Oilers did something not seen in 80 years last night
The Edmonton Oilers did not get the result they wanted in Sin City on Tuesday night with a 1-0 loss, but they made NHL history in the process.
It was a game that the Oilers probably deserved much better in as they controlled the pace of play for most of the night. Edmonton dominated the third-period shot clock by a margin of 16-2 but couldn’t beat Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill.
The game also had no penalties called for either side. This makes it the first NHL game in 80 years to have just one goal scored and no penalties. The last game to have that happen occurred all the way back in 1944 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks.
NHL games with 0 PIMs and 1 goal or fewer
Jan 2, 1918: Montreal Wanderers vs Canadiens
Jan 5, 1918: Wanderers vs Toronto Arenas
Feb 9, 1924: Hamilton Tigers vs Toronto St. Pats
Feb. 20, 1944: Maple Leafs vs Black Hawks
Tuesday: Oilers vs Golden Knights— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) December 4, 2024
Edmonton certainly played a tight-checking game against their Pacific Divison rival Vegas Golden Knights. Space was at a premium all night long and the two teams had a combined shot total of just 26 heading into the final frame.
While the record is amusing, the Oilers feel like they played well enough to win the game.
“Could have went either way,” Draisaitl said after the game. “I thought we had enough looks in the third to tie it up but, obviously, their goalie was on.”
As for the lack of penalties, Oilers defenceman Mattias Ekholm felt it may not have been as clean a game as the record will show, but he isn’t too worried about it.
“You’ll have to ask the referees about that, I don’t know,” Ekholm said with a grin. “It was a well-checked game I thought. A couple things that could have been called, but I thought they kept it pretty even.”
It’s a frustrating way to lose a game, especially when Stuart Skinner gave the team a .933 save percentage to work with. With the type of stars that the Oilers boast, losing a 1-0 game should not be in the books very often.
They will have to see their offence come alive when they get back in action on home ice on Thursday night.