The Edmonton Oilers are on a two-game profitable streak after defeating the Nashville Predators 4-2 at Bridgestone Area on Thursday (Oct. 17).
Edmonton defenceman Brett Kulak had a pair of objectives, whereas Connor McDavid and Jeff Skinner additionally scored for the Oilers, who rallied from an early 1-0 deficit. Nashville bought one purpose every from Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault.
Goaltender Calvin Pickard made 23 saves in Edmonton’s profitable effort. Nashville netminder Juuse Saros turned apart 32 of the 35 photographs he confronted.
After opening the season with three consecutive losses, the Oilers are actually 2-3-0. Listed below are 5 takeaways from Thursday’s victory in Music Metropolis.
Kulak Has Profession Night time
Kulak opened and closed the scoring for the Oilers. He fired a shot by site visitors previous Saros to tie the sport at 1-1 late within the first interval, then put the Predators away with an empty-net purpose at 19:24 of the third interval.
Earlier than Thursday, Kulak had appeared in 502 common season video games and 76 playoff contests in his NHL profession, and by no means scored greater than as soon as in any of them.
Due to his scoring outburst, Kulak at the moment has extra objectives to date this season than McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman mixed.
Hyman Nonetheless Pointless
After scoring 56 instances in 2023-24, Hyman is with no purpose to date this season. Actually, the veteran ahead has but to gather a single level by 5 video games, his longest pointless streak since signing with the Oilers as a free agent through the 2021 offseason.
However whereas he was unable to get off the schneid on Thursday, Hyman simply performed his greatest sport of the season in Nashville. He led all gamers with 5 photographs on purpose, equalling his whole from Edmonton’s first 4 video games, and completed the night time with a plus-2 score. The winger, who is understood for scoring greasy objectives, was across the Nashville internet all night time.
If Hyman retains that up, it gained’t be lengthy earlier than he’s lighting the lamp on the common once more. His subsequent level can be No. 400 within the common season of his NHL profession.
Pickard Picks up His Play
Pickard is one other Oiler who had one thing of a return to kind on Thursday. For the primary time this fall, the 32-year-old resembled the rock-solid backup who went 12-7-1 with a 2.45 goals-against common (GAA) and .909 save share (SV%) final season.
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In his second begin and third look of 2024-25, Pickard made various good saves in opposition to the Predators and stopped all 13 photographs he confronted whereas defending Edmonton’s one-goal lead within the third interval.
Pickard has been enjoying a little bit of catch-up, after being restricted to only 42:38 of sport time through the preseason, when he suffered an undisclosed harm that saved him out of shape for a couple of days. He allowed 5 objectives on 20 photographs in a 5-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks at Rogers Place final Saturday (Oct. 12).
Shorthanded Struggles Persist
The penalty kill is one side of Edmonton’s sport that also appears to be like nothing like final season, nevertheless. It was a difficulty once more on Thursday, as Forsberg scored on the facility play halfway by the primary interval to provide the Predators a 1-0 lead. Nashville completed the night time 1-for-3 with the person benefit.
The Oilers have already allowed eight power-play objectives this season, which is twice as many as they gave up in 25 video games throughout your complete 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Edmonton’s penalty kill share of 57.9% (11-for-19) ranks second worst within the NHL, forward of solely the winless Colorado Avalanche.
Oilers Proceed Dominance of Preds
With Thursday’s triumph, the Oilers have a minimum of one level to indicate for his or her final eight visits to Bridgestone Area and are 13-2-1 total of their final 15 video games in opposition to the Predators.
This marks an unimaginable reversal for the Oilers, who had misplaced 14 straight instances to Nashville between October 2014 and October 2018 earlier than starting this present stretch of success.
The Predators are off to a tricky begin in 2024-25. With a report of 0-4-0, they’re considered one of solely three NHL groups but to style victory this season.
Edmonton was a part of that winless membership till defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 in time beyond regulation at Rogers Place on Tuesday (Oct. 15). Now the Oilers will go for a 3rd straight victory after they go to the Dallas Stars on Saturday (Oct. 19). What a distinction a couple of days could make.
