The Edmonton Oilers matched a franchise record with their ninth consecutive triumph, securing a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday (Jan. 11).
Darnell Nurse, a seasoned defenseman, sealed the overtime win for the Oilers, with goals also contributed by forwards Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid. Detroit saw goals from Andrew Copp and Olli Maatta.
Edmonton dominated the shot count, outshooting Detroit 47-17, resulting in an impressive plus-30 margin that stands among the largest shot differentials in Oilers franchise history. Despite a remarkable 44-save performance by Red Wings goalie Alex Lyon, Edmonton’s Calvin Pickard, making his first start since New Year’s Eve, managed 15 saves and secured the win. Pickard’s three-game winning streak matches the longest such streak in his career.
The game remained scoreless until Copp’s goal at 3:34 of the third period. McDavid responded with a remarkable solo effort at 9:12, giving Edmonton a 2-1 lead with Hyman adding his 26th goal of the season at 14:00. Maatta scored to force overtime. Notably, Edmonton holds an 8-8 record this season when the opposing team scores first, with five of those victories achieved on the road.
With this triumph, Edmonton’s record improves to an impressive 22-5-1, propelling them ahead of the Nashville Predators to claim the first wild card spot in the Western Conference standings.
Milestone Moments for Oilers
McDavid’s goal marked his 906th career point, equalling Hall-of-Famer Glenn Anderson for the fourth spot in franchise history. While Anderson achieved this in 845 games with the Oilers, McDavid accomplished it in just 605 games during his eight-plus NHL seasons.
Notably, McDavid wasn’t the sole Oilers player making waves in the record books on Thursday. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins contributed to Hyman’s goal, surpassing Paul Coffey for the seventh most points in franchise history, with a total of 670.
In another milestone, Darnell Nurse secured his 11th game-winning goal (GWG), matching Kevin Lowe for the second-highest total for an Oilers defenseman. The 28-year-old has also joined the ranks of Taylor Hall and Ryan Smith, boasting the fourth most overtime goals in franchise history, with five each.
Hyman Makes Last-Minute Push For Votes
Edmonton’s recent game, held just before the NHL All-Star Fan Vote deadline at 11:59:59 pm EST on Thursday, provided Zach Hyman with an opportunity to make a lasting impression on voters. The 31-year-old winger stood out in the match, leading all players with two points, comprising a goal and an assist, and concluding the night with an impressive plus-3 rating.
Despite not having participated in the midseason classic before, Hyman boasts a compelling All-Star resume this season. He is currently tied for the fifth most goals in the NHL, holding Edmonton’s highest plus/minus at plus-15, leading in shots on goal with 141, topping the Oilers in GWGs (four), and sharing the team lead in power-play goals with eight.
As the Fan Vote determines the top eight skaters to be added to the player roster for All-Star Weekend, scheduled for Feb. 1-3 in Hyman’s hometown of Toronto, the winger, in the latest voting returns on Tuesday (Jan. 9), found himself in 10th place, trailing the eighth position by just over 55,000 votes.
Oilers Go Streaking
The Oilers have extended their undefeated streak to over three weeks. Since their 3-1 loss to the New York Islanders on Dec. 19, they have secured nine consecutive victories, matching the franchise’s greatest single-season winning streak.
Edmonton had previously achieved a nine-game winning streak twice—first from Feb. 20 to March 13 in 2001 and then from March 27 to April 13 in 2023. The former streak concluded with a 2-2 tie against the Florida Panthers, while the latter ended with the conclusion of the 2022-23 schedule.
Now, the Oilers stand on the brink of making franchise history with their 10th consecutive win. Their quest for this record will be put to the test when they face the Montreal Canadiens in a Hockey Night in Canada matchup on Saturday (Jan. 13).
