Oilers Ride Strong First Period to 5-2 Win Over Senators – The Hockey Writers NHL News Latest News, Analysis & More

The Edmonton Oilers used a strong first period to defeat the Ottawa Senators 5-2. With the loss, the Senators dropped to 8-9-1, while the Oilers improved to 10-8-2. Let’s take a look at how we got here.

Game Recap

Evan Bouchard opened the scoring for the Oilers just 3:46 into the first period. He carried the puck through the neutral zone and toe-dragged around defenceman Thomas Chabot before flicking the puck over the glove of goaltender Linus Ullmark for a highlight-reel goal. 

A few minutes later, there was a spirited fight between Oilers’ Josh Brown and Senators’ Zack MacEwen in a heavyweight tilt. Both players threw haymakers before Brown ultimately wrestled him to the ice.

Ottawa tied it up on a Tim Stutzle one-timer 15:40 into the opening period. The Senators cycled the puck really effectively before Drake Batherson found Stutzle in the high slot, and he made no mistake.

Connor McDavid regained the Oilers lead less than one minute later. Vasily Podkolzin threw the puck on the net, and it bounced to the stick of the Oilers captain, who buried the rebound.

McDavid added another goal on a 5-on-3 power play as he sniped it over the blocker of Ottawa’s netminder. This capped off a high-event first period, as Edmonton took a 3-1 lead into the intermission.

Leon Draisaitl added to the lead with his 14th of the season 4:39 into the middle frame. Adam Henrique forced a turnover along the boards, and McDavid threaded a breakaway pass on Draisaitl’s tape. He went backhand and through the five-hole, which gave Edmonton a 4-1 lead after 40 minutes.

8:10 into the third period, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins redirected a Derek Ryan pass into the back of the net for his second of the season, which gave Edmonton a commanding 5-1 lead. Ottawa scored one late in the third period on a point-shot deflection by Josh Norris to make this a 5-2 game. But it was too little too late.

McDavid, Bouchard, and Draisaitl each had three points in the win, while Stutzle was the most noticeable Senator, scoring a goal and finishing the game with five shots and four hits. Stuart Skinner was the better goalie tonight, as he stopped 27 of 29 shots for a .931 save percentage (SV%). In the other end, Ullmark stopped 26 of 31 shots for an .839 SV%.

The Senators look to get back on track when they host the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday (Nov. 21). Meanwhile, the Oilers return home to play the Minnesota Wild, also on Thursday.