EDMONTON -- The St. Louis Blues made it two road wins in two nights Wednesday, handing the Oilers their second straight home loss by a score of 5-2. Once again, despite numerous scoring chances, the Oilers failed to produce any scoring without involving Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

For the second straight game, it was McDavid opening the scoring early.

After Zack Kassian drew a holding penalty on Blues’ Robert Thomas, Draisaitl carried the puck just inside the blue line drawing all four Blues defenders away from the net, creating an opening for McDavid behind the penalty kill unit. Draisaitl fed him a pass and McDavid with time and no one but Jake Allen to beat found a hole on the near side and tucked it away for his eighth goal of the season and the 1-0 oilers lead. Mike Smith also picked up an assist on the play.

Minutes later, McDavid nearly scored his second of the game while on a partial break, however, while battling for position with Blues defencemanVince Dunn, McDavid wasn’t able to get a strong shot off and Allen covered it up.

Like last game, it wasn’t long before the opposition notched the equalizer.

After Jujhar Khaira was called for tripping off an offensive zone faceoff, the Blues power play got to work at the other end. The puck was worked around to St. Louis captain Alex Pietrangelo who snapped a one-timer set up by David Perron past a screened Mike Smith to tie things up 1-1.

Both teams finished the period going one-for-one on the man advantage.

There was no shortage of chances throughout the rest of the period for either team. The Blues hit a crossbar from point-blank range, and not long after that, local product Colton Parayko nearly scored for St. Louis on a wraparound, but Smith made the pad save and the rebound was sent into the netting above the glass.

Even with a few uncharacteristic misplayed pucks from Smith, the Oilers starter turned aside six of the seven shots he faced in the period.

The Oilers best chance to take the lead came in the dying seconds when McDavid won a battle for possession over Blues captain Pietrangelo, in the right-side corner and kicked the puck to Draisaitl breaking towards the net. Upon receiving the pass, the Oilers’ leading scorer deked passed one defender, took a backhand shot that beat Allen, but not the far post.

Midway through the second period, with Draisaitl serving a penalty for holding, the Blues breaking into the zone with a man advantage. It was Pietrangelo notching his second goal of the game on another one-timer, this time set up on a backhand pass from Ryan O’Reilly from the right side. Brayden Schenn picked up an assist on the play.

Oilers head coach Dave Tippett tried shuffling the lines throughout the period, but regardless of the combinations, Allen stopped all 12 shots he faced in the second.

The Blues would extend the lead before the end of the period, this time at even strength.

After McDavid corralled a puck that bounced off the back of the Blues’ net and quickly got a backhand shot off from the top of the crease, the Blues gained possession, creating a rush the other way. While breaking into the Oilers’ zone, Jaden Schwartz hit a trailing Robert Thomas who capitalized on a wide-open shooting lane from inside the left faceoff circle beating Smith for his third of the season, and the Blues’ third of the game, giving them a 3-1 lead.

The Oilers would continue to press for that elusive second goal in the third, with a golden opportunity early in the third for Alex Chiasson.

With a scramble in front of Allen’s net, Chiasson’s initial shot was blocked, sending the puck back to his stick. Chiasson quickly fired a second shot on net, but a stretched-out Allen made a fantastic glove save to keep the 3-1 lead intact.

A frustrating night offensively, the Oilers would cut into the Blues’ lead midway through the third.

McDavid left a drop pass to Draisaitl just inside the St. Louis blue line, against the far boards. Draisaitl then quickly sent a cross ice pass to Zack Kassian in stride breaking in over the blue line. With time and space, Kassian picked the far top corner on Allen to cut the Blues’ lead to 3-2.

But there would be no late-game heroics for Edmonton on Wednesday night. 

Despite getting a break on a Brayden Schenn delay of game call with a little more than two minutes to play, the Oilers power play could not find the back of the net.

The Blues would score back to back empty-net goals from Tyler Bozak and Ivan Barbashev giving the Blues a 5-2 road win, despite being outshot 34-25, and extending their unbeaten streak to six games.

The Oilers have now lost back to back games at home for the first time this season and after going 2-1 on their recent road trip.

Now 10-5-2, the Oilers remain one point ahead of Vancouver for the Pacific Division lead.

Edmonton hosts Taylor Hall and the New Jersey Devils on Friday.

Game Notes

  • Draisaitl’s two-point night puts one point back of Boston’s David Pastrnak for the scoring lead
  • McDavid’s assist gives him 18 non the season, tying him for the league lead with Bruins’ Brad Marchand
  • Draisaitl extends point streak to 7 games
  • St. Louis went 2-3 on the power play with Pietrangelo scoring both PP goals
  • Oilers were 1-3 on the power play
  • Wednesday’s game was Blues Defenceman, Jay Bouwmeester’s 1,200th in the NHL