Oilers avenge chippy loss to Canucks with an emphatic 6-2 victory

Edmonton Oilers' Jeff Skinner (53), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93), Leon Draisaitl (29) and Zach Hyman (18) celebrate a goal against the Vancouver Canucks during second period NHL action in Edmonton on Thursday, January 23, 2025. (Jason Franson / The Canadian Press) (JASON FRANSON/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers had a bad taste in their mouth after their last game against the Vancouver Canucks, but they enjoyed some revenge on Thursday with a 6-2 victory.

Zach Hyman had two goals and an assist and Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists as the Oilers ended a two-game skid. It was a much stronger showing than Saturday’s chippy 3-2 loss in Vancouver.

Oilers superstar Connor McDavid and Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers sat out the rematch after receiving three-game suspensions for cross-checking earlier in the week.

“With Connor out everyone needs to step up and I thought it was a good four-line performance,” Hyman said. “All the (defencemen) contributed and (goalie Calvin Pickard) played great. Good team win.

“Coming off two losses you want to nip it in the bud. I thought we did a really good job not getting frustrated.”

Hyman was playing his first game without a full face shield after suffering a badly broken nose when he took a slapshot to the face from teammate Evan Bouchard against the Florida Panthers on Dec. 16.

“It’s more natural, easier to breathe and when you look down you can see the puck and bury it there when you’ve got a split second. That helps. It’s been a long time (wearing face shield).” said Hyman, who upped his goal total to 17.

Adam Henrique, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kasperi Kapanen also scored for the Oilers (30-15-3), who have won nine of their last 12 games.

“I’m happy with all the players, I thought they played a really good game and any time there was a breakdown, I thought (Pickard) came up with some big saves,” said Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch. “Everyone, I thought, was contributing.”

Pickard made 24 saves for the win.

Draisaitl scored his league-leading 35th goal and extended his overall point streak to eight games. He has at least one point in 22 of his last 23 games - amassing 42 points during that span - for the highest point total among all NHL players since Dec. 5.

“We kept playing, even when they had their little push in the second period there,” he said. “I thought we handled them fairly well. And in the third we didn’t give up much.

“All-in-all I thought it was a good effort by us.”

Draisaitl extended his home point streak to 17 games, becoming just the fifth player in Oilers franchise history to hit that mark, joining Wayne Gretzky (five times), McDavid (twice), Paul Coffey and Blair MacDonald.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 23, 2025.

Shane Jones, The Canadian Press