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This content was machine-translated from the French version.
Some games call for a tactical explanation, while others first require catching your breath. The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 6-5 in a shootout Thursday at Rogers Place, after a game in which leads never guaranteed peace of mind. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each recorded two goals and three assists, but the decisive move came from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins during the shootout.
Carolina strikes, Edmonton responds
Edmonton opened the scoring on the power play through Draisaitl, before Carolina immediately answered through Jackson Blake, also with a man advantage.
Edmonton opened the scoring on the power play through Draisaitl, before Carolina immediately answered through Jackson Blake, also with a man advantage. The Hurricanes then took control of the scoreboard: Sebastian Aho scored on a breakaway, Seth Jarvis found the net in his return to action, and Logan Stankoven made it 4-2 before the second intermission.
Jarvis was playing his first game of the season after shoulder surgery. His goal gave the Hurricanes a deserved lead, built on a well-managed second period. Carolina did not appear overwhelmed, but knew that the Oilers rarely have an off switch once they start moving the puck around.
The third period swings
McDavid reignited Edmonton just 26 seconds into the third period. Draisaitl tied the game at 4-4 on the power play, then Juuso Välimäki restored the Hurricanes’ lead with less than three minutes remaining. The game could still swing either way; it chose the more chaotic path.
A Zach Hyman goal was disallowed for a high stick, but Edmonton tied the game eight seconds later. A pass from McDavid intended for Draisaitl deflected into the net after touching Jesperi Kotkaniemi. That 5-5 score sent both teams to overtime, then to a shootout, after an evening in which special teams had carried significant weight: the Oilers scored three goals on five power plays.
Nugent-Hopkins has the final say
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was playing his first game of the season after a lower-body injury. He scored in regulation, then netted the shootout’s only goal. Devon Levi made 22 saves, while Brandon Bussi made 16 for Carolina.
The result extends Edmonton’s momentum, giving them a third consecutive win and eight victories in their last nine games. McDavid, with eight goals and 23 assists in ten games, continues his season-opening point streak. Draisaitl, meanwhile, has scored in five consecutive games.
Two readings of the same night
For the Oilers, this victory rewards their ability to come back without panicking, even after conceding four goals. For Carolina, the regret is more specific: too many penalties against a team whose power play can turn a game around in a matter of minutes. The Hurricanes scored five times on the road and still leave with only one point.
Carolina will finish its road trip in St. Louis on Saturday. Edmonton, above all, will have to take away a lesson less flattering than the score: an attack this deep can save many things, but it should not have to save the same game three times.
