OILERS 6, AVS, 4
Big night for RNH, Draisaitl
Another night, another dramatic statement by the Edmonton Oilers.
Just two days after shutting out the conference leading Calgary Flames, the surging Oilers rolled into Colorado and laid a 6-4 beating on the Avalanche.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins led the way with back-to-back second period goals and goaltender Mikko Koskinen did what Mikko Koskinen does as the Oilers routed the third-place team in the Central Division.
They let their guard down some in garbage time, when the Avs improved a 6-2 disadvantage to 6-4 in the final couple of minutes, but it was a convincing night’s work for the winners.
The Oilers improved their record under Ken Hitchcock to 8-2-1 and moved into the first wild-card spot, one point out of second place in the Pacific Division.
At the start of this three-game set that concludes with Thursday’s stop in Winnipeg, Hitchcock said the trip would reveal a lot about his team. He has to like what he sees so far.
They’re scoring when they need to, shutting it down when they need to, getting the saves when they need them, and appear to be growing stronger and more confident by the day.
After leading 1-0 at the first intermission on a goal from Kyle Brodziak, the Oilers pulled away for good in the second stanza, scoring four times in just over seven minutes: Nugent-Hopkins at 9:26, Nugent-Hopkins again at 13:37, Connor McDavid at 15:14 and Leon Draisaitl at 16:42.
Darnell Nurse added the sixth goal in the third period.
There was some troubling news on the night, however, as Oilers defenceman Oscar Klefbom left the game in the second period and didn’t return.
GLASS HALF EMPTY
The game had to be delayed in the third period after the glass separating the Oilers penalty box and the fans shattered following Matt Benning ’s fight with Matt Calvert.
It seems some fan was slapping his hand against it, as some fans are prone to do, and the thing just exploded all over the place. Benning had to serve his penalty behind the Edmonton bench while they fixed the damage.
THIS AND THAT
So much for the Pacific Division being the NHL’s weak sister. It’s the hottest place in the league right now, just ask the Oilers. They’re 8-2-1 in their last 11 games and are barely making up any ground. Not with Calgary going 7-2-1, Anaheim 8-2-0 and Vegas 8-2-0 at the same time ... An Oilers power play that came into the game on an 0-for-17 slump went two for three … Nugent-Hopkins now has four goals in the last four games ... Since returning from the flu, McDavid has eight points in four games. He’s been held off the scoresheet only once in 17 road games.
HIGH LIFE
Much is made of the altitude in the Mile High City, to the extend that is psyches some players out. But Hitchcock says it’s not a big deal if you manage it properly.
“To me, altitude is really overrated,” he said.
“You just have to learn to play tired. You’re going to be tired quicker, sure, but all you have to do is shorten up your shifts.”
FINN-TASTIC
Avs winger Mikko Rantanen didn’t come out of nowhere, he’s been trending up from the moment he joined the NHL as the 10th overall draft pick in 2015.
He had 38 points in his first full season, 84 points last year, and now he leads the league in scoring as they approach the halfway mark. He pitched in two goals and two assists against the Oilers to up his total to 52.