The Edmonton Oilers have been playing better hockey over the last few days and have finally gotten back over the .500 mark. Connor McDavid didn't need to score a ton of points to help his team, which shows the contribution of the club's other players.
On Thursday, the Alberta team took revenge on the poor San Jose Sharks, who surprised them on their previous visit to Northern California on November 9th. This time she got her message across quickly, scoring four goals in the first period and escaping with a 5-0 victory. With three wins in a row, head coach Kris Knoblauch's team has 31 points this season – the heart of the race for the series.
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Therefore, we can expect to see a team with sharper weapons, both physically and mentally, in the coming weeks. The checkered past, including the replacement of instructor Jay Woodcroft by Knoblauch, appears to be behind everyone. Among the athletes who performed more satisfactorily is goalkeeper Stuart Skinner, who has won 9 of his last 11 starts. If his teammates hope to make the playoffs, they need reliability in net.
“It’s always nice to get an early lead and that gives me confidence,” he told the Edmonton Sun. We threatened in the opposition's territory for five minutes and you have to give the boys credit for that. They were ready from the start and after the Christmas break things can get complicated in that regard.
So this is a great start to a three-game overseas trip, a sequence the Oilers take seriously. To improve the chances of winning, it is crucial to start games on time and avoid catch-up hockey.
“This is an important journey for us. All of these things that were going through our minds before the game were a factor in our good start. “Four goals in the first period set the tone for the rest of the game,” said defenseman Darnell Nurse.
McDavid is here
Meanwhile, McDavid continues to build his resume, even if his recent production isn't as stellar as usual. The assist he received on Thursday allowed him to extend his streak of games with at least one point to three.
In addition, number 97 ended the evening with a margin of +3, meaning his campaign record is now +4. The last year he finished with a negative result was 2019-2020, the pandemic-shortened season.
Edmonton hosts the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday and the Anaheim Ducks the next day.