New York Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin (30) makes the save on Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl (29) during second period NHL action in Edmonton on Thursday January 5, 2023.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
EDMONTON – Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist as the Edmonton Oilers snapped a two-game losing skid with a 4-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday.
Kailer Yamamoto, Dylan Holloway and Zach Hyman also scored for the Oilers (21-17-2), who ended a five-game home losing streak.
Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had two assists, while Jack Campbell made 20 saves.
Mathew Barzal and Cal Clutterbuck replied for the Islanders (22-16-2), who have lost two of their last three.
Ilya Sorokin stopped 34 shots.
Draisaitl opened the scoring 9:26 into the first period on the power play. McDavid sent the puck across to him and Draisaitl unleashed a one-timer past Sorokin, who was already playing without a stick.
The Oilers doubled their lead with 1:20 remaining in the first with a short-handed tally. McDavid dished it to Yamamoto and he waited for defenceman Noah Dobson to go down before sniping his third of the season through Sorokin’s legs. McDavid reached the 500 career assist mark on the play.
Edmonton had 18 first-period shots, while New York only had four.
The Islanders benefited from some sloppy play by the Oilers to get on the board 4:42 into the second period. Barzal ripped a shot off the crossbar and in to extend his goal-scoring streak to five games.
The Oilers regained their two-goal edge 8:34 into the second as Holloway unleashed a rocket of a one-timer from the high slot for his second career goal.
Edmonton made it 4-1 at 15:17 as Draisaitl sent Hyman on a breakaway and he shifted to the backhand to score his 18th of the campaign.
The Islanders were able to get one back with just 53 seconds left in the second period on the power play as a long-range shot by Scott Mayfield was redirected into the net by Clutterbuck.
NOTES
The Islanders won the previous meeting between the two teams 3-0 in New York on Nov. 23, with Sorokin earning a 49-save shutout “¦ McDavid’s 42nd assist of the season late in the first period gave him 500 for his career, doing so in his 527th game. Only five players in NHL history have done it faster – Wayne Gretzky (352), Mario Lemieux (433), Peter Stastny (507) and Bobby Orr (522) “¦ Coincidentally, Draisaitl recorded his 400th career assist in the game, becoming the fifth-fastest Oiler to hit the mark in his 596th game “¦ Edmonton’s 45 power-play goals coming into the contest was the most through a team’s first 39 games of a season since 2008-2009 when the Detroit Red Wings had 46 “¦ Out with injuries for the Islanders were Adam Pelech (upper body), Simon Holmstrom (lower body), Kyle Palmieri (upper body) and Oliver Wahlstrom (lower body). Forward Clutterbuck returned after missing the last eight games because of an upper-body injury “¦ The Oilers were without Evander Kane (wrist) and Ryan Murray (back) “¦ It was Dobson’s 200th NHL game.
UP NEXT
The Islanders have a quick turnaround as they are right back at it on Friday night when they travel to Calgary to face the Flames to close out a four-game trip.
The Oilers wrap up a four-game homestand on Saturday night against the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 5, 2023.
