Max Jones had fun answer after scoring massive Edmonton Oilers game-winner
The Edmonton Oilers scored a massive 5-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night, and they got some help from an unexpected hero.
Max Jones, who was called up from the AHL late last week, netted the eventual game-winner in the third period, breaking a 3-3 tie with his second goal of the season. It was exactly the type of depth scoring the team needed in a tightly fought contest, and the first without Leon Draisaitl, who will miss the rest of the regular season with an injury.
That entire fourth line of Jones, Adam Henrique, and Trent Frederic found a way to be impactful all night long.
Mad Max 😤 #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/kRBqEv0DCa
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) March 18, 2026
Jones spoke to the media after the big win, where he gave a fun answer on what he hopes this can create for himself moving forward.
“Good karma? Yeah, maybe. I don’t know, I was waiting for the good karma, I kept losing card games and stuff,” Jones laughed. “It was really nice to get that; it just happened to be me tonight.
“I’m just really glad that we got that win. We knew it was a big one, so I’m really happy I could help contribute.”
“We’re just trying our best every night to bring it.”
After scoring tonight’s #Oilers game-winner, Max Jones chats with the media. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/EGY8DYrTSQ
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) March 18, 2026
Draisaitl’s absence will present a massive challenge for this Oilers team, which is in the thick of a crowded Western Conference playoff race. The theme, talking to players in the dressing room after the win, focused on how they can come together as a team to fill that void.
When the fourth line is finding ways to get on the scoresheet, something is going right.
“No one guy is gonna replace his spot. That’s something that, collectively, we’re gonna have to do from here right to the end of the season,” said Henrique, who had two assists in the win. “I’d love to fill Leo’s spot and just go out there and be Leo, but that’s not how it works.
“Tonight was a good step for us, and that’s something that we’ll just have to continue to build.”
“Tonight was a good step for us.”
Adam Henrique weighs in on the #Oilers divisional victory vs. the Sharks. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/DSpck7O2fq
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) March 18, 2026
Head coach Kris Knoblauch did not say if Draisaitl would be available for possible playoff games. Instead, he said they would re-evaluate his condition after the end of the regular season.
In the meantime, he was very impressed by Edmonton’s fourth line and how they found ways to contribute.
“They have played well,” Knoblauch said. “That line was huge for us. We need guys stepping up. No one is going to replace Leon; that’s never going to happen, but everyone, collectively, needs to be a bit better.
“That fourth line, all three of them, were the difference tonight.”
"I thought we simplified our game a bit more."
Coach Knoblauch speaks with the media post-game after the #Oilers 5-3 win over San Jose. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/2kOO4HhCSW
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) March 18, 2026
Edmonton’s victory gives them 77 points on the season and ties them with the Anaheim Ducks for the Pacific Division lead. The Oilers got some help on the out-of-town scoreboard as well on Tuesday night, with both the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken losing in regulation.
They will look to make it three consecutive wins when the hated Florida Panthers visit Edmonton for a Stanley Cup Final rematch on Thursday night.