Isles victimized by Knoblauch’s Oilers
EDMONTON, Alberta — Mathew Barzal tallied the lone goal in a losing effort for the Islanders, who fell 4-1 on Monday night to new head coach Kris Knoblauch, formerly the coach of the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, in his Oilers debut.
Ilya Sorokin finished with 28 saves for the Islanders, who lost their fifth game in a row including four straight in regulation. The Isles were playing without defenseman Adam Pelech (lower body).
Leon Draisaitl had a goal and three assists, Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist for Edmonton. Zach Hyman and Evander Kane also registered goals, and Stuart Skinner stopped 32 shots.
Knoblauch, who had helmed AHL Hartford since 2019-20, took over for the fired Jay Woodcroft on Sunday following the Oilers’ 3-9-1 start.
The new coach’s debut did not start smoothly as the Oilers coughed up a puck in their own end just 40 seconds into the game, allowing Bo Horvat to send it across to Barzal for a one-timer that beat Skinner glove-side.
Edmonton tied it with 5:43 to play in the opening period as Draisaitl skated around Islanders defenseman Sebastian Aho and took an off-balance shot that beat Sorokin for his sixth goal of the season.
The Oilers then took the lead with two power-play goals coming less than two minutes apart midway through the third period.
First, McDavid sent the puck from behind the net to Hyman in the crease and he chipped home his eighth of the season and fourth in the last two games at 7:35.
Draisaitl then made a long stretch pass to McDavid whose shot hit Sorokin but then trickled into the net at 9:33, ending his eight-game goal-scoring drought.
The Islanders took a chance with 2 ¹/₂ minutes to play and pulled their goalie while on a power play, but Draisaitl intercepted a pass and sent Kane in on a short-handed breakaway to put his fourth into the empty net.