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Zach Hyman scores OT winner as Oilers defeat Jets in playoff-like tilt

Preston Hodgkinson
Preston Hodgkinson
|
Mar 27 2024, 2:50 am
Zach Hyman scores OT winner as Oilers defeat Jets in playoff-like tilt
James Carey Lauder/USA TODAY Sports

The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 courtesy of a Zach Hyman OT winner.

It was a playoff-like matchup that saw the Oilers blow a 3-1 lead in the third period and fend off a late Jets power play. Hyman’s 51st of the season was exactly what you would expect as he brought it to the net and buried his rebound.

“It was a hard game from start to finish,” Darnell Nurse told reporters. “We found some resolve and a way to win it in OT.”

After succinctly losing the special teams battle against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday, the Oilers flipped the script against the Jets tonight. The penalty kill was stellar, going a perfect five-for-five on the night which included a late PK off a blown high-sticking call on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

“It’s tough, I didn’t feel like I got him. I thought at first he was going to call me for a hook or something,” Nugent-Hopkins said after the game. “Unfortunate but the guys got the job done.”

Draisaitl pushing 40 (again): 

Lost in the excitement of Zach Hyman’s 51 goals and Connor McDavid’s pursuit of the NHL scoring title has been Draisaitl quietly having yet another amazing season for the Oilers. 

The German power-forward picked up his 38th goal of the season and is well on his way to recording the fifth 40-goal campaign of his career. The goal tonight was courtesy of a beautiful feed from linemate Warren Foegele. 

The goal brings his point total up to 93 on the season, which is tied with Toronto Maple Leafs star William Nylander for seventh in the entire league. 

Brown comes up big: 

It’s been a while since Brown had an impactful goal in an NHL game. His first two of the season came at the tail-end of blowouts, but his third came up big tonight. It helped the Oilers get the 2-1 lead midway through the second period. 

“Nice pass by [Mattias Ekholm], I thought our line was doing a lot of good things with the puck and it’s nice to get rewarded,” Brown told reporters after the game.

It was also the nicest goal that he’s scored all season. 

Suddenly, the guy who couldn’t score has three goals in his last six games. 

Fight night: 

The Oilers weren’t scared to drop the gloves tonight. Corey Perry started things in the first period with a heavyweight bout with six-foot-seven defenceman Logan Stanley. Though Stanley had the obvious size advantage, the cagey veteran held his own in the fight. 

Perry was also loosely involved in the second fight as Brendan Dillion nearly hit him into the Winnipeg bench. Darnell Nurse took exception to the hit, landing a few jabs before getting the takedown. 

“It’s two teams gearing up for what’s hopefully a long end to the season here,” said Nurse. “You gotta come and match that compete and effort when you come to play here.”

As the playoffs near, the intensity of these late-season games continues to grow.

The Oilers snap a brief two-game losing streak to improve to 43-23-4 on the season with 90 points. This creates some much-needed separation from the LA Kings, who currently sit with 87 and are in town on Thursday night. 

As for Edmonton’s pursuit of the Vancouver Canucks for the top spot in the Pacific Division, just eight points now separate the two teams.

Preston HodgkinsonPreston Hodgkinson
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