The Edmonton Oilers narrowly defeated the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 25). This was a very high-event, back-and-forth affair with three separate lead changes and a lot of scoring chances. The Sabres out-chanced the Oilers 41-27 while having 15 high-danger chances to Edmonton’s 11. Edmonton got two goals from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and one from Jeff Skinner, while Buffalo got goals from Alex Tuch and Jiri Kulich. This was a sloppy defensive game from the home side at times, but they relied on their netminder, and he delivered. Here are five takeaways from this latest victory.
Stuart Skinner Was Stellar
Stuart Skinner was phenomenal, as he allowed two goals on 41 shots for a sparkling .951 save percentage (SV%). The 26-year-old netminder had back-to-back tough starts against the Vancouver Canucks and Washington Capitals, but he was able to bounce back in a big way like he has so many times throughout his career.
Related: Stuart Skinner Was Stellar as Oilers Edge Sabres 3-2
Head coach Kris Knoblauch praised the Edmonton netminder during his postgame press conference. “Multiple big saves from the slot, end of the game. When it was 2-1 them, couple breakaways that he stopped. I can go through many big saves that he made.” Edmonton allowed way too many quality chances, and if Skinner wasn’t dialed in, the Oilers likely don’t win this game. He faced 19 shots in the third period and stopped them all. He now has .902 SV% on the season after this performance. Hopefully, he can find consistency and elevate his play down the stretch.
Jeff Skinner Revenge Game
Jeff Skinner scored on his former team just 17 seconds after Buffalo opened the scoring. He found the rebound on Ty Emberson’s point shot and deposited his eighth goal of the season. The 32-year-old has been a consistent 20-goal scorer in the NHL, but Buffalo bought him out of his eight-year contract after the fifth season. He had a cap hit of $9 million, so his buyout was understandable, but Skinner still had a point to prove.
He’s had a very rocky tenure in Oil Country so far this season and hasn’t really found his role. He’s spent a few games in the press box, and when he’s in the lineup, he’s been on the fourth line the majority of the time, averaging only 12:29 minutes a game, while his career average is 16:48 per game. However, this was a big goal for him because not only was it against the team that didn’t want him anymore, but it was also a confidence booster.
Kasperi Kapanen Continues to Impress
Kasperi Kapanen has been a solid addition to this forward group and unlike Jeff Skinner, he’s found a role on this team. He’s played up and down the lineup since he was claimed off waivers on Nov. 19. When Viktor Arvidsson was injured, he was playing on the second line alongside Leon Draisaitl and Vasily Podkolzin, but he’s also spent most of his time in the bottom six. Despite moving around, his game hasn’t changed. He’s a versatile player who brings much-needed speed to the lineup.
The Finnish winger made a great play on the Oilers’ second goal. He entered the zone with speed, completed a nifty spin-o-rama around a defender, took the puck around the net, and found Nugent-Hopkins in front for a goal. Since joining the Oilers, he has five goals in 27 games while averaging 11:51 minutes a game. While those numbers don’t jump off the page, they’re respectable considering he was a mid-November waiver claim with a $1 million cap hit. He’s been a really energetic and effective depth player.
Nugent-Hopkins Steps Up
Nugent-Hopkins has found his game at the perfect time for this Oilers squad. The 31-year-old had a slow start, only registering two goals and nine points through his first 22 games. But since American Thanksgiving, he’s registered 22 points in 26 games, including 13 goals. He’s stepped up, especially in Connor McDavid’s absence, scoring three goals during the captain’s three-game suspension. He came up clutch against the Sabres, scoring the game-tying and game-winning goals. If he continues to produce, this team will be even more dangerous while also taking some pressure off McDavid and Draisaitl.
Oilers Take Pacific Division Lead
For the first time since Feb. 2020, the Oilers lead the Pacific Division. At American Thanksgiving, the Oilers were sitting in fifth place with a record of 11-9-2 for 24 points. The Vegas Golden Knights led the division with a 14-6-3 record for 31 points. Since then, Edmonton’s gone 20-6-1 and erased the Golden Knights’ seven-point lead. However, Vegas can reclaim the top spot with a win on Sunday (Jan. 26) against the Florida Panthers since the Oilers are off. There’s only one more head-to-head matchup between Edmonton and Vegas, which takes place on April 1 at T-Mobile Arena. The Golden Knights currently lead the season series 2-1-0. Edmonton is looking for its first division title since 1987, but the first since the NHL expanded the regular season to 82 games.
The Oilers are back in action Monday night (Jan. 27) when they welcome the Seattle Kraken to Rogers Place for game four of their season-long six-game homestand. McDavid will also be back in the lineup after serving his three-game suspension.
