In Ottawa, the Edmonton Oilers and Senators traded goals through the first periods in a Saturday afternoon affair. 
The Oilers, tired of the back and forth, reeled off three unanswered markers in a 6-3 win.
Connor McDavid staked the Oilers to a 1-0 lead in the opening stanza, his point streak hit 15 games with the goal.
“I mean, he’s the best player in the world, so he pushes the envelope,” Edmonton forward Zach Hyman said of McDavid. “I don’t know if I’m surprised necessarily, but I think you’re always kind of amazed.”
Jack Campbell made 26 saves in the Oilers win.
Edmonton improved to 30-18-5.
“Winning teams get contributions up and down the lineup through all three areas of the game: the power play, the penalty kill and 5-on-5,” McDavid said. “We’ve been doing that and getting good goaltending, as well.”
After the Senators tied the game, 1-1, in the second period on a strike from Jake Sanderson, Edmonton scored twice for a 3-1 advantage on goals form Zach Hyman and Ryan McLeod .
Ottawa responded with markers from Claude Giroux and Erik Brannstrom for a 3-3 tie headed to the third.
At 3:05 of the third, Jesse Puljujarvi put the Oilers ahead to stay, 4-3, with a goal off a pass from Brett Kulak.
“Jesse scored a huge goal for our team,” Edmonton coach Jay Woodcroft said. “You know, I thought it was great. I don’t know if anyone saw, but the reaction of his teammates when he scored that goal, I think that shows how close our team is. Everyone was so very happy for him, his teammates and coaches included.”
Edmonton continued the pressure and added two goals with Derek Ryan scoring a shorthanded marker for a 5-3 advantage at 7:24.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored off the power play at at 14:37 for the 6-3 final.
Anton Forsberg made 31 saves before getting leaving the ice in the third period with an injury.
He was taken off the surface on a stretcher.
The Oilers’ Hyman was pushed into Forsberg before he fell to the ice.
“It’s awful,” Hyman said. “I mean, you hear him going down and you hear him in pain, but you can’t do anything. I literally couldn’t do anything. I’m stuck on him because there’s a guy who’s on top of me pushing me in.
“It’s not a fun play to be a part of. I almost stopped playing there because I locked eyes with him and he was just in pain. Hope he gets better soon. Just a tough, tough play.”
Mads Sogaard made three saves in relief.
 
		

You must be logged in to post a comment.