RSS Oilers Team Notes

[Edmonton Oilers]

Oilers gut out massive 4-2 win over Golden Knights to kick off road trip: Recap, Reaction and Highlights

The Edmonton Oilers have picked up their second win in their last three games.

On Sunday evening, they flew to Sin City to kick-start a four-game road trip. Taking on the Vegas Golden Knights in the first game, a rematch of their second-round matchup, the Oilers defeated them 4-2 in a crucial victory. Let’s take a look at what went on in this one.

Just over three minutes into the middle frame, the Oilers got on the board. Evan Bouchard’s net-front pass was deflected on net, with Adin Hill falling to make the save. Bouchard got the puck and went around the net, passing it out front to Trent Frederic. While his initial shot was stopped, he was able to elevate it over Hill for his fourth goal of the season.

TRENT FREDERIC MAKES IT 1-0 OILERS!

– @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/LCq1aqELWP

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) March 9, 2026

With seven minutes left in the second, the Golden Knights tied it. Noah Hanifin walked the blue line and shot from the point. Unfortunately, it deflected off Darnell Nurse and past Connor Ingram to send the two Pacific Division rivals tied at one heading into the second intermission.

Noah Hanifin Ties it up at 1

– @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/Xeu3BkPvv2

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) March 9, 2026

Two and a half minutes into the third, the Oilers restored their lead. A faceoff in the Oilers’ end was won by the Golden Knights, but Vasily Podkolzin was the first one to it, splitting the defence and earning a breakaway. He made a nice little hesitation move to freeze Hill, as the puck just squeaked by the Knights’ netminder.

WHAT A PLAY FROM PODZILLA! 2-1 OILERS.

– @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/VGI0B1P9fZ

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) March 9, 2026

The Oilers received a little bit of puck luck with a little under eight minutes left in the third, as the Golden Knights couldn’t get a zone clearance because of a discarded stick. Connor McDavid picked up the turnover, passed it down low to Leon Draisaitl, and the German scored his 34th of the season. This turned out to be the game-winner, Draisaitl’s 75th as an Oiler, passing McDavid.

LEON DRAISAITL MAKES IT 3-1!

– @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/6Ymx7sBjmc

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) March 9, 2026

Despite his recent success, Evan Bouchard isn’t a perfect player. Late in the game on a power play, Bouchard passed it out to the middle of the ice to Jack Eichel, who ripped it past Ingram to bring the Golden Knights to within one. Thankfully, Kasperi Kapanen iced the game in Las Vegas (again), as he scored an empty-netter for his sixth of the season.

Takeaways…​

This was the Oilers’ best game since the Olympic break. Sure, they smashed the Los Angeles Kings 8-1 in their second game back, but that was against a demoralized team that was about to have their coach fired. From start to finish, the Oilers defended well in this game, even if they were outshot.

Trent Frederic is starting to come on. Since the Olympic break, Frederic has two goals in six games, matching his season total in his previous 55 games. It’s very 2023-24 Connor Brown-like. Additionally, he and Colton Dach have been hitting everything the last two games. Dach picked up his first point as an Oiler, an assist on Frederic’s goal.

Early in the third period, Vasily Podkolzin set a new career-high in goals, out-waiting Adin Hill for his 15th of the season. Over 64 games, Podkolzin has 15 goals and 29 points, which is on pace for 19 goals and 37 points over 82 games. He’s blossoming into a top-six forward.

Speaking of blossoming, Matthew Savoie may not have had a point for the second consecutive game, but he’s looked terrific since the Olympic break. On Sunday, he was buzzing all over the place, as he, Kasperi Kapanen, and Jason Dickinson had plenty of chances, with Savoie making a few strong defensive plays. Kapanen eventually scored an insurance goal, his sixth of the season.

The starter role so clearly belongs to Connor Ingram. He had rough outings against San Jose and Ottawa in his two most recent starts, but since the break, he’s finished with a .900-plus save percentage twice. In his 18 outings, Ingram has 10 games with a save percentage of .900 or higher, while Tristan Jarry only has one such game. He stopped 24 of 26 in this one, a .923 save percentage.

At the trade deadline, the Oilers looked to address not just their defence, but also their penalty kill with the addition of Connor Murphy and Dickinson. Well, they killed off both penalties they took in this game, and have killed off all five penalties since the trade.

It goes without saying that this was an important win for the Oilers. Not only did they gain two points on the Golden Knights, but the Anaheim Ducks were shut out by the St. Louis Blues. They now trail the Ducks by three points and the Golden Knights by two points, playing one extra game than both teams.

The Oilers’ tough schedule continues, as they fly to the Mile High City to play the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday at 8 p.m. MT.

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Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/oiler...k-off-road-trip-recap-reaction-and-highlights

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Pagnotta: Oilers discussed ‘possibility’ of moving Darnell Nurse at trade deadline

The Edmonton Oilers made two trades the week of the trade deadline, but there was another big piece to their core that general manager Stan Bowman allegedly discussed moving.

That player is Darnell Nurse, according to The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. He published a column Sunday night discussing what trades did and didn’t happen across the league.

The Oilers made his list.

“Don’t shoot the messenger, but the Edmonton Oilers discussed the possibility of moving Darnell Nurse,” wrote Pagnotta. “I can’t pinpoint how deep trade talks actually went, but that’s a name to watch this summer, NMC [no-move clause] and all.”

Nurse is in the fourth season of an eight-year, $9.25 million average annual salary, with a full no-move clause.

On the season, Nurse has scored seven goals and 20 points, and is on pace for his lowest point total since 2017-18. Nurse is also averaging his lowest ice-time per game since his third NHL season back in 2016-17 at 20:52.

His name became more popular in pre-Deadline trade speculation as the Trade Deadline drew closer. Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek openly wondered if Nurse could be asked to waive, after former GM and agent Brian Lawton tweeted that the Connor Murphy acquisition was the “calm before the storm” for Edmonton.

Nurse’s name has been on Daily Faceoff trade boards before, with the Oilers allegedly asking him to waive his no-move clause in July 2025.

With growing noise around him, some self-inflicted after short answers with the media following the loss to San Jose on February 28, Nurse commented on his struggles last week.

“It’s 61 games in, and I’m minus-12 and have 20 points. I’m not happy about that at all,” Nurse told reporters before the Senators’ game last Tuesday.

“If we’re going to reach the goal we want to reach, I have to step up for sure, and there’s a lot of hockey to be played. I think that’s the excitement and the opportunity and the accountability. I owe that to the guys in the room. That’s it. No one else.”

If the season ended today, his minus-13 would tie his career low of plus-minus, set back in 2015-16.

Against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night, Nurse played 23:14, his fifth highest ice-time of the season, registering one shot on goal, two penalty minutes, and was minus-one.

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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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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/edmon...bility-moving-darnell-nurse-at-trade-deadline

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Oilers Prospect Update: Why Colton Dach isn’t an unassuming acquisition

While the Edmonton Oilers swung two trades ahead of last Friday’s NHL trade deadline, with Connor Murphy and Jason Dickinson being the “big-name additions,” Colton Dach has seemingly slid under the radar.

Dach’s journey to the NHL wasn’t a smooth one, marked by multiple shortened WHL seasons because of the COVID-19 pandemic or injury. He played just 20 games in his draft season, scoring 11 goals and 20 points, which clearly impressed Blackhawks management enough to use the 62nd overall selection in the 2021 draft to bring him into the organization.

He had a much more complete 61-game season in his draft-plus-one season, scoring 29 goals and 79 points in 61 games, marking a significant jump from his draft season.

Dach rounded out his WHL career in 2022-23 with another shortened season due to injuries. He played in 14 games for the Kelowna Rockets, scoring nine goals and 17 points, before being traded to the Seattle Thunderbirds. He played in nine regular-season games, scoring three goals and 10 points, adding three goals and 14 points in 19 playoff games, helping the Thunderbirds win the 2023 WHL championship. They earned a berth to the Memorial Cup, where he had two goals in five games, but came up short in the final against the Quebec Remparts.

Since turning pro in 2023-24, the Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., native has progressed quickly. With this being the third pro season under his belt, Dach is almost at as many NHL (78) games played as AHL (81) games. After splitting the 2024-25 season between the AHL and NHL, Dach earned a spot out of camp with the Blackhawks this year and hasn’t seen any AHL time since.

He’s totalled five goals and 16 points in 78 games during his NHL tenure with the Blackhawks, and got his first point with the Oilers Sunday, notching an assist on Trent Frederic’s second-period goal.

And with what skills he brings to the Oilers’ bottom-six, I don’t believe Dach will see AHL games anymore unless there is a trade at forward that pushes him down the organizational depth chart. In fact, he’s the type of player who has upside to his game, and could be an interesting piece of this roster.

What Dach Adds To the Oilers​

It’s no secret that the Oilers needed to patch up the bottom-six. That’s the reason they went out and traded a first-rounder for one of the better defensive centres this season in Jason Dickinson, however Dach has been a good defensive forward this season for Chicago and when you watch him, you can see why. Colton spent a lot of time on the wing with Nick Foligno at centre and Landon Slaggert on the other wing in my viewings, but throughout the games you notice that although the young power forward doesn’t take the draws he takes on a lot of the centres’ responsibilities on the ice. In the two clips below you can see that he’s the first forward back, engaging, and helping move the puck.

Adding extra defensive support is never a bad thing and Colton Dach will bring a fair amount of it to the Oilers. I’m sure you’ve heard the term “positionless” and that comes to mind with the defensive versatility the 2021 draft pick brings, Dach will fill in to whatever defensive role when on the ice. In the next clip it’s more defensive work from the former Blackhawk.

Excellent backcheck out of Dach and then he quickly moves the puck to Foligno to get the transition started. Now mind you that is six-foot-four and 218 pounds, he isn’t going to shake off of you easily and Dach has the mobility to stick with forwards during the cycle. Since the Oilers bottom-six is bleeding goals against you needed to address it. I do think Dach can help the Oilers keep the puck out of the net at a better rate when he’s on the ice. I also think he has a skill set that can help create offence once coming over to play with not only better players, but more offensive minded players like a Jack Roslovic.

Board work and puck protection​

I watch my fair share of WHL hockey and I knew I had some notes from his draft year when Colton Dach played for the Blades. “Underwhelming board work for a player of that size and skill” was a note I wrote down during a viewing and it popped up a few more times (in different wording) during the subsequent viewings. That is not the case anymore and the Oilers’ newest winger has improved his ability to create contact, maintain possession under pressure, and continue moving his feet. In the clip below you will see how Dach creates the contact by stepping into the Washington Capitals player he then easily maintains possession and plays it back to the defenceman who has all day to set up a breakout.

I love the patience to make the play under pressure. As an NHL winger you have to be strong along the wall, being able to get the puck off the boards and into some open space for yourself or for teammates helps move play in a positive direction. In fact I found a lot of Dach’s offence came with his back to the defenders, using his full frame to buy himself some space. It’s a good profile to have for the Oilers bottom-six, they added a defensively aware winger that can lean into defenders on the cycle. In the next clip it showcases the battle level and strength Dach carries with him when he goes into these board battles.

The former Kelowna Rocket captain created the contact against Calgary Flames centre Matt Coronato and tossed him aside easily. Dach generates a decent chance coming out of the battle as well. It’s no shocker that before the trade Colton Dach was leading the Blackhawks in hits and now he comes to Edmonton to take over as the hits leader, he brings a high intensity to his game. On the next clip, Dach is able to create a turnover on the forecheck with a big hit and instantly take the puck off the wall to find an open defenceman.

It’s not a pretty play, but its a necessary one. I love Dach’s intensity and during a playoff run in Edmonton he will only feed off of the energy in the building. The final clip displaying the board work and puck protection skills of the WHL alum will also help us segue into the next talking point. However the clip below combines Dach’s protection skills and his body positioning with a sneaky bit of playmaking he brings to the game.

Playmaking ​

In my viewings, Dach is much more of a playmaking forward than a shooter and right now he does average under a shot per game. Some of that can be explained by being on a bad team that wasn’t generating much offence as is, but even in his play the Fort Saskatchewan product will look off a good shot for what he believes is a great shot. It is nothing fancy, he won’t manipulate a defender to open a lane, and he can struggle going to his secondary options, however there were some eye-popping passes made by Dach that gives some extra hope. The video below is a great example of looking off a good shot for a great one.

Excellent no-look pass by the Oilers’ newest addition and not only does it show the potential of his passing, but he maps in his head where Nick Foligno would be to accept the pass in the high slot. Especially after a turnover it shows that Dach can adapt to his new environment instantly. Remember that Dach just turned 23-years-old and has under 100 NHL games under his belt still, processing comes with experience and where he is at right now is a great point to be at. The next example of the left-shot winger’s playmaking skills resulted in a primary assist and Dach takes one pre-scan check before picking up the puck finding Nick Foligno once again.

Now it did seem like Dach and Foligno had chemistry together, but to only scan once and make that pass shows off the processing speed again. Another thought I had was that Colton Dach could potentially have some excellent peripheral vision use helping him make these types of passes, but that could be stretching it. The only issue is that you don’t see it enough, however like I brought up beforehand, playing limited minutes on a team that struggles to create offence can hide some of the puck skills a player has. The other primary assist in my viewings of Dach came off a shot from the point that got tipped in as you will see.

Being the responsible-minded forward that he is, Dach was covering the point for an engaging defenceman and he shows off solid shooting mechanics. In his first game with the Oilers, Dach played under ten minutes with 9:32 played. That continued a streak of four straight games of not getting over ten minutes a night. I don’t expect his playmaking skills to pop out at somebody if he continues to get this amount of playing, however if he can consistently get around 12 to 14 minutes a night I think it will start to pop out more. Trying him with Trent Frederic down the lineup makes sense as they are both big bodies and Frederic is more of a shooter plus he has scored over 15 goals twice in his career. Maybe that connection can give you some much needed run support.

The addition of Colton Dach is one that adds some youth, size, and defensive awareness to a Oilers bottom-six that needs to stop bleeding goals if there is any chance at winning a Stanley Cup. The versatile winger is an RFA at the end of this year and being under team control with not much to show for in his box-score stats, Dach could potentially sign a cheaper contract next year and set himself to exceed that deal. The skating mechanics are about average and you want the foot speed to pick up a little bit, but I don’t see it as a major issue. Dach has the frame and mobility to be an everyday bottom-of-the-lineup player and what helps him stand out is the defensive awareness mixed with the potential of growth in his playmaking game. I believe the former second-rounder is a safe bet to stay in the lineup and if he can take another step forward maybe he can be a cheap and effective third-liner Edmonton has been thirsting for.

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/edmon...hy-colton-dach-isnt-an-unassuming-acquisition

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

GDB 65.0: How will the Oilers handle the top team in the NHL? (8 PM MT, SN)

The Colorado Avalanche have been the best team in the NHL all season. They lead the NHL with a record of 43-10-9 and sit seven points ahead of second-place Dallas with a game in hand. And they got better at the trade deadline, acquiring centers Nazem Kadri and Nicolas Roy and defenseman Brett Kulak.

They are 8-2 in their last 10 games, are riding a five-game winning streak, and they embarrassed the Oilers 9-1 in Edmonton in their first meeting of the season.

The Oilers should be highly motivated to gain some revenge after that 9-1 spanking in November. The Oilers played a sound defensive game in Vegas on Sunday, their first in weeks, and they will need to manage the puck efficiently, limit turnovers in the neutral zone and high in the offensive zone, and defend with their sticks and feet in the defensive zone. You can’t play slow and expect to compete with Colorado.

Colorado leads the NHL with 3.79 goals/game, and they’ve allowed the fewest goals against at 2.42. The Oilers can match them offensively, sitting second at 3.55 GF/GP, but they aren’t close when it comes to defending and goaltending, ranking 27th at 3.36 GA/GP.

Colorado has scored 4+ goals in 33 of their 62 games, but they’ve only allowed 4+ goals 16 times. Meanwhile, the Oilers have tallied 4+ goals in 28 games, but they’ve allowed 4+ goals 30 times. If anyone suggests the Oilers need to score more, please revoke their analyst card. Offence is not the problem in Edmonton. Limiting goals has always been the bigger issue in the past decade. Edmonton has had stretches where they are a really strong defensive team, but eventually they falter.

The Avalanche rank second in five-on-five high dangers chances off the rush, but they are first in mid% and all other types combined. They are also first in the established O-zone offence. They possess the puck very well. The only weak part of their offence is their power play, which ranks 31st at 15.8 per cent. And it isn’t due to bad luck. They simply don’t generate many good looks, ranking 27th in high danger expected goals. You wonder how dominant they would be if their powerplay had a pulse, considering they’ve had the fifth most PP opportunities at 203.

Edmonton has the most dominant power play in the NHL, and they are on pace to break their record of 32.4 per cent, which they set in 2023. The Oilers’ power play is 32.8 per cent with 57 goals on 174 opportunities. Colorado has 32 goals on 203 chances. While the Avalanche struggles on the man advantage, they are very good on the penalty kill, where they rank third at 83.1 per cent. The Oilers’ PK was 10th best in the NHL through 53 games, but a horrific five-game stretch where they allowed nine goals on 14 kills saw them plummet down the rankings. They now sit 24th at 77.4 per cent. The Oilers have been shorthanded 177 times, while Colorado has been down a man 178 times. Edmonton has allowed 10 more goals.

Statistically, the Avalanche are the most difficult matchup the Oilers will face this season. Colorado added Kadri, Roy and Kulak while the Oilers added Connor Murphy, Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach. The Oilers filled some glaring weaknesses, while the Avalanche simply got deeper.

The Oilers won both games in Colorado last season, outscoring the Avalanche 4-3 and 4-1, and they outshot them 28-25 and 32-28. They can win in Colorado, but the Oilers must avoid defensive lapses if they want to win consecutive games for the first time since January 29th.

SNAPSHOTS…​

— I’m a firm believer that the Oilers are a better team the more minutes Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl run their own lines. When you play them together, they are on the ice for fewer combined minutes, thus lowering the stress level of the opposition. I understand if they play the odd shift together coming out of a penalty kill, or in the final 10 minutes of a game when the team is trailing, but outside of those situations, Kris Knoblauch should avoid the temptation to play them together.

What is interesting is that he has actually played them less time together this season than last year. Here is a comparison from last season to this season at five-on-five.

Last season, in the 62 games they dressed together, they played 406 minutes at five-on-five, while in 61 games this season, they’ve logged 314 minutes together. The issue this season is that they are scoring fewer goals than last year while allowing more goals against. It is a bad combination. The good news is that while playing apart this year, they are scoring at higher rates than they did last season, so it would be wise to keep them apart. It allows the Oilers to have one of their superstars on the ice more often at five-on-five. And if you noticed, the lowest GA/60 this year is when neither is on the ice. However, when they are off the ice, the opposition isn’t playing their best players, so in theory, the GA/60 should be lower.

— Since the Olympic break, the Oilers’ depth players have played much better. With McDavid and Draisaitl off the ice, Edmonton has outscored opponents 6-5 in 127 minutes. In 173 with one or both of McDrai on the ice, the Oilers are 13-13 at five-on-five. The bottom two lines have been much more engaged out of the break, which should allow Knoblauch to play them a few minutes more, but also keep McDavid and Draisaitl separate.

— McDavid is on an 18-game road point streak. The only players in the last 40 years with a longer road streak include: Wayne Gretzky (29 GP in 1986-87), Pat LaFontaine (22 GP in 1989-90), Gretzky (22 GP in 1985-86), Mario Lemieux (21 GP in 1989-90) and Patrick Kane (19 GP in 2018-19).

— McDavid notched his 794th assist in his 776th game in Vegas on Sunday and passed Guy Lafleur (1,126 GP) for 37th all-time. McDavid needs four assists to pass Jari Kurri, and with six assists, McDavid will be the 36th player to reach 800 career apples. McDavid also tallied the 217th multi-assist game of his career in Vegas, and in doing so, he passed Mr. Hockey (Gordie Howe) for the 14th most all-time. Wild.

— Leon Draisaitl has 12 points in his last five games, and he scored his 433rd goal in Vegas and moved past former Oiler, Vincent Damphousse, for 82nd place on the all-time goal scoring list. He also moved ahead of McDavid for first place on the Oilers’ all-time list for game-winning goals with 75. He and McDavid will be battling for that record for the foreseeable future.

— The playoff race in the Western Conference becomes more intense by the day. Los Angeles won last night to move within one point of eighth-place Seattle.

Seven teams are separated by seven points as they battle for five playoff spots. The Oilers are three back of first-place Anaheim, but also only four points out of 10th place. I don’t have them in the photo, but the Winnipeg Jets are slowly creeping back into the race. They are five points behind Seattle, and while their odds are lower, I wouldn’t count out the Jets just yet.

— Here’s a look at the March schedule for the seven teams. All seven are in action tonight.

The games in BOLD are against a team currently in the playoffs, or just outside looking in, like San Jose and LA. And the teams have a lot of games against playoff opponents this month.

Edmonton plays eight of their 11 v. those teams, while Utah has eight of their 10, San Jose plays seven of 11, Vegas and Seattle play six of 11, while Anaheim and LA play five of 11 games versus teams in the race.

LINEUPS…​

Oilers…

RNH – McDavid – Hyman
Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Roslovic
Savoie – Dickinson – Kapanen
Dach – Samanski – Frederic

Ekholm – Bouchard
Walman – Murphy
Nurse – Emberson

Ingram

Edmonton will go with the same lineup as Sunday in Vegas. Adam Henrique is still out after blocking a shot. Mattias Ekholm was battling an illness on Sunday and played just over 14 minutes. He is expected to play more tonight. I’d like to see the fourth line get around 9-10 minutes. Because none of them kill penalties or are on the power play, it is difficult to play them more. The Oilers average the second most five-on-five minutes/game as a team at 49:54. You can’t expect the fourth line to play 12 minutes at five-on-five, because that means the first and second lines are playing 13 each, while the third line plays 12. That is unrealistic, but if the fourth line is going, like they have been recently, getting them 9-10 minutes is plausible.

Avalanche…

Necas – MacKinnon – Kadri
Colton – Nelson – Nichushkin
Kelly – Roy – Brindley
Bardakov – Drury – Kiviranta

Toews – Makar
Manson – Burns
Kulak – Malinski

Blackwood

Gabriel Landeskog will miss his second straight game, while Artturi Lehkonen will sit out his third in a row. MacKenzie Blackwood allowed four goals in 11 shots last Friday against Dallas before getting pulled. It was the first time this season he didn’t finish a game he started. Blackwood had a very strong .924Sv% and 2.07 GAA in his first 14 starts up until New Year’s Eve. Then he missed a few weeks, and since returning on January 16th, he’s made 11 starts and has posted an .892Sv% and 2.75 GAA. He hasn’t been as sharp since returning.

TONIGHT…​

Photoshop by Tom Kostiuk

GAME DAY PREDICTION: The Avs and Oilers rank first and second in 20-22 mph bursts as a team. They play up to their speed tonight in an exciting game that the Avs win 4-3.

OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: McDavid extends his road streak to 19 games.

NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: Trent Frederic scores in back-to-back games for the first time as an Oiler.

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ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365​

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-game-preview-colorado-avalanche-handle-top-team-nhl

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

MacKinnon ejected, many hurt as Oilers halt Avalanche in 4-3 win: Recap, Reaction and Highlights

Tuesday night’s affair between the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche was a much-anticipated one.

After all, the last time these two teams met, the Avalanche laid a 9-1 drubbing on the Oilers in Edmonton that was salt in the wound for a team that had been as shaky as ever to start the season. And while much time has passed since that Nov. 8 game — some of which came in the form of fresh faces on both sides — it still served as a measuring-stick game for the Oilers.

To be fair, though, it may have been a similar kind of game for the Avalanche, because the game, which saw the Oilers walk out with a 4-3 victory, had all the feel of an early June playoff game, not just any mid-March game.

The feisty affair, which saw Oilers winger Trent Frederic drop Avalanche centre Nic Roy in a first-period scrap, escalated with 35 seconds left in the second period when Nathan MacKinnon rolled a 10-pin strike, bowling over Connor Ingram. It would wind up with Ingram leaking from his forehead like a WWE wrestler who just bladed himself, while a lengthy review would end the Avalanche superstars’ night early, taking a five-minute major penalty in the process.

Nathan MacKinnon steamrolls Connor Ingram, who gets shaken up with a cut on the top of his head

Fortunately, Ingram got up on his own, ugly scene.

: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/PNIkGAPAn0

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) March 11, 2026

The Oilers had already built themselves a steady lead at the time. While Ross Colton opened the scoring for the Avalanche 32 seconds into the game, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would score on the power play just over eight minutes into the first frame.

We're not even a minute in, and the Oilers are already trailing against the Avs.

: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/PDr8N2v2nI

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) March 11, 2026

RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS GOES BAR DOWN!

: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/WTV8BlbfYZ

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) March 11, 2026

The two teams would trade another pair of goals later in the first period. Martin Necas would score after a rebound popped out to him with just over four minutes left in the period. Jack Roslovic, however, would get one back with 25 seconds left in the first, after Leon Draisaitl found him alone in front of the net, saucing a beautiful backhand no-look pass only he could make.

Ingram saves the initial shot, but the puck rebounds to Necas, who puts it away, 2-1 Avalanche.

: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/NP2smHTnk2

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) March 11, 2026

DRAISAITL FINDS ROSLOVIC ALL ALONE IN FRONT, AND HE BURIES IT, 2-2 GAME HEADING INTO SECOND!

: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/4OkcsBchmo

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) March 11, 2026

Four minutes into the second, Nugent-Hopkins would score his second of the game after planting himself in front of the Avalanche net.

NUGENT-HOPKINS WITH HIS SECOND!

And the Edmonton Oilers lead 3-2 against the Avalanche!

: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/hND3vYAQeS

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) March 11, 2026

That’s what brought the score to 3-2 in favour of Edmonton when they got their power play from MacKinnon’s major, which had been limited to just under four minutes thanks to a Connor Murphy penalty the Oilers were already killing off.

Edmonton wasn’t able to capitalize early in the third period, but they were standing tall with a powerhouse Avalanche team. They would punch back, however, as Valeri Nichushkin would deflect home a Sam Malinski shot-pass from the point, that would go upstairs on Tristan Jarry.

Connor McDavid, already sitting on an assist in the game setting up Nugent-Hopkins’ first of the game, would get in the goal column himself to regain Edmonton’s lead nine minutes into the third. It was a beautiful give-and-go between him and Draisaitl, as McDavid would get right in front of the net to go upstairs on Mackenzie Blackwood, scoring what would be the game-winner.

Valeri Nichushkin ties the game, 3-3.

: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/xMHh6Ik0D0

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) March 11, 2026

The Edmonton Oilers are moving the puck BEAUTIFULLY on the power play with Connor McDavid finishing a give-and-go with Draisaitl.

: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/1GBelDyOvg

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) March 11, 2026

Edmonton now sits 2-0 on their key four-game road trip this week, having beaten the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 on Sunday night. The Oilers now head to Dallas to visit the Stars Thursday night, before closing it Friday with a visit to the St. Louis Blues.

News and notes…​

• MacKinnon and Ingram weren’t the only players who would leave the game. Oilers forward Colton Dach left the game in the first period after an awkward hit on Avs defenceman Josh Manson. Defenceman Ty Emberson would leave the game in the first period, too, after laying a pair of hits in the first period and taking one in the same frame.
• Ingram had the Oilers in a good spot by the time he left the game, but Jarry was nothing short of spectacular. He was forced into an awkward spot without much time left in the second, and had to make a couple of quick saves early on. He would stop 11 of 12 shots for a .917 save percentage on the night.
• The Oilers’ big guns were on for this game. While Nuge had a pair of goals on a pair of shots, Draisaitl ended the night with two assists and six shots, McDavid had a goal, an assist and five shots, while Evan Bouchard had two assists and four shots. This was the kind of game they needed to step up in, and they did in a big way.
• For those wondering what led to Frederic’s fight, one has to wonder if it was in part due to Nic Roy cross-checking Frederic in the face during last year’s playoffs.

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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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ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365​

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/natha...-colorado-avalanche-recap-reaction-highlights

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Top 100 Oilers: No. 45 — Tommy Salo

Oilersnation is reviving the Top 100 Edmonton Oilers of All Time list, a project originally created by the late Robin Brownlee in 2015. Tommy Salo comes in at No. 45 on our updated 2025 list. He was ranked No. 59 on Brownlee’s original list.

Everybody has their favourite players growing up.

Sometimes it’s because the player endears themselves to you, or sometimes, it’s because your late Aunt Jackie gets you a McFarland-era Tommy Salo when you were a kid. I’m sure you can guess which is which for this scribe.

Nevertheless, Salo had one of the biggest rises in rankings from Brownlee’s version to our 2025 version, flying up from No. 59 to No. 45. And for those six years he spent in Edmonton, he became a household name.

Notable​

Salo arrived in Edmonton in March 1999 in a deal with the New York Islanders, where the Oilers sent back Mats Lindgren and an eighth-round pick that year. The Oilers had an aging goaltending duo for much of the year between 34-year-old Bob Essensa and 33-year-old Mikhail Shtalenkov, who had spent much of the year fighting the puck.

Salo would step up in a big way for the Oilers, as in his 13 regular-season games played, he helped shut the door, posting a 8-2-2 record, allowing Edmonton to surge in the standings in a bad Northwest Division to make the playoffs with a losing 33-37-12 record. They met the Dallas Stars in the first round, getting swept in four one-goal games. Over each of the next three seasons, Salo would establish himself in Edmonton in a big way, earning Vezina votes in three straight seasons, averaging a .910 save percentage and a 2.34 goals-against average.

HOCKEY CARD SCREENSHOT (LEAVE FOR EDITOR)

The Story​

The story of Salo isn’t so much what he did in Edmonton as a stellar netminder on some mediocre teams, but his career has been mired by a notable flub in the 2002 Olympics. Oops…

Drafted by the Islanders in the fifth round of the 1993 draft, it took time for him to hit the NHL. He earned the IHL championships with New York’s affiliate Grizzlies, winning in Denver in 1994-95 and then in Utah in 1995-96. He broke onto the scene in the NHL on a full-time basis in 1996-97, and never looked back.

He was solid down the stretch run of the 2001-02 season after the Olympics, posting a .929 save percentage and a 9-5-1 record, but his numbers fell off in 2002-03, and in March 2004, the Oilers traded him alongside a sixth-round pick to the Colorado Avalanche for defenceman Tom Gilbert.

Salo played just five games for the Avalanche before returning to play in the Swedish Elite League for three seasons.

What Brownlee said​

When talks turns to Oiler goaltenders, Salo is seldom mentioned among the best who’ve played here. That, in large part, is because the team never won anything during his tenure. The Oilers made the playoffs with Salo between the pipes four straight seasons, but came up second best to the Dallas Stars in every one of them. Salo never won a series.

Salo never had great teams in front of him, but he never did manage to nudge the teams he did have past a superior opponent the way Curtis Joseph and Dwayne Roloson did when the post-season came. He was very good in the 1999 playoffs but the Oilers scored just seven goals in four games. More of the same in 2001 as the Oilers lost in six games, scoring just 13 goals.

Post-season futility against Dallas aside, you’ll find Salo among franchise regular season leaders in games played (third at 334), wins (third at 147), save percentage (third at .906), goals-against average (first at 2.44) and shutouts (first at 23). Not championship stuff, but an impressive resume when you take everything into account.

The Last 10​

• No. 55 — Fernando Pisani
• No. 54 — Jeff Beukeboom
• No. 53 — Martin Gelinas
• No. 52 — Blair MacDonald
• No. 51 — Ethan Moreau
• No. 50 — Stuart Skinner
• No. 49 — Janne Niinimaa
• No. 48 — Jason Arnott
• No. 47 — Oscar Klefbom
• No. 46 — Craig Muni

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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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ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365​

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/top-100-edmonton-oilers-2025-no-45-tommy-salo

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Better Lait Than Never: Oilers start the road trip with two big wins, but lost three key pieces

It’s been another wild week around here with the Oilers rollercoaster making another loop, and I’ve got a fresh episode of Better Lait Than Never ready to recap it all. On today’s podcast, I talked about the Oilers‘ trades at the deadline, the first few games for our new friends, a tough luck run of injuries, and much more.

I kicked off this week’s episode with a look at the Oilers’ games since the NHL Trade Deadline. Now that our new friends have had three games each under their belts (kinda), I wanted to offer my first take on how they’ve done so far. Spoiler: I’ve been impressed. Of course, it can’t all be good news around here, can it? Last night in Colorado, the Oilers picked up a win in a very intense game, but lost a trio of players in the process. Why can’t we have nice things? Even with the men down, I’d be lying if I said the Kool-Aid wasn’t going down a little smoother after beating both Vegas and Colorado.

Finally, I wrapped up this week’s episode of BLTN with a guest Righteous Sack Beating from Dooks before closing out the podcast with another round of voicemails. The voicemail was quieter this week, but I still had a good time with everyone’s takes landing all over the place. The voicemail is the best way to wrap up the show and give everyone a chance to share their thoughts. Another hearty thank you to everyone who contributed to this week’s episode. Having all of you in the mix makes the show so much better.

Want to leave a voicemail for next week’s show? Do it here!

Subscribe to Better Lait Than Never for FREE on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts from! Better Lait Than Never is proudly presented by Sports Interaction, and Trilogy Oilfield Rentals. Without them, this podcast would not be possible.

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/bette...p-with-two-big-wins-but-lost-three-key-pieces

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

GDB 66.0: Oilers battle the surging Stars (6 PM MT, SN1)

The Dallas Stars haven’t lost a regulation game since Jan. 22. They are 12-0-1 in their last 13 games, and their only loss came in the shootout against Colorado last Friday. Five players have averaged a point per game or more during this 13-game stretch, led by Matt Duchene (19 points), Jason Robertson (16), Wyatt Johnston and Miro Heiskanen (14) and Jamie Benn (13).

Mikko Rantanen has missed seven games, and Roope Hintz has missed six, yet the Stars continue to win and will look to sweep the season series tonight.

Dallas won 4-3 in a shootout in early November and then blew out the Oilers 8-3 later that month in Edmonton, but the Oilers skate into Dallas on a two-game winning streak and will look to continue their improved defensive play. The Oilers didn’t dominate in Colorado on Tuesday, but they limited the high-danger chances, and when they struggled to get the puck out, they got in shooting lanes and blocked 23 shots en route to a massive 4-3 victory.

Before this road trip, the Oilers had allowed 56 goals in their previous 12 games and gave up scoring chances easier than the Washington Wizards gave up points to Bam Adebayo. It is a meagre two games, but the Oilers needed a starting point on the road to defensive improvement, and it began in Vegas, continued in Colorado and now they need to bring that game to Dallas.

Connor Murphy had another strong defensive game in Colorado. He will give up shots against, but he didn’t give up many quality chances. Darnell Nurse had one of his best defensive games of the season in Colorado. Evan Bouchard outdueled Cale Makar, outscoring him 2-0 and finished +2 to Makar’s -1. Jake Walman had a few rough giveaways, but he blocked seven shots and didn’t allow the errors to end up as goals against. The Oilers played five defenceman for much of the game as Ty Emberson left the game after playing eight shifts and a total of 5:35 ice time.

The Oilers bent but didn’t break in Colorado, and they will need a similarly strong defensive effort tonight in Dallas. The Stars are rolling, and since the start of the 2023-24 season, they are 6-1-1 against the Oilers in the regular season. Edmonton, however, has eliminated the Stars the past two playoffs with a record of 8-3. The Stars would love to sweep the Oilers, while Edmonton is looking for a much better effort after the ugly 8-3 loss in November.

These teams likely can’t meet until the third round, and there is no guarantee they will, but teams always try to send messages late in the season. A victory would reaffirm the Oilers belief that they can beat Dallas when it matters, and equally important it would keep them within striking distance of Anaheim for first place in the Pacific Division. The Ducks are playing well, and they dominated in Winnipeg on Tuesday, defeating them 4-1 and outshooting them 35-13. The Jets were at home and desperate for a win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive and the Ducks absolutely dominated them.

The Oilers likely need a lengthy winning streak to catch or pass the Ducks. Edmonton has won three games in a row only once this season. St. Louis is the only other Western Conference team with a single winning streak, but they won four in a row.

[td width="51px"]

TEAM​

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[td width="158px"]

Streaks​

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[td width="51px"]

ANA​

[/td]​

[td width="158px"]

7, 3, 7, 5​

[/td]​

[td width="51px"]

CGY​

[/td]​

[td width="158px"]

3, 3, 3​

[/td]​

[td width="51px"]

CHI​

[/td]​

[td width="158px"]

3, 4​

[/td]​

[td width="51px"]

COL​

[/td]​

[td width="158px"]

3, 10, 10, 5​

[/td]​

[td width="51px"]

DAL​

[/td]​

[td width="158px"]

3, 3, 5, 4, 4, 3, 10​

[/td]​

[td width="51px"]

EDM​

[/td]​

[td width="158px"]

3​

[/td]​

[td width="51px"]

LAK​

[/td]​

[td width="158px"]

4, 3​

[/td]​

[td width="51px"]

MIN​

[/td]​

[td width="158px"]

7, 7, 6​

[/td]​

[td width="51px"]

NSH​

[/td]​

[td width="158px"]

3, 3​

[/td]​

[td width="51px"]

SJS​

[/td]​

[td width="158px"]

4, 3, 3, 3, 3​

[/td]​

[td width="51px"]

SEA​

[/td]​

[td width="158px"]

4, 4, 4​

[/td]​

[td width="51px"]

STL​

[/td]​

[td width="158px"]

4​

[/td]​

[td width="51px"]

UTA​

[/td]​

[td width="158px"]

7, 3, 5, 3​

[/td]​

[td width="51px"]

VAN​

[/td]​

[td width="158px"]

3, 4​

[/td]​

[td width="51px"]

VGK​

[/td]​

[td width="158px"]

4, 4, 7, 3​

[/td]​

[td width="51px"]

WPG​

[/td]​

[td width="158px"]

5, 3, 4, 3​

[/td]​

It isn’t too late to go on a run for the Oilers and to do it in Vegas, Colorado and Dallas would be impressive.

Winning comes from consistency, and for two games the Oilers have shown they can play consistently sound defensively, but they need to do it for more than two games in a row. Defeating the two best teams in the NHL in a span of 48 hours would show the league the Oilers are a team to respect. The Oilers believe they are a top team, but they haven’t shown it often enough this season.

Tonight they can.

SNAPSHOTS…​

— McDavid extended his road point streak to 19 games. The only players in the last 40 years with a longer road streak include: Wayne Gretzky (29 GP in 1986-87), Pat LaFontaine (22 GP in 1989-90), Gretzky (22 GP in 1985-86) and Mario Lemieux (21 GP in 1989-90). The Oilers play in Dallas tonight, St. Louis tomorrow night, they are in Utah on March 24 and Vegas on the 26th. He could extend his streak to 23 games this month.

— Leon Draisaitl played his 852nd game as an Oiler in Colorado to pass Mark Messier for fourth on the Oilers’ all-time GP list. Their production through 851 games was very similar.

Draisaitl: 433-615-1,048.

Messier: 392-642-1,034.

The main difference was Messier had 1,124 PIMs to Draisaitl’s 364. Both were elite for the Oilers, and it illustrates just how dominant Draisaitl has been so far in his career. Without question he is trending to be one of the top 20 players of all time.

— Zach Hyman will play his 700th NHL game tonight.

His first full five seasons (and 16 games in 2016) came with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He tallied 86-99-185 in 345 games.

In his fifth season with the Oilers, he had produced 171-131-302 in 354 games.

He is one of the best free agent signings in NHL history in the salary-cap era behind Zdeno Chara and Marian Hossa.

— Jack Roslovic scored his 17th goal of the season in Colorado. Roslovic is a pending UFA, and I suspect the Oilers will wait to see how he performs in the playoffs. Roslovic’s splits last year and this year are very similar.

2025: October to December he scored 17-8-25 in 37 games. 2025: January to April he scored 5-9-14 in 44 games.

2026: October to December he scored 12-8-20 in 28 games. 2026: January to present he has scored 5-2-7 in 24 games.

Roslovic has 3-14-17 in 45 career playoff games. He signed in Edmonton because he wanted an opportunity to produce in the playoffs. He needs to ramp up his production and intensity down the stretch and hope that carries into the playoffs. He has the skill to be a difference maker. I could see the Oilers waiting until after the playoffs to decide on what type of extension (term and AAV) to offer him.

— Evan Bouchard is having a great season. After a slow October, he’s been killing it. Bouchard has already tied his career high in goals with 18 and needs eight points to set a new high in points. He leads NHL defenders with 75 points and is seven ahead of second-place Zach Werenski. Since Nov. 1 Bouchard has 68 points in 53 games (1.28 PTS/GP) and he is +26 for those who claim he’s weak defensively. He isn’t. Bouchard has emerged as an elite defender in the NHL, and he’s been the best D-man in the playoffs the past few seasons, but this is his best run of games in the regular season. Bouchard has emerged as a legitimate Norris Trophy candidate, along with Zach Werenski, Lane Hutson, Darren Raddysh, Moritz Seider, Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar. Bouchard has a very strong case to be one of the three finalists, especially if he continues his play down the stretch.

LINEUPS…​

Oilers…​

RNH – McDavid – Hyman
Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Roslovic
Savoie – Dickinson – Kapanen
Henrique – Samanski – Frederic

Ekholm – Bouchard
Nurse – Murphy
Walman – Stastney
Jarry
Adam Henrique returns to the lineup as does Spencer Stastney as Colton Dach and Ty Emberson are out after getting banged up in Colorado. Both were sent back to Edmonton for further evaluation and won’t play tomorrow in St. Louis. Tristan Jarry starts and Connor Ingram will back him up and could play tomorrow in St. Louis, although Kris Knoblauch did open the door to the possibility Jarry could play both. “He should feel good about how he played. He played really well in that situation. We definitely need him right away. Once or if not twice going into this back-to-back,” Knoblauch said after Jarry’s solid relief appearance in Denver.
I’ve felt since he was acquired that eventually Connor Murphy would play with Darnell Nurse and we will see that tonight.

Stars…​

Robertson – Johnston – Bourque
Steel – Duchene – Benn
Bunting – Hryckowian – Erne
Bäck – Hyry – Blackwell
Lindell – Heiskanen
Harley – Lundkvist
Bichsel – Myers
Oettinger
Rantanen, Hintz and Radek Faksa won’t dress. Tyler Seguin is on LTIR and won’t play the rest of this season, including playoffs. The Stars’ bottom six is much weaker due to those four out of the lineup, and while the Stars have been on a heater, they are vulnerable. Their blueline is very good and big, and the Oilers will need to attack with speed and attack them laterally to create space in the offensive zone.

TONIGHT…​

Photoshop by Tom Kostiuk

GAME DAY PREDICTION: The Oilers end the Stars’ point streak and pick up a 4-2 victory.

OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: McDavid extends his road point streak to 20 games.

NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: Connor Murphy picks up his first assist as an Oiler.

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ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365​

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/gdb-66-0-edmonton-oilers-battle-surging-dallas-stars-preview