us–as we’ve showed over the past few years.”
Skinner was solid again six minutes into the third with a blocker save on Cody Glass. He then denied Luke Schenn just over a minute later after Schenn had walked down from the right point.
“Stuart’s been very even-keeled and very obviously confident and the guys definitely feel good when he’s playing,” Knoblauch said.
McDavid made it 3-0 with 10:48 left by banking a shot in off Lankinen from behind the net. Colton Scissons finally put the Preds on the board with 6:35 to go. The Oilers had gone 158 minutes without allowing a goal.
The Predators kept pushing but Zach Hyman put it away with an empty netter–his 30th goal of the season.
Skinner made 29 saves for his 12th straight win.
The Oilers return to action on Tuesday, February 6, when they visit the Vegas Golden Knights (630 CHED, Face-off Show at 6:30 p.m., game at 8 p.m.).
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