Oilers Secure Crucial Win Without Star Forward

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) – The Edmonton Oilers rallied to defeat the San Jose Sharks 5-3 on Tuesday night, despite playing without star forward Leon Draisaitl. Adam Henrique contributed a pair of assists in the victory, which temporarily tied the Oilers with Anaheim atop the Pacific Division standings.

Game Recap: Oilers Overcome Early Deficit

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Connor Murphy, Vasily Podkolzin, Max Jones and Zach Hyman scored for the Oilers (34-26-9). Hyman’s game-winning goal came with 11:48 remaining in the third period, a backhand shot from his knees for his 29th goal of the season in just 50 games.

Dmitry Orlov, Pavol Regenda, and Kiefer Sherwood responded for the Sharks (32-28-6).

Connor Ingram made 27 saves for the Oilers, although Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 32 shots for the Sharks.

Draisaitl’s Injury Impacts Oilers Lineup

The Oilers were without Draisaitl, who is fourth in league scoring, after he sustained a lower-body injury in Sunday’s game against the Nashville Predators. He is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season.

“We’ll have some more information probably later tonight, if not tomorrow, exactly how long he’ll be. But he’s not playing,”

Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch

The Oilers have a record of 7-6-1 in games without Draisaitl over the past two seasons.

Celebrini’s Streak Ends, Bouchard Continues Hot Streak

San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini saw his nine-game point streak arrive to an end, marking the first time he’s been held scoreless since the Olympic break. He had accumulated 14 points during the streak and remains five points shy of becoming the sixth teenager in NHL history to reach 100 points.

On the Oilers side, Evan Bouchard recorded an assist, extending his impressive run with 26 points and a plus-22 rating in 18 career games against the Sharks. He has 32 points in his last 21 games overall.

Looking Ahead

Edmonton has now won nine consecutive home games against San Jose.

The Sharks will host the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday. The Oilers will face the Florida Panthers on Thursday.

FAQ

• What is Leon Draisaitl’s injury status? He is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season with a lower-body injury.
• Who scored the winning goal for the Oilers? Zach Hyman scored the game-winning goal.
• How has Macklin Celebrini been performing? He had a nine-game point streak that was halted in this game.