Surging Edmonton Oilers win 16th in a row to move within one of NHL record
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each had a goal and two assists and the Edmonton Oilers won their 16th straight game and came within one of tying the NHL record by beating the Nashville Predators 4-1 on Saturday.
Edmonton will try to match the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins record when they return from the All-Star break to play Vegas on Feb. 6. The Oilers tied the 2016-17 Columbus Blue Jackets for the second-longest streak.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman also scored and Stuart Skinner made 28 saves to help Edmonton improve to 29-15-1. The Oilers are 24-3-0 in their last 27 and have a franchise record of 14 games without allowing more than two goals.
Colton Sissons scored for Nashville. The Predators who have lost three of four.
Edmonton opened the scoring on a power play at 7:55 of the first period. Nugent-Hopkins slid into the high slot and took a feed from Draisaitl before unleashing a quick wrist shot that beat goalkeeper Kevin Lankinen for his 12th goal of the season.
The Oilers’ power play came together again with 8:21 left in the second. McDavid sent it to Draisaitl for a one-timer and his 23rd. The goal was Draisaitl’s 800th career point, making him the fourth-fastest player to reach the milestone, in 683 games.
McDavid made it 3-0 at 9:12 of the third. He swung behind the net and fired the puck from behind the goal line off Lankinen’s backside for his 20th.
Sissons ended Skinner’s shutout bid with 6:33 remaining during a battle in front of the net, the first goal Edmonton allowed in 158 minutes.
Hyman capped the scoring with an empty-netter for his 30th of the season.