In the 2020s, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid have been mainstays atop the NHL scoring race.
McDavid has the most points this decade with 738 since January 1st, 2020, while Draisaitl is second with 656 followed by Nathan MacKinnon (643), Nikita Kucherov (571, as he missed the 56-game, 2021 season) and David Pastrnak (569). There have been 36 instances of a player scoring 100 points in the past six seasons, and those four account for 16 of them, with Draisaitl and McDavid each having five while Kucherov and MacKinnon did it three times.
Those five have dominated the scoring race this decade, but they have some new competition as budding superstar, Macklin Celebrini, is pushing his way into the conversation.
Celebrini is having an outstanding season. If the season ended today, he’d likely win the Hart Trophy as most valuable player. He sits fourth in league scoring with 78 points in 51 games, trailing Kucherov (80), MacKinnon (88) and McDavid (92) and just ahead of Draisaitl (74). The Sharks’ second and third leading scorers, Will Smith (36) and Tyler Toffoli (35), have fewer combined points (71) than Celebrini. He’s the main reason the Sharks woke up this morning in the second wildcard spot with 57 points. They are tied with Los Angeles and Seattle, but are technically in eighth spot due to having more regulation wins than L.A. and have played one fewer game than Seattle.
The Sharks are in the race mainly due to Celebrini’s heroics. He’s led them to victory in multiple games where he was the driving force. Celebrini has produced 22 multi-point games, and the Sharks are 19-2-1 when he scores two points. They are 8-19-2 when he scores one point or fewer. That’s a lot of responsibility for a 19-year-old, but Celebrini has not only handled that pressure, but he’s excelled in it. He’s producing at an elite-level pace, and he’s very good defensively. His five-on-five GF-GA is 49-35, and when he’s not on the ice the Sharks have been outscored 81-50.
Slow down Celebrini, and the Oilers will win. It is that simple right now. The Oilers have the luxury of having two veteran superstars, and even if Celebrini can break even with one of McDavid or Draisaitl, then his teammates have to shut down the other — a tall task. I like what the Sharks are building, but they are quite a few pieces away before I see them becoming a playoff team. It makes sense that San Jose is talking with the Rangers about acquiring Artemi Panarin. Celebrini could use a high-powered running mate. Smith is good, but he’s not there just yet.
This has been a great 51-game stretch, but they need more offensive punch and they need to build a stronger blueline. I believe the Anaheim Ducks have more high-end pieces than the Sharks, and that’s why they might make the playoffs first, but both organizations have spoke to the Rangers about Panarin. If one of them gets him, that will have a big impact in which one of those teams can become the team to challenge Vegas and Edmonton in the Pacific Division.
The Sharks are fun to watch. They’ve started to produce more goals lately, mainly due to Celebrini, but they also give up a lot of goals. The Oilers should be able to create significant scoring chances tonight, but they have to respect the Sharks who are the 10th highest scoring team in the NHL since December 1st scoring 3.44 goals/game. Their problem is they’ve allowed 3.68 goals/game, which is third most. They are playing high-event hockey, and it is working as they are 15-10 since December 1st.
They are fun to watch, especially Celebrini, and they are a more dangerous team than the one the Oilers have dominated the past few seasons. Edmonton has won six in a row and 14 of their last 15 games against San Jose. They’ve outscored the 67-26. Last year they won by scores of 3-0, 4-2, 3-2 and 3-2. It was closer, but still Edmonton controlled the games, and tonight’s game is more important than any head-to-head matchup between these two teams in years. The Sharks are in a playoff spot, and a victory would put them three points back of the Oilers.
Edmonton is a better team, but Celebrini’s emergence as a superstar makes San Jose a team they must respect. McDavid and Draisaitl respect Celebrini’s game, especially his defensive acumen, but tonight is a chance for them to remind him and the NHL that they are still the top dogs.
SNAPSHOTS…
— For the 10th time this season, the Oilers will try to win three games in a row. They are 0-7-2 in their first nine tries.
— Here’s an updated look at all 32 NHL teams and how many 3+ game winning streaks they’ve had. The chart below outlines the streaks beginning with the most recent, and the * means it is an active streak.
TEAM
3+ GWS
TEAM
3+ GWS
ANA
7, 3, 7
BOS
6, 4, 7, 3
CGY
3, 3, 3
BUF
4*,3, 10
CHI
4, 3
CAR
3, 4, 5, 4, 5
COL
10, 10, 3
CBJ
4, 3, 4
DAL
4, 4, 4, 5, 3, 3
DET
3, 4, 3, 3, 3, 5
EDM
0 (10: 2GW)
FLA
3, 4, 3, 3
LAK
3*, 4
MTL
3, 3, 3, 4
MIN
7, 7
NJD
3, 3, 8
NSH
3, 3
NYI
3, 3, 4, 4
SJS
3, 3, 3, 4
NYR
3, 3, 3
SEA
4, 4
OTT
4, 3
STL
0 (5: 2GW)
PHI
3, 3
UTA
5*, 3, 7
PIT
4, 6, 4
VAN
4, 3
TBL
3, 11, 7, 5
VGK
7, 4, 4
TOR
4, 3, 3
WPG
4, 3, 5
WSH
6, 3, 4
Edmonton and St. Louis have yet to win three in a row, while every other team has at least two win streaks of 3+ games. Edmonton and San Jose enter tonight each on a two-game winning streak.
— This is the most games played in a season without at least one three-game winning streak in Oilers franchise history. Just to give you some reference, here’s a look at each season and how many games played before they won three consecutive games.
[td]YEAR[/td][td]G# [/td][td]YEAR[/td][td]G# [/td][td]1980[/td][td]52[/td][td]2003[/td][td]24[/td][td]1981[/td][td]38[/td][td]2004[/td][td]18[/td][td]1982[/td][td]9[/td][td]2006[/td][td]3[/td][td]1983[/td][td]20[/td][td]2007[/td][td]8[/td][td]1984[/td][td]3[/td][td]2008[/td][td]28[/td][td]1985[/td][td]4[/td][td]2009[/td][td]3[/td][td]1986[/td][td]3[/td][td]2010[/td][td]9[/td][td]1987[/td][td]11[/td][td]2011[/td][td]25[/td][td]1988[/td][td]6[/td][td]2012[/td][td]9[/td][td]1989[/td][td]17[/td][td]2013[/td][td]34[/td][td]1990[/td][td]23[/td][td]2014[/td][td]24[/td][td]1991[/td][td]18[/td][td]2015[/td][td]8[/td][td]1992[/td][td]55[/td][td]2016[/td][td]7[/td][td]1993[/td][td]13[/td][td]2017[/td][td]6[/td][td]1994[/td][td]34[/td][td]2018[/td][td]35[/td][td]1995[/td][td]13[/td][td]2019[/td][td]5[/td][td]1996[/td][td]30[/td][td]2020[/td][td]3[/td][td]1997[/td][td]3[/td][td]2021[/td][td]12[/td][td]1998[/td][td]45[/td][td]2022[/td][td]3[/td][td]1999[/td][td]10[/td][td]2023[/td][td]8[/td][td]2000[/td][td]55[/td][td]2024[/td][td]15[/td][td]2001[/td][td]6[/td][td]2025[/td][td]17[/td][td]2002[/td][td]4[/td][td]2026[/td][td]??[/td]
If they win tonight, they will tie the 1992 and 2000 teams for taking the most games played to manufacture a three-game winning streak. Those teams didn’t have the luxury of overtime or a shootout to earn a victory. In the OT/SO era, the most games it took was 35 in 2018, and 12 times they needed only single-digit games played to do it. It is wild that they are this deep in the season and still looking for a three-game win streak.
— San Jose has been impressive in one-goal games, going 15-4-3, while the Oilers have only won nine of 24 games, going 9-7-8.
— Both teams have been pretty strong when leading after 40 minutes. San Jose is 19-0-1 while Edmonton is 21-0-4.
— San Jose has only outshot an opponent 15 times in 51 games, while Edmonton has outshot their opponent in 35 of 52 games.
— Leon Draisaitl had some very complementary words for rookie Josh Samanski.
LINEUPS…
Oilers…
RNH – McDavid – Hyman
Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Kapanen
Savoie – Samanski – Roslovic
Janmark – Lazar – Frederic
Ekholm – Bouchard
Nurse – Walman
Stastney – Emberson
Ingram
Mattias Ekholm is a game-time decision, but he did skate this morning. Yesterday, Alec Regula skated in his spot with Evan Bouchard, which shows they think Ekholm has a decent chance to play, otherwise they would’ve had Bouchard practice with a D-man who would play with him. Regula is not that guy. We will find out in warmup if Ekholm will play.
Connor Ingram gets the start, and he’s looking for a bounce-back game after getting pulled vs. Washington. Ingram wasn’t at fault for the third goal, as the replay showed it deflected in off Spencer Stastney, but he will look for an effort to remove any doubt that he isn’t reliable.
Sharks
Graf – Celebrini – Smith
Regenda – Wennberg – Toffoli
Eklund – Misa – Gaudette
Goodrow – Ostapchuk – Reaves
Orlov – Klingberg
Ferraro – Liljegren
Dickinson – Desharnais
Askarov
San Jose will go with the same lineup that defeated Vancouver 5-2 on Tuesday. The Sharks are 7-3 in their last 10 games and 8-7-2 v. the Pacific Division while the Oilers are 7-2-3. Hulking St. Albert product Zack Ostapchuk will get to play in front of family and friends tonight. It is always a thrill for players to play in their home NHL city and the Sharks’ fourth line likes to mix it up.
TONIGHT…
Photoshop by Tom Kostiuk
GAME DAY PREDICTION: Plan the parade, the Oilers win three in a row for the first time this season. The first part is hyperbole, but they finally win three in a row with a 6-3 victory.
OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: McDavid produces his 18th multi-point game in his last 29 games.
NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: An Oiler scores a hat trick for the third consecutive game, but this time it is a forward. Zach Hyman does it.
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The Edmonton Oilers have finally done it!
On Thursday evening, the Oilers hosted the San Jose Sharks for the sixth game on their eight-game home stand. Coming into the game, the Oilers had nine previous attempts to win three straight games, failing each time. This time was different, though, as they overcame a 3-0 deficit in a 4-3 overtime victory. Let’s take a look at what happened in this one!
It took just 26 seconds for the Sharks to open the scoring. In their defensive zone, the Oilers failed to clear it twice, with the second turnover leading to two Sharks down low with only one Oiler defender. Will Smith quickly passed it to Colin Graf, who was wide open. So too was the net, giving the Sharks a 1-0 lead.
First shot, first goal for the San Jose Sharks.
: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/gyMO6L9RMV
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) January 30, 2026
Less than a minute later, the Sharks extended their lead to two. Ty Emberson failed to get a puck deep, instead turning it over at the red line. At the same time, Jake Walman was changing, leading to Adam Gaudette getting a breakaway. A quick backhander over Connor Ingram’s pad put the Oilers in a hole early.
Well, this is an abysmal start for the Oilers.
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) January 30, 2026
The Oilers stopped the bleeding for a bit, but midway through the first period, the Sharks made it 3-0. Ingram stopped the initial shot on the two-on-one, but the puck took an unfortunate bounce off Evan Bouchard and into the back of the net.
The Oilers continue to show that winning three straight is a near-impossible feat.
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) January 30, 2026
There was no scoring to end the first period, in fact, there was no scoring until early in the third period. Bouchard’s blast from the point was stopped, but the puck squeaked behind Yaroslav Askarov, and Leon Draisaitl was able to tap it in to get the Oilers on the board.
AND THE OILERS ARE BACK IN THE MIX!
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) January 30, 2026
The Oilers pulled the goaltender with about four minutes left in the game down two goals. After nearly a minute of zone time, Connor McDavid received a pass in the faceoff dot and zipped it past Askarov to cut the Sharks’ lead to one.
ALL OF A SUDDEN THE OILERS HAVE LIFE!
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) January 30, 2026
Just like on Saturday, the Oilers scored the game-tying goal in the final minute of the game. At the point, Bouchard got the puck, loaded up, and ripped it past Askarov to send the game to overtime. It was similar to a game last season when the Oilers scored a late goal against the Sharks.
ROGERS PLACE IS AN ELECTRIC FACTORY!
EVAN BOUCHARD SENDS THIS ONE TO OVERTIME!!
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) January 30, 2026
Finally, the Oilers managed to win three straight games, as Zach Hyman scored on a one-timer after a fortunate bounce off a Shark in front of the net. What a game.
THE EDMONTON OILERS HAVE WON THREE IN A ROW!
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) January 30, 2026
Takeaways…
It took 10 attempts, but the Oilers have finally won three consecutive games. For a while there, it didn’t look like they’d overcome an early deficit, but they scored twice with their goaltender pulled and managed to get it done in overtime.
That said, the Oilers have to start games better. Last Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils, the Oilers had a horrendous first two periods before waking up in the third. Unfortunately, they ran out of time and also ran into Jake Allen, who has dominated them over the past five games. They were able to pull out the win in this one, but it was far from a complete game.
Evan Bouchard continued his strong play, as he scored the game-tying goal and picked up two assists. Leon Draisaitl had the same stat line, while Connor McDavid scored his 34th of the season and picked up an assist. Zach Hyman potted his 22nd goal of the season, giving him 22 goals in his past 30 games.
I’ve gone on about the Oilers fourth line quite a bit in recent post-game articles, and unsurprisingly, they had another good game. Mattias Janmark, Curtis Lazar, and Trent Frederic had 89.9 percent of the expected goal share in the 6:13 minutes of five-on-five action. They also had four scoring chances while giving up none.
Frederic in particular, had a strong game. He’s been skating a lot better recently and been making plays. It takes a while to recover from a high ankle sprain, but if he can play like he has in the past, that’ll be big for the Oilers’ bottom-six.
Down in the game for all but about two minutes, the Oilers put their line in a blender, with eight different combinations of lines playing two or more minutes during five-on-five play. The line with Matt Savoie and Jack Roslovic struggled once again, it’s time to break that line up.
Connor Ingram had a rough 90 or so seconds to start the game, but after those two goals, he had a solid game. It’s Ingram’s second consecutive game with a save percentage below .900.
It looks like the Oilers will finish the night in first place in the Pacific Division, depending on the result of the Vegas Golden Knights game against the Dallas Stars. The Oilers are back in action on Saturday at 8:00 PM MT, as they host the Minnesota Wild for the seventh game of their eight-game home stand.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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Oilersnation is reviving the Top 100 Edmonton Oilers of All Time list, a project originally created by the late Robin Brownlee in 2015. Ethan Moreau comes in at No. 51 on our updated 2025 list. He was ranked No. 54 on Brownlee’s original list.
Wayne Gretzky is known as the greatest player ever, bringing four Stanley Cups to Edmonton. In the summer of 1988, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in what is known as “The Trade”. The final player to play for the Edmonton Oilers in the ensuing trade tree is Ethan Moreau.
Notable
Born in the Central Ontario city of Huntsville, Moreau played his junior hockey with the Ontario Hockey League’s Niagara Falls Thunder (now the Erie Otters) from 1991-92 until he was traded to the Sudbury Wolves in 1994-95. With the 14th overall pick in the 1994 draft, the Chicago Blackhawks selected the winger 14th overall.
Moreau’s first professional season was mainly spent in the International Hockey League, but he made his National Hockey League debut that season, playing eight games. Moreau spent parts of the next three seasons as a regular for the Blackhawks, until he was traded alongside Christian Laflamme, Chad Kilger, and Daniel Cleary to the Oilers in exchange for Boris Mironov, Dean McAmmond, and Jonas Elofsson.
The bulk of Moreau’s career was spent with the Oilers, playing with the team from 1998-99 until the 2009-10 season. Looking to buyout the final year of his contract, the Oilers placed Moreau on waivers at the end of the 2009-10 season, where he was claimed by the Columbus Blue Jackets. In his only season there, he scored a goal and six points in 37 games.
Moreau’s final season was spent with the Los Angeles Kings in 2011-12. Over 28 games, he scored a goal and four points in 28 games, as the Kings became the first team in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup from the eighth seed. Moreau didn’t play a postseason game for the Kings, nor does he have his name engraved on the Cup, but he did receive a ring, a nice little send off.
The story
Moreau was a productive bottom-six player for the Oilers. In his first full season with the team, he scored a then-career-high 17 goals, adding 10 assists in the 73 games. He matched his career-high of 31 points in 2002-03, then scored a career-best 20 goals and 32 points in 2003-04, both were his career-highs.
After the 2004-05 lockout, Moreau helped the 2005-06 Oilers reach the Stanley Cup in a depth scoring role. During the regular season, he scored 11 goals and 27 points in 74 games, then added two goals and three points in 21 playoff games, as the Oilers were the first eighth-seeded team to reach the Stanley Cup Finals.
Moreau missed all but seven games of the 2006-07 season, then in 2007-08, was named the 12th Oilers captain since they joined the NHL. Unfortunately, he played just 25 games that season, scoring five goals and nine points. The winger’s penultimate season saw him score 14 goals and 26 points in 77 games, tied for the fourth-best goal scoring season of his career. That season, Moreau won the league’s King Clancy Memorial Trophy.
In Moreau’s final season as an Oiler, he scored nine goals and 18 points in 76 games, before the final two seasons were spent elsewhere.
An Edmonton Journal feature from March 21st, 2004, highlights comparisons between Ethan Moreau and Mark Messier, namely their gap-toothed smile.
What Brownlee said
The Last 10
Squaring up with the Minnesota Wild has never been an easy task for the Edmonton Oilers.
Such was the case on Saturday night, as they erased a 2-1 deficit to beat the Oilers 7-3, now improving to 10-4 at Rogers Place since it opened a decade ago.
Despite Edmonton’s solid start to the game, building their lead just eight minutes into the game, it dissolved before their eyes as the Wild scored three times in the second period, chasing Tristan Jarry from the crease as he allowed five goals on 20 shots.
After the game, his frustration with the team’s performance was on full display.
“I think the chances that we’re giving up, some of the shots, they’re tough,” he said. “I think it’s a lot of grade A’s, a lot of breakdowns.
“I think it’s tough to really think about your game at this point. I think it’s a whole team game.”
Jarry said he felt the Oilers were “just on the wrong side of it.”
“I think that everyone knows when we play the game that we want… that’s the game that we want to put on the ice, and I think that’ll put us on the better side of things, more so than not,” he added. “But I think to be on that side, we just have to tighten up and we have to eliminate some of the chances.”
Now 10 games into his tenure with the Oilers, things haven’t been smooth sailing for him. A winning 6-3-1 record aside — something lots of netminders have put up in Edmonton in recent years — his save percentage has fallen to .873 and his goals against average has risen to 3.59.
Connor Ingram, who replaced Jarry, didn’t fare much better Saturday, allowing two goals against on nine shots.
The Oilers aren’t a team that has a true No. 1. In fact, it’s safe to say it’s been since Cam Talbot that was the case, especially by Knoblauch’s standards, signifying a goaltender who plays 70 per cent or more of the games.
An an inability to have “the guy” between the pipes has left Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch searching for a save.
“We could get another save,” he said after Saturday’s game. “I think we need to give up… fewer chances because I think we do a pretty good job of spending a lot of time in the offensive zone, and the amount of chances we give up isn’t that many.
“The quality of the chances is something that has to be addressed. It has to get better. Like more perimeter shots, less breakaways or two on ones, odd man rushes, those kind of things where that is leading to goals.”
The Oilers have just two games left between now and the Olympic break, closing up their homestand with a visit from the Toronto Maple Leafs Tuesday, and a quick trip to visit the Calgary Flames Wednesday.
Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s managing editor, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the Daily Faceoff DFS Hockey Report. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at [email protected].
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If there was any doubt about whether Connor McDavid loves the city of Edmonton and wants to win a Stanley Cup with the Oilers, then read the man’s words for yourself.
Connor McDavid penned a Player’s Tribune article published on Monday titled ‘Dear Canada’ that talks about his tenure in Edmonton, the upcoming Olympics, and his deep love of the game.
The piece sees McDavid reflect on his passion in a way that’s been rare in his career, revealing a side of himself fans don’t often get to see in a standard interview.
He said just days after losing in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2024, at his bachelor party no less, he came to this realization:
“I don’t want to play golf. I don’t want to sit by the pool. I don’t want to be in the Bahamas. I don’t need a break, or a fresh start. I just want to be in Edmonton, playing hockey. I want to get back there again, whatever it takes. If that sounds like a robot, then I guess I’m a robot. But I see it differently,” said McDavid.
The article continues, addressing the question of whether he thinks about his legacy.
“I’m 11 years into my career. Of course, I think about my legacy. I want to be remembered as a winner. But not just anywhere. Here. To be in this city during a Cup run, to feel that buzz … it just wouldn’t be the same somewhere else,” said McDavid.
“I think there’s this narrative that we’re this unlucky, troubled team. The end result hasn’t been there, but it’s not easy getting to two straight Cup Finals. We really pride ourselves on being good playoff performers, and our room knows what we’re capable of. I believe in this group. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have signed my extension.”
Overcoming scars
While a Stanley Cup is months away, there’s a chance for McDavid to be the centrepiece of a fourth Canadian Olympic gold medal since NHL players have participated in the tournament.
He got a taste of this swelling national pride again last February at the 4-Nations Face-Off and is burning to, “win something again.”
“When I pulled on my jersey for the final against the U.S., I remembered that it had been eight years since that World Championship gold medal in Moscow. That was the last time I celebrated winning something. Eight years. And so that game against the U.S. in Boston last year … it meant so many different things to me,” said McDavid, who scored the tournament-winning goal during a spectacular overtime.
“When you’ve played in a Game 7 of a Cup Final, you know what tension is. I won’t say that our game against the U.S. was quite there, but it was about as intense as I’ve ever seen a locker room. I don’t think people quite understand how much that tournament meant to us, the players.”
May 29, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly and Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) pose with the trophy after winning the Western Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
McDavid also talks about his childhood, fighting off a perception that he was always this ‘hockey robot.” In fact, he uses the word robot four times.
But in his words, that perception is part of the reason he wrote the article.
“There’s a part of me that feels like I shouldn’t relax until we win, or that I shouldn’t write stuff like this until then. But I think it’s important to not be afraid of the scars we have and how close we came. I think it’s important, as a captain, to be a human, and not just a hockey robot,” he said.
“I wish more than anything those finals went another way. It sucks. There’s no other way to put it. It breaks my heart. But the only option you have is to use it as fuel for the fire, and show up the next day to the rink determined to get better.”
Oilers fans were anxious before this season began, awaiting news whether McDavid would re-sign in Edmonton, or play through the season without an extension. That was quickly forgotten, as he took significantly less money than he could’ve gotten as a free agent – the same $12.5 million he’s been making for eight years – to help build a Stanley Cup champion.
McDavid wants to win.
‘Such an honor’
With that in mind, these Olympics are an opportunity for McDavid to apply everything he’s learned to represent Canada, to join the ranks of golden greatness that he remembers in 2010 and 2014 (and a bit of 2002).
The tension with the United States, on and off-the-ice, creates the backdrop for tremendous drama in Milan-Cortina, as Canada unites to reclaim gold.
“I don’t think it will really hit me until I get over there. I was on the U17s the first time I wore a Canada jersey, and I’ve dreamt of this moment ever since. Pulling on that sweater, being in a room with the different generations of great players — Sid and Nate and Celebrini and all those guys. It’s such an honor, really,” he says.
“I think best-on-best, country-against-country, that’s where hockey becomes something else. It reminds us of the shovels and the snow, the rollerblades and the roadrash.
“I can’t wait to get in that room. I can’t wait to play more hockey.”
Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and has been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, he also collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues.
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Coming off an embarrassing 7-3 loss, the Edmonton Oilers were once again beaten by a team on the second half of a back-to-back.
On Tuesday evening, the Oilers hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs in the penultimate game before the Olympic break, with the Oilers dropping this one 5-2. Let’s take a look at what happened in this one.
After a scoreless first period, the Leafs found twine first. Seven minutes into the second period, the Oilers made a line change at the wrong time once again, leading to a two-on-one for the Leafs. Connor Ingram stopped the two initial shots, but the puck was passed to the point, and Jake McCabe’s shot was deflected into the back of the net by Matias Maccelli.
"Neither team able to buy one."
*leafs proceed to score instantly*
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) February 4, 2026
Midway through the second period, the Oilers managed to tie the game. Jack Roslovic was helped on an offensive zone faceoff by Josh Samanski, passing the puck back to Jake Walman. The Oilers’ defenceman ripped one past Anthony Stolarz to tie the game up at one.
Jake Walman with his fifth of the year.
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) February 4, 2026
That tie game lasted for nine seconds. Off the faceoff, the Leafs dumped it in, then Ingram turned it over. A cutting Matthew Knies was able to sneak into the slot with speed, beating the sprawling netminder to give the Leafs a 2-1 lead.
Seven seconds later, the Leafs re-take the lead.
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) February 4, 2026
Moving to the third period, the Oilers tied the game four and half minutes into the final frame. Podkolzin made a nice pass behind his back to Kasperi Kapanen, with the Finnish winger driving into the middle of the slot. He was able to beat Stolarz with a nice shot for his fourth of the season.
Kapanen sends the Leafs' defence to the shops and fires the puck past Stolarz.
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) February 4, 2026
Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. Matthew Savoie took an interference penalty, then Mattias Janmark took a high sticking penalty shortly after, setting up a long five-on-three for the Leafs. They didn’t even need the one minute and 54 seconds, as John Taveres scored the Leafs’ third goal with just over 12 minutes left, the Maccelli scored 31 seconds after that.
A pair of goals in quick succession from the Maple Leafs, and they now lead 4-2.
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) February 4, 2026
A potential future Oiler, Bobby McMann, iced it with an empty netter with about two and a half minutes left in the game.
Takeaways…
The turning point of this game was the back-to-back penalties to give the Leafs a long five-on-three. After scoring the game tying goal, the Oilers had all the momentum until that Matthew Savoie interference penalty. There was a possibility of killing that, but Mattias Janmark’s high-sticking penalty six seconds later was the nail in the coffin. Way too much time for the league’s fourth-best power play.
Connor Ingram stopped 22 of 26 shots for an .846 save percentage, but made quite a handful of big saves, especially in the second period. The difference was Anthony Stolarz, as the former (albeit brief) Oiler stopped 34 of 36 saves for a .944 percentage.
In recent times, Bobby McMann has been linked to the Oilers, and he iced the game. Likewise, Andrew Mangiapane, who drew into the lineup for Curtis Lazar, has been linked to the Leafs in the past, and he had a solid game. In the first, he got into a handful of scrums and had a solid scoring chance. Who knows what lies ahead for the forward.
There was a fight in this game. In the second period, Brandon Carlo hit Connor McDavid hard. The following shift, Darnell Nurse dropped the mitts with his fellow #25. Trent Frederic was on the ice when McDavid was hit, but he attempted to go after Jake McCabe instead.
Other positives include a goal from Kasperi Kapanen, with Vasily Podkolzin getting the primary assist. Moreover, Josh Samanski picked up his second NHL point ahead of the upcoming Olympics. McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were held off the scoresheet.
The Oilers have just one more game before the Olympic break, as they head down Highway 2 to face their bitter provincial rivals, the Calgary Flames. That game has a 8 PM MT start time, let’s hope they head into the break with a win.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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The Edmonton Oilers’ inconsistent regular-season play continued again last night in a 5-2 loss to Toronto.
The Oilers had stretches where they controlled the game and generated many quality looks, however, the lack of focus at key points in the game cost them again. Toronto scored nine seconds after Edmonton tied the game, and then the Maple Leafs scored two power play goals in 31 seconds to turn a 2-2 game into a 4-2 game — game over, and another disappointing home loss.
Edmonton just wrapped up a stretch where they played 13 of 17 games on home ice between December 31st and February 3rd. Travel and fatigue weren’t a factor, in fact, the Oilers faced many teams playing their third games in four nights and the second half of back-to-back games, and they couldn’t take advantage of them. The Oilers compiled a disappointing 5-7-1 record in those 13 home games. They aren’t playing close to their potential, and the only reason they are in the race for home ice in the Pacific Division is that Vegas is equally inept lately.
Anaheim is one point back of Edmonton, and the Ducks have a game in hand. Seattle is three points back with two games in hand. LA is four points back with three games in hand. Edmonton is playing like it is comfortably in a playoff position, but they are fooling themselves if they believe that. They had a solid 25 game stretch where all facets were working, but other than that the team has been wildly inconsistent.
The Oilers are 26th in GA/GP at 3.28.
In October and November (26) GP they allowed 93 goals in 26 games for an ugly 3.58 GA/GP.
Then from December 1st to January 21st, they allowed 64 goals in 25 games for a solid 2.56 GA/GP, which was tied for third best.
But they’ve reverted to being porous defensively again allowing 30 goals in their last six games.
The 25-game stretch is the outlier thus far. It shows what they are capable of, if they commit to playing smart hockey, but it hasn’t lasted.
The PK had actually been pretty good, until recently.
October and November it was 18th at 80.6 per cent allowing 14 goals on 72 kills.
From December 1st to January 21st, it was 11th at 80.6 per cent allowing 13 goals on 67.
But in their last six games they’ve allowed eight goals in 18 kills for 55 per cent.
The PK was 11th best through the first 51 games, but it’s been so brutal for the past six it has now dropped to 24th on the season at 77.7 per cent.
Offensively, the Oilers have been pretty consistent.
In October and November, they ranked 12th at 3.12 GF/GP with 81 goals in 26 games.
The next 25 games they were fifth at 3.60 GF/GP with 90 goals.
The past six games they are 6th averaging 4.00 GF/GP with 24.
On the season they rank 4th at 3.42 goals/game.
The powerplay is good, although it is in a rare funk right now.
In October and November, it was 30.2 per cent with 19 goals on 63 chances.
In the next 25 games it was even better at 34.6 per cent scoring 27 goals on 78 opportunities.
In the last six games it is only 14.3 per cent with two goals on 14 chances. The PP is the one facet of the game I’m not concerned with.
On the season the PP is first in the NHL at 31 per cent.
It would be interesting to note why the penalty kill suddenly collapsed. It was 80.6 per cent in the first 26 games and 80.6 per cent in the next 25 — can’t get much more consistent than that, but the past six games it has crashed.
Here’s a look at player usage. Here’s the forwards in the first 51 games.
If someone asks why McDavid is on the PK , show them the above photo. Also, those 51 games show why Kris Knoblauch kept playing Mattias Janmark, despite the fact he’s does nothing offensively at 5×5.
And here’s the defenceman usage.
Bouchard and Ekholm were the clear first unit. Nurse did have the lowest GA/60 rate of the top four PKers at 6.41, but did he spend as much time out against top units? Either way, the PK was solid.
Now, let’s look at the last six games. Brace yourself: It has been U-G-L-Y. They’ve allowed eight goals on 18 kills. None of the D-men have been immune to goals against.
All of them have seen their GA/60 skyrocket. The one thing I have noticed is that the minutes between all six D-men have been more equal during this small sample size. Maybe they need to go back to deploying Bouchard and Ekholm more?
Now let’s look at the forwards.
McDavid was on for only two goals against in 53 minutes in the first 51 games, but he’s been on for two in the 8:40 during these six games. Matt Savoie was on for nine goals in 82 minutes in the first 51 games, but he’s been on for three in 5:52 recently. All the forwards have seen an increase in their goals against, except Curtis Lazar who saw his drop slightly, though it’s still not at a good rate.
The Oilers didn’t suddenly change their PK, but for six games it has been lit up.
Pittsburgh (third best PP in league when they faced EDM) went 0-for-2 and the Oilers scored shorthanded.
Washington (25th at the time) went 1-for-5.
Anaheim (26th) went 3-for-4. And they were without three of their top forwards. Mikael Granlund scored three PP goals. Two of them came on clearing attempts by Bouchard and Nurse they’d like back. No major system breakdown.
San Jose (16th) went 0-for-2.
Minnesota (6th) went 2-for-3. The first one was a great stretch pass by Quinn Hughes to spring Joel Eriksson-Ek for a breakaway. Ekholm and Bouchard got their signals crossed, but that is not a play I’ve seen Edmonton exploited on all season on the penalty kill. The second goal, Oilers lost the faceoff, then Hughes took a point shot, Eriksson-Ek slid the rebound to the right side of the net and Kirill Kaprizov had an empty net. No system changes or glaring error by a player.
Toronto (24th) went 2-for-2. The first was a 5-on-3 and for the first 50 seconds, Bouchard, Ekholm and RNH didn’t give up any great looks. Then the Leafs got the puck back to Nylander at the left circle and he made a pass cross seam down low. Ekholm got a slight piece of it, and it then went right to Tavares who was just outside the far post to redirect it home. On the same PP, the Leafs’ second unit scored. McDavid got caught with his stick not covering the slot pass and Domi went from high on the left side down low to the right side and Maccelli finished with a good one-timer. It was a nice goal — when you are on the PP when you see a passing lane, you have to hit it, and Domi did.
It was really three bad games for the PK, allowing seven goals on nine chances, that has seen them slip from 11th on the PK on January 21st down to 24th. It can change quickly when you are that bad. The Oilers need to stop the bleeding on the PK, and not let this funk continue.
Calgary is the 30th ranked power play in the NHL. It would be inexcusable for them to light you up.
SNAPSHOTS…
— Mattias Janmark has seven goals in his last 192 games with the Oilers (the past three seasons). One of them was on an empty net. He has seven goals in 44 playoff games. His playoff performance is good, but his regular season production has become woeful. He isn’t generating anything, and when that is happening, he can’t take the penalty he took last night. He looks like he is protecting his shoulder. He had a shoulder injury to start the season, and watch how he engages in battles. He is more upright than normal, which makes me wonder if he’s protecting his shoulder from contact. I get the coach likes him on the PK, and for the first 51 games he was a contributor, but with the PK struggling and him bringing no offence, a night in the pressbox is a consideration.
LINEUPS…
Oilers…
RNH – McDavid – Hyman
Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Kapanen
Savoie – Samanski – Roslovic
Janmark/Lazar – Frederic– Mangiapane
Ekholm – Bouchard
Nurse – Walman
Stastney – Emberson
Jarry
We likely will see Curtis Lazar back in the lineup tonight, but Andrew Mangiapane should stay in. Mangiapane was the most engaged Oilers player in the first period. On the Maple Leafs’ first goal he was in the offensive zone, stopped at the circle to make a play and John Tavares knocked the puck off his stick which led to William Nylander going the other way on a tw0-on-one. He didn’t score, but later in the sequence Toronto did score as Matias Maccelli deflected home a point shot. I don’t think the play by Mangiapane was that egregious to lead to Mangiapane not getting another shift the rest of the second period. He did play in the third, but Mangiapane had played quite well, and his mistake wasn’t a glaring giveaway up the middle or even a bad turnover trying to be fancy in the offensive zone.
You can’t expect players to contribute if they are scared to make a play, and if it doesn’t work, they will be benched. Clearly, Knoblauch isn’t a fan of Mangiapane, but I felt the coach overreacted on that play. He doesn’t hold the rest of the team to such drastic measures. I realize Mangiapane played a lot of games where he did very little, but as a coach you have to start each game as a new slate, or at least try to, and I felt in that moment Knoblauch overreacted. It is too bad, because the fourth line had been quite effective up until that point, at least in terms of creating positive momentum and having the puck in the offensive zone.
Flames…
Sharangovich – Backlund – Coronoto
Zary – Kadri – Farabee
Huberdeau – Frost – Gridin
Lomberg – Pospisil – Klapka
Bahl – Whitecloud
Kuznetsov – Weegar
Hanley – Parekh
Cooley
The Flames have only allowed 21, 25, 23 and 21 shots in their last four games against Toronto, San Jose, Minnesota and Anaheim, but they’ve only won one game and their goalies allowed 12 goals on 90 shots (.866 save percentage). Dustin Wolf has posted a .900 save percentage or better in 19 of his 40 starts this season. Last year he was +.900 in 29 of 53 starts. Wolf hasn’t been as consistent as he was last year, while backup Devin Cooley has posted better numbers. Wolf has an .896 save percentage and 3.00 GAA, while in 15 starts Cooley has a .921 save percentage and 2.22 GAA. Cooley has posted a +.900 save percentage in 12 of his 15 starts and nine of those starts have come against playoff teams. Edmonton getting Cooley tonight is not necessarily a benefit, based on how they two have played. I’m a bit surprised Calgary hasn’t played Cooley more.
TONIGHT…
Photoshop by Tom Kostiuk
GAME DAY PREDICTION: Oilers are good on the road and that continues tonight was a 4-2 win.
OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: Calgary scores a PP goal.
NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: Josh Samanski scores his first NHL goal.
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The Edmonton Oilers have a penalty kill crisis on their hands. After killing off just 54 percent of their penalties over the last eight games, they rank 27th in the NHL in PK efficiency.
Edmonton has been missing one of its best penalty killers this season in Adam Henrique, and cold streaks are bound to happen at some point during a season. Unfortunately for the Oilers, the issues run deeper than that, and the cracks were showing long before this recent mess.
Their penalty kill has declined for back-to-back seasons, and what remains is a far cry from the unit that boasted a 94 percent success rate in the 2024 playoffs. So, what happened? Let’s take a look.
System and personnel changes
For years, the Oilers ran what’s known as a wedge +1 penalty kill. The system is designed to counter a 1-3-1 power play and protect the middle of the ice: two defencemen and one forward form a triangle in the slot, while the “+1” forward applies pressure to the puck carrier, typically moving downhill. The goal is to deny passes to the middle and force the power play to the outside. This diagram from The Coaches Site provides a helpful visual of how the setup works:
The wedge +1 can be complicated to execute because it requires the two forwards to coordinate their movement and rotate positions based on who has a better chance of getting to the puck carrier. The low forward is responsible for taking away backdoor plays, so if the forwards don’t rotate cleanly, it can cause breakdowns.
If done successfully, however, it is a fantastic system for dealing with the popular 1-3-1 power play setup. The triangle protects well against plays to the slot and low cross-seam passes, and the +1 forward forces flankers into making decisions under pressure.
In 2023-24, the Oilers executed this system well. They ranked 15th in PK percentage, but 5th in expected goals against per hour. In the playoffs, the goalies started holding up their end of the bargain, and Edmonton had one of the greatest penalty kill runs in Stanley Cup Playoff history.
The key for the Oilers was speed and pressure. Forwards like Ryan McLeod, Connor Brown, Warren Foegele, Mattias Janmark, and Connor McDavid all had the quickness to pressure as the +1 forward to take away time and space, and rotate quickly when needed. The defence used their length and shot blocking ability to protect the net front, and the unit developed great chemistry.
In the summer of 2024, the Oilers suffered significant personnel losses, disrupting the PK. Foegele, McLeod, Desharnais, and Cody Ceci were all traded or signed elsewhere in free agency, leaving Edmonton without some of their best penalty killers.
While personnel regressed, the Wedge +1 system remained in place for 2024-25. The Oilers fell to 16th in penalty kill percentage and 14th in expected goals against per hour. In the playoffs, they killed off just 67 percent of their penalties, which cost them dearly against the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final.
While the wedge +1 protected the netfront reasonably well, the coaching staff felt the Oilers were starting to give up too many east-west passes — looks that gave their goaltenders fits. Edmonton finished in the top half of playoff teams in expected goals against per hour, but the results didn’t match the process, as the goalies struggled to keep the puck out of the net. In response, the staff opted to adjust the structure to support them better going forward.
That brings us to this season. Penalty kill coach Mark Stuart ditched the wedge +1, introducing a 2-2 box structure. While box and diamond penalty kill formations have their advantages over the wedge +1, they do not protect as well against set plays to the bumper that 1-3-1 power plays run.
Take this New York Islanders goal, for example. The Oilers’ structure is passive, allowing the Islanders to circle relatively unchallenged until they find a set play with a low-to-high spin pass. The bumper man is all alone in the middle of the box.
Even a simple one-touch pass from the flank to the slot can be dangerous without anyone protecting the middle of the ice.
So how bad are some of these new problems? The heat maps below from HockeyViz help illustrate the results, showing Edmonton’s penalty kill shot locations over the past three seasons. Orange areas indicate where the Oilers have allowed more shots, while purple highlights areas where they’ve prevented them.
The visual is startling. Not only are the Oilers still allowing shots from the same areas near the faceoff dots, but now they’re also conceding the prime real estate in front of the net that the old system used to suppress.
Edmonton currently ranks 27th in the NHL in expected goals against per hour on the penalty kill, and it’s been trending down fast. When the Oilers let some of their top penalty kill personnel go in 2024, they still had an effective enough system to get by, but by radically overhauling their tactics this season, they’ve created a host of new problems.
The Oilers will have three weeks off as the NHL goes on pause during the Olympics, creating an opportunity for the coaching staff to reflect on their team’s play and how they can improve
“Coaches have a long time to, you know, look at [and] really evaluate what we want to do,” said Kris Knoblauch earlier this week. “We’ve got a little mini training camp when we come back, where we’ve got about a week to focus on what we need to get better at or any changes we need to make.”
While coaches never make sweeping changes to a penalty kill mid-season, there’s no doubt they will be looking for ways to tweak or improve it during the break, whether through deployment, new wrinkles to their tactics, or both. If Mark Stuart remains behind the bench coming out of the Olympic break, he has his work cut out for him.
All stats via Advanced Hockey Stats and NHL.com unless stated otherwise.
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