Connor Brown scores first of the season as Oilers stomp Capitals
Connor Brown scored his first of the season and Zach Hyman got a natural hat trick as the Edmonton Oilers stomped the Washington Capitals by a score of 7-2.
It was a long time coming for the 30-year-old, as he caused the Rogers Place crowd to erupt after knocking in a two-on-one chance with Evander Kane.
“It meant a lot,” Brown said of the fan reaction. “They’re aware of storylines… it’s been a struggle this year offensively, I haven’t been able to get one to go and so, you know, obviously, for their kind of support to shine through there, they’re rooting for me so that’s a good feeling.”
CONNOR BROWN! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/AHrDhCtmLn
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 14, 2024
That broke a 72-game goal-less streak dating back to 2022. But that wasn’t all that went right for the Oilers tonight.
Special teams come alive
The Oilers power play came alive tonight, scoring a pair of goals in the opening period to build up an early 2-0 lead and another in the second period to make it 5-2. It’s been uncharacteristically quiet over the last while, scoring just once in their previous five games heading into this one.
“We have a really good power play, we know that,” Leon Draisaitl told reporters after the game. “Sometimes it just doesn’t go in or sometimes we’re not sure… we were lacking a little bit over the last couple of games but at the end of the day, we always know that when push comes to shove we have a good power play.”
An absolute Bouch bomb indeed 💣 pic.twitter.com/B3zvTEUf0B
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 14, 2024
The usual suspects got it going with Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, and Hyman (initially credited to Evan Bouchard) finding twine with the man advantage.
At the other end of the ice, the PK was good but could have been better. They let up a goal on their first kill of the game but were perfect in the final 40.
Hyman’s quest for 50 goals
Zach Hyman added three more goals against the Capitals tonight to give him 46 on the season. The 31-year-old is the most prolific net-front scorer in the entire league and now has a three-goal lead on both Auston Matthews and Nathan MacKinnon for the NHL lead in five-on-five goals with 32.
“I just focus on the next one,” Hyman said after the game. “That’s a pretty special milestone [scoring 50]… just playing every game trying to help the team win and do my part.”
EDM WSH G64. March 13, 2024. Zach Hyman goal. 4-2. 🎥: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/V2Orbuu2tS
— Nation Network Media (@NationNMedia) March 14, 2024
Hyman has 18 more games to find four more goals, when and if that happens he will become the third different Oilers player in the last two seasons to do so, joining Draisaitl and McDavid. In the bigger picture, he would be the seventh player in franchise history to score 50 goals in a single season.
Skinner robs Ovechkin with multiple save-of-the-year candidates
It wasn’t the prettiest start to the game for Stuart Skinner as he let in the first two shots he faced, but he was able to rebound, shutting the door after a stingy start.
Two of his 19 saves on the night came on against Alexander Ovechkin and both were absolute stunners.
stuart skinner’s first save of the night is a jaw-dropper, robbing alex ovechkin on the doorstep. pic.twitter.com/3Qs2qd7jIM
— zach (@zjlaing) March 14, 2024
That will be on the highlight-reel shows for a few weeks.
Edmonton now has 40 wins on the season, improving their record to 40-21-3 and 83 points. This gives them a six-point buffer on the third-place LA Kings and now cuts the Vancouver Canucks hold on the Pacific Division lead to nine points.
Edmonton’s next contest will come against that Avalanche team as the two teams face off for the first time all season on Saturday night.