The Edmonton Oilers extended their franchise record win streak to 14 games on Tuesday (Jan. 23) by defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1 at Rogers Place. Warren Foegele, Dylan Holloway, Evander Kane and Connor McDavid scored for the Oilers, while Edmonton netminder Stuart Skinner stopped 27 shots. Columbus got its lone goal from forward Dmitri Voronkov.
The game was tied 1-1 early in the third period before the Oilers erupted to score three unanswered goals on Blue Jackets netminder Elvis Merzlikins. With the victory, they are now tied for the sixth-longest winning streak in NHL history. They are just three wins from equalling the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins for the all-time record.
The Oilers improve to 27-15-1 this season and remain third in the Pacific Division standings with 55 points gained from their first 43 games. While this was one of the sloppier performances by the Oilers during their streak, they still found a way to make it 14 wins in a row. Here’s how:
Supporting Cast Steps Up for Oilers Again
Foegele scored 7:30 into the first period to give the Oilers an early 1-0 lead, and Holloway’s goal with 4:24 left in the third period put Edmonton in front 4-1 and ended any hopes Columbus had of making a late rally.
That perfectly bookended a game where the Oilers got contributions from up and down the lineup, which is becoming increasingly common and is perhaps most why Edmonton has the longest winning streak of any Canadian team in NHL history.
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Over the course of Edmonton’s win streak, 11 Oilers have totalled at least seven points, including half a dozen who have 12 or more. Ten different Oilers had points on Tuesday, including defencemen Cody Ceci, Brett Kulak and Darnell Nurse.
Leon Draisaitl and McDavid have 17 and 19 points, respectively, over these last 14 games, which equates to a points-per-game rate that is significantly less than each has averaged in the last few seasons. The dynamic duo has been good, but not superhuman. They haven’t had to be.
Skinner Continues to Shine
If depth scoring isn’t the biggest reason for Edmonton’s unprecedented win streak, then Skinner’s continued sensational play is.
While the team in front of him was spinning its wheels for much of periods one and two, Edmonton’s netminder came up with some huge saves to keep the game tied, buying his teammates time until they got things rolling in the third period. Skinner has started all but three of the games during Edmonton’s win streak, and there hasn’t been a single instance where he failed to rise to the occasion. The 25-year-old has now won 11 consecutive games, breaking the Oilers’ single-season record of 10 that Hall of Fame goalie Grant Fuhr set in 1986.
Oilers Break Out in Third Period
Against anyone other than the Blue Jackets, the Oilers might not have gotten away with their sloppy play for the first 40 minutes. With only 14 wins and just 37 points so far this season, Columbus sits near the bottom of the standings and is not a team that’s going to cause the opposition trouble on most nights.
Perhaps realizing they were lucky to be on even footing, the Oilers came out for the third period with a purpose. Kane and McDavid scored goals less than a minute apart, at 4:53 and 5:48, and just like that Edmonton was ahead 3-1 and in control of the game. After being outshot 23-13 through 40 minutes, the Oilers held an 11-5 edge in shots during a third period that they dominated.
The Oilers return to action on Thursday (Jan. 25) when they host the Chicago Blackhawks at Rogers Place. This is another game they should win, considering the Blackhawks are tied for the fewest points in the NHL this season and are without the services of injured rookie sensation Connor Bedard.
By defeating Chicago, Edmonton will become only the fourth franchise in NHL history to win 15 straight games, joining the Blue Jackets, Penguins, Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders.
