Adam Henrique Leads Oilers to Convincing Victory Over Bruins – The Hockey Writers NHL News Latest News, Analysis & More

The schedule for the Boston Bruins did not get easier, as they welcomed the Edmonton Oilers to town. Aiming to right the ship, the Oilers did not allow that and took a convincing victory by the score of 4-0.

First Period 

The first period was all Oilers to start. They generated four of the first five shots on goal. At the 6:33 mark of the opening frame, the Oilers scored the team’s first goal. After the puck corralled behind the goal, Corey Perry fed a pass out front where Adam Henrique one-timed it past Jeremy Swayman. The Oilers later earned a power play, which turned out to be quite chaotic. Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov collided with goaltender Stuart Skinner and went to the box. 

Skinner was pulled from the game for a possible concussion, and the Bruins killed the penalty. They failed to register a single shot on goal on Calvin Pickard. It remained scoreless the rest of the way with the Oilers leading 1-0. 

Related: Projected Lineups for the Oilers vs Bruins – 1/7/25

The Oilers put forth a dominant period, and it’s a blessing that the Bruins were down only one goal. They controlled the shot attempts share 26-18, and heavily outshot the Bruins 13-4. As a unit, they generated more scoring chances and controlled the pace of the game. The Bruins played sloppy and turned the puck over six times, which sums up how that period went. 

Second Period

The Oilers picked up where they left off after the first period. They took to the attack and generated good looks on Swayman. Tensions would brew, and Trent Frederic dropped the gloves with Perry at center ice. Frederic got the extra two minutes, and it sent the Oilers to the power play. On the power play, the Oilers capitalized. After Pavel Zacha got stuffed by Skinner, Connor McDavid got in between the penalty-killing unit and scored on a breakaway. 

Five minutes later, Henrique scored his second of the game to extend the lead to 3-0. Swayman had come up with saves on Grade-A chances to keep the score where it was.

The Oilers were dominant on the scoreboard and in their efforts. They not only controlled the shot attempts share but also the expected goals share. The results were not particularly close (1.15-0.43) during five-on-five play. Also, the Oilers controlled the high-danger areas. Tip your cap to Swayman, who kept this game closer than it should be.

Third Period 

Compared to the first two periods, it was quiet. The Bruins tested Skinner, but he fought off every chance. It was the best pressure the Bruins sustained all game, but they could not find a way to light the lamp. Both teams traded power plays, but neither could capitalize. Head coach Joe Sacco decided to pull Swayman with four minutes left in the game and Viktor Arvidsson scored to make it 4-0. The horn sounded, and the Oilers took the two points.