Edmonton, AB (SportsNetwork.com) – Leon Draisaitl notched his first career
goal and the Edmonton Oilers scored three unanswered goals in the third period
to defeat the winless Carolina Hurricanes, 6-3, on Friday.
Jordan Eberle finished with two goals and an assist while Jesse Joensuu, Matt
Hendricks and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins all lit the lamp for Edmonton, which has won
its three last games after an 0-4-1 start to the season.
Ben Scrivens made 27 saves in the win.
Jeff Skinner and Riley Nash both scored, Jay Harrison supplied a goal and an
assist and Anton Khudobin turned aside 23-of-28 shots for the Hurricanes,
who are still in search of their first win of the season after seven games.
Draisaitl, the third overall pick in June’s draft, one-timed David Perron’s
cross-ice feed from past Khudobin to give the Oilers a 4-3 edge with 7:05
remaining.
Khudobin came out of his crease to stop Justin Schultz’s slap shot from the
point, but Nugent-Hopkins was there to knock in the rebound for a 5-3 game
with 4:10 to play.
Hendricks’ empty-net tally with 1:27 remaining accounted for the final score.
After a scoreless first period, Eberle found twine with a wrister to finish
off a 2-on-1 with Taylor Hall and open the scoring 9:44 into the second.
Justin Faulk’s shot from the point deflected off Nash and past Scrivens for a
tie game with 4:52 to play in the middle frame.
The Oilers reclaimed the lead just under two minutes later. Nikita Nikitin
fired a shot from the top of the right circle and Joensuu was present in front
to wrist the rebound past Khudobin for a 2-1 lead.
Skinner skated into the Edmonton zone and beat Scrivens with a wrister from
the slot to tie the game with 2:02 left in the second.
Eberle scored his second of the night on the power play 4:26 into the final
frame for a 3-2 lead.
Jay McClement battled for the puck behind the net and sent a pass to Harrison,
who raced into the zone and slapped a shot from the left circle for a 3-3
score at the 7:50 mark of the third.
Game Notes
Carolina is currently in the midst of its longest winless streak to open a
season. The team’s previous record was five games, which occurred in both the
1987-88 and 2003-04 seasons … Oilers defenseman Mark Fayne played in his
250th career game … Edmonton won three straight games for the first time
since Jan. 26-29 of last season … Nugent-Hopkins has scored in each of his
last three games.
