Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman lead Oilers past Penguins 5-2
Down four defencemen and outshot and outplayed for the bulk of the game, the Edmonton Oilers were still able to earn a big win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Connor McDavid had a goal and three assists and Zach Hyman had two goals as the Oilers stole a 5-2 victory over the Penguins on Wednesday.
Kailer Yamamoto and Evan Bouchard also scored for the Oilers (16-5-0), who won their third game in a row and improved to 9-1-0 on home ice, despite getting outshot 34-22.
“We kind of held on for the first 40 minutes,” said McDavid of being doubled 26-13 on the shot clock after two periods. “Mikko (Koskinen) did a great job as usual and I thought our young defencemen did a good job stepping in and trying to keep the game simple, keep the game in front of them.
“We kind of worked our way through the game and capitalized on our chances and got some timely saves.”
Oilers head coach Dave Tippett said it wasn't his team's best performance, despite the positive result.
“We can be better,” said Tippett. “We can be cleaner with the puck and harder on loose pucks. We were in the third, but I'd like to see it for 60 minutes.”
Jake Guentzel and Teddy Blueger responded for the Penguins (10-8-5), who have lost three straight.
“We just make a few mistakes and it ends up in the back of the net,” said Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, who was held to an assist. “We had some good pressure, some good zone time for most of the night and you give them any opening and they take advantage of it.”
Edmonton started the scoring seven minutes into the opening period as Hyman picked the top corner past Penguins starter Tristan Jarry. The Oilers came into the game with an 8-0 record when recording the first goal.
Pittsburgh tied the game back up with five minutes left in the first when Guentzel unleashed a one-timer that Koskinen couldn't get across the crease to stop. The goal extended Guentzel's point streak to 11 games.
McDavid elected to pass on a two-on-one, setting up Hyman's second of the contest and 11th of the season a minute later as Edmonton retook the lead.
A minute into the second period, Blueger beat Koskinen high to the blocker side after taking a nice feed from Evan Rodrigues to tie the game 2-2 for Pittsburgh.
Edmonton made it 3-2 three minutes into the third as Yamamoto deftly deflected a long Tyson Barrie shot into the net.
McDavid earned his third assist of the game playing four-on-four eight minutes into the third as he threaded a pass through to Bouchard for an easy tap-in on another two-on-one opportunity.
The hats came raining down with nine minutes left in the third as it appeared Hyman had scored his first-ever hat trick, but a video review determined the play was offside.
“Eventually it will happen,” Hyman chuckled. “It was fun almost getting a hat trick there.”
Edmonton put the game away on a McDavid empty-netter, unable to get it to Hyman on the play.
The Oilers make a quick one-game trip to Seattle on Friday, while the Penguins head to Vancouver to face the Canucks on Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 1, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Baby boom amongst nurses leads to maternity ward closure in Listowel, Ont.
The emergency room at Listowel’s hospital is open today, but come summer, their obstetrics unit will be temporarily closing its delivery rooms.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.