Oilers snap two-game skid with 4-2 victory over Islanders

EDMONTON — Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist as the Edmonton Oilers lost in two games in a 4-2 win over the New York Islanders on Thursday.

Kailer Yamamoto, Dylan Holloway and Zach Hyman also scored for the Oilers (21-17-2), ending a five-game home losing streak.

Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had two assists while Jack Campbell made 20 saves.

Mathew Barzal and Cal Clutterbuck answered for the Islanders (22-16-2), who have lost two of their last three.

Ilya Sorokin stopped 34 shots.

Draisaitl opened the 9:26 scorer in the first third on the power play. McDavid sent the puck to him and Draisaitl put a one-timer past Sorokin, who was already batless.

The Oilers doubled their lead to 1-20, staying shorthanded in the first. McDavid dished it up to Yamamoto and he waited for defenseman Noah Dobson to go down before blasting his third of the season through Sorokin’s legs. McDavid reached the 500 career assist mark for the play.

Edmonton had 18 shots in the first period while New York only had four.

The Islanders benefited from a sloppy play by the Oilers to get on the board at 4:42 of the second period. Barzal ripped a shot off the bar and extended his scoring streak to five games.

The Oilers regained their two-goal lead after 8:34 in the second when Holloway fired a rocket from a one-timer from the high slot for his second career goal.

Edmonton made it 4-1 at 15:17 when Draisaitl sent Hyman on a breakaway and he switched to the backhand to score his 18th of the campaign.

The Islanders had just 53 seconds back on the power play in the second half when a long-range shot by Scott Mayfield was deflected into the net by Clutterbuck.

REMARKS

The Islanders won the previous clash between the two teams on Nov. 23 in New York 3-0, with Sorokin hitting a 49-saver shutout … McDavid’s 42nd assist of the season late in the first third earned him a career-long 500 in his 527th game. Only five players in NHL history have done it faster — Wayne Gretzky (352), Mario Lemieux (433), Peter Stastny (507) and Bobby Orr (522)… Coincidentally, Draisaitl recorded his 400th career assist in the game and became the fifth-fastest Oiler to hit the bull’s eye in his 596th game…Edmonton’s 45 power-play goals coming into the contest were the most in the first 39 games of a season since 2008-2009, when the Detroit Red Wings had 46… Out with injuries for the Islanders were Adam Pelech (upper body), Simon Holmstrom (lower body), Kyle Palmieri (upper body) and Oliver Wahlstrom (lower body). Forward Clutterbuck returned after missing the last eight games with an upper-body injury… The Oilers were without Evander Kane (wrist) and Ryan Murray (back)… It was Dobson’s 200th NHL game.

The Islanders have a quick turnaround as they’re right back at it on Friday night when they travel to Calgary to face the Flames to complete a four-game trip.

The Oilers end a four-game home stand against defending Stanley Cup champions Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on January 5, 2023.

Shane Jones, The Canadian Press