Oilers do enough to beat Blackhawks 2-1, extend win streak to 8 games

Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) scores on Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

CHICAGO -

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl scored goals as the Edmonton Oilers extended their NHL win streak to eight games with a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night.

The Oilers also won eight straight from Nov. 24 to Dec. 12. The current streak started Dec. 21 with a 6-3 victory at New Jersey.

“You get into a rhythm,” McDavid said of the run. “You find a way to win. Tonight’s not our best, but we found a way.”

McDavid scored the winner by beating Petr Mrazek on a breakaway 1:32 into the second period. McDavid took Mattias Eckholm’s stretch pass at the Chicago blue line, raced past defenceman Jarred Tinordi and shovelled the puck past the outstretched Mrazek’s right foot for a 2-1 lead. He also extended his point streak to eight games and has 14 points during that stretch.

Chicago’s Jason Dickinson picked up a loose puck and sent a wrist shot past the blocker of Stuart Skinner at 5:52 of the first period to open the scoring. It was his team-leading 14th goal of the season. Skinner stopped the Blackhawks’ other 25 shots.

“I liked our work ethic,” Chicago coach Luke Richardson said. “Other than the start of the second period, we did a good job of countering whatever they threw at us tonight. We were frustrating them, and that’s good for us. We just couldn’t get that second goal.”

Chicago’s lead lasted just over two minutes. Draisaitl scored his 19th goal of the season to square the score, flipping the puck by Mrazek’s blocker at 8:05 of the first.

“It was a weird one, for sure,” Edmonton defenceman Brett Kulak said. “There’s positives and things we knew we could do better. It felt like a tight game all along. It’s a good test of patience. We stayed the course.”

Two Edmonton goals were disallowed. McDavid’s was negated by goaltender interference shortly after his second-period score. Zach Hyman’s goal in the third period was disallowed after a five-minute review determined Draisaitl was offside carrying the puck into the zone.

“If it takes you 15 minutes to determine if it’s offside or not, it probably doesn’t matter,” McDavid joked.

Mrazek made 13 saves.

“For the better part of the game, we were on top of them,” Dickinson said. “We weren’t letting them get their speed going. It helps Petr see shots.”

The injury-riddled Blackhawks had two forwards return to the lineup. Taylor Raddysh (left groin) and Joey Anderson (left shoulder) played right wing on the top two lines after missing five and 10 games respectively.

There is still no timetable for the return of Blackhawks’ star rookie forward Connor Bedard, out since breaking his jaw Friday in New Jersey.