The Edmonton Oilers moved closer to clinching a playoff berth with a 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center in San Jose on Wednesday (April 8).
Oilers centre Connor McDavid recorded his 15th career hat trick, while Vasily Podkolzin and Jack Roslovic also scored for Edmonton. San Jose got one goal apiece from Macklin Celebrini and Kiefer Sherwood. Edmonton was ahead by a score of 2-1 after 20 minutes and took a 5-2 lead into the second intermission.
Oilers netminder Connor Ingram was beaten twice on 10 shots before exiting the game with an apparent injury and being replaced by Tristan Jarry, who stopped all four shots he faced. Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic made 21 saves on 26 shots.
Edmonton moves two points ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights for first place in the Pacific Division. The Oilers now have 90 points with three games left to play, while the Golden Knights have 88 points with four contests remaining.
Monster Game From McDavid
Not only did McDavid score three times, but he also picked up two assists, as the centre factored in on all five Oilers goals.
It was a monster performance from Edmonton’s captain, who knew the importance of this game for his team, and made sure the Oilers would be leaving town with a win.
With this latest offensive outburst, McDavid now has 47 goals and 133 points for the season. He leads Tampa Bay Lightning Nikita Kucherov by six points in the race for the Art Ross Trophy.
Tremendous Defensive Effort from Oilers
Collectively, the Oilers gave one of their finest defensive efforts of the season. They held San Jose to just 14 shots, including only three in the third period when the visitors effectively kept the clock moving until there was no time left for the Sharks.
Wednesday was also the rare occasion that the Oilers physically took the game to their opponent, recording 33 hits, Edmonton’s second most this season. Oilers forwards Colton Dach and Trent Frederic delivered seven hits apiece.
Unfortunately, Edmonton’s commitment to defence and toughness may have proven costly, as forward Jason Dickinson was hurt while blocking a shot in the third period. After taking a puck off the back of his leg, the 30-year-old had to be helped off the ice and to the Oilers locker room.
Injury Concerns Mount for Oilers
Dickinson’s departure came only a few moments after the third period began with Ingram on the bench, immediately sparking concerns among Oilers fans that the starting goalie was hurt. Ingram briefly came out on the ice to stretch during a TV timeout midway through the period but then returned to the bench.
Following the game, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters that Ingram “felt some discomfort” and decided not to play the final 20 minutes.
Knoblauch didn’t have any further update on the status of either Dickinson or Ingram, but losing the services of either player would be a blow to an Oilers team that’s already dealing with injuries, most significantly to star forwards Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman.
Oilers’ Playoff Prospects Become Clearer
The good news for the Oilers is that they now have two full days off before their next game, against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday (April 11) afternoon.
Related: 4 Oilers Who Need to Carry Strong Second Half Play Into Playoffs
Edmonton needs just two points to clinch at least a wild card berth, meaning that regardless of what happens between now and Saturday, the Oilers will punch their ticket to a seventh straight postseason with a victory in L.A.
Meanwhile, the Oilers can secure top spot in the Pacific Division by winning their final three games. The Oilers have not finished atop their division standings since 1986-87.
