Evander Kane had a hat trick as the Edmonton Oilers earned a 7-4 win over the Nashville Predators Tuesday night at Rogers Place.
The Oilers have won five in a row.
Nashville took the early lead when Mattias Ekholm tapped a rebound behind Jack Campbell 34 seconds into the game. Evander tied it less than four minutes later, converting a brilliant backhand pass from Leon Draisaitl. Kane benefitted from another incredible feed from Draisaitl not long after to make it 2-1.
“That’s why I’m here,” Kane said with a chuckle when asked about finishing plays set up by McDavid and Draisaitl. “Those guys are obviously the two best players in the world and it seems like each and every night they’re loading up the scoresheet and leading us to victory.”
Just 26 later, Connor McDavid scored on a two-on-one for his tenth of the season. Still in the first, Derek Ryan recorded his first of the year to make it 4-1 Oilers.
“Sometimes when you go up early in a game like that by three or four goals, those nights can be hard because you naturally let off the gas,” Draisaitl said. “All in all, it’s a big two points.”
McDavid scored off a power play face-off win by Draisaitl in the second. Ryan Johansen replied on a Predators power play.
“They’ve kind of rebranded themselves a little bit but I thought tonight we played towards our identity, and in the end the most important thing is to put two points in the bank and that’s what we did,” Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft said.
Filip Forsberg pulled the Predators within two with a wicked one-timer five minutes into the third.
On the power play, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins sent a pass through Romas Josi’s skates to Draisaitl, who snapped in his fifth. Nino Niederreiter scored a later power play goal for Nashville before Kane sealed it with an empty netter.
“We’re here to win a championship,” Draisaitl said post-game. “We want the big prize and obviously this is a good start to the season for the group.”
McDavid finished with two goals and two assists. Draisaitl had a goal and four assists.
The Oilers, 7-3, will host New Jersey on Thursday (630 CHED, Face-off Show at 5:30 p.m., game at 7 p.m.).
—With files from Brenden Escott, 630 CHED
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