RECAP: Blackhawks Fall Short Against Oilers, 4-1

CHICAGO -- Connor McDavid extended his point streak to a career-high 19 games with two assists for the Edmonton Oilers in a 4-1 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Monday.

McDavid has 19 goals and 25 assists during the streak, tying Wayne Gretzky (1986-87) for the seventh-longest run in Oilers franchise history.

“I don’t know what else there is to say about (McDavid),” Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard, who scored twice and had an assist, said. “He’s a leader on and off the ice. Obviously he drives our team. Yeah, he’s been great all season long, so I’m not shocked he’s at 19 games right now.”

Zach Hyman had a goal and an assist, while Leon Draisaitl scored and Connor Ingram made 29 saves for the Oilers (23-16-7).

“I felt good,” Ingram said. “It’s starting to feel more normal every time I get out there. Luckily for me, I’ve been able to play a lot, so you can find a rhythm and try and stick into it and hold on as long as you can. I thought I felt good today.”

Tyler Bertuzzi scored and Spencer Knight, who missed two games because of illness, made 33 saves for the Blackhawks (19-20-7).

The Blackhawks were without forward Connor Bedard (illness). Bedard returned to action on Jan. 9 in a 5-1 loss to the Washington Capitals after missing 12 games because of an upper-body injury.

“Everyone faces it,” Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno said. “It's a reality, obviously. No one's Superman here. You're obviously not going to feel great. But I told guys, 'The last time you feel great in the NHL is your first game.' I mean, really. It's a hard League, it's a League where you have to find your game regardless of how you feel. No one feels good, especially this time of year, so regardless of that, it's creating your own energy.”

Hyman put the Oilers ahead 1-0 at 14:41 of the first period. Bouchard took a pass from McDavid near the blue line, moved in and found Hyman in the crease for the redirect past Knight.

Sixteen seconds into the second period, Bouchard made it 2-0 when he banked the puck in off both of Knight’s skates from behind the net. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins' initial shot from outside the left circle was saved by Knight, bouncing behind him where Bouchard settled it with his hand before taking the snap shot.

“I’d be lying if I said I meant to do that,” Bouchard said. “I was just trying to get it out front. I thought one of our guys (was) there. Lucky enough, it went in.

“I think I’m happy with where my game’s at. Got to work on the defensive side of things. That’s the main focus. When you’re playing with guys like Connor and Leon every night, you get them the puck, and a lot of times they do the rest. It’s contribution from all five guys on the ice.”

Bertuzzi brought the Blackhawks to within 2-1 at 14:46 of the third period. He scored on the rebound of a shot by defenseman Wyatt Kaiser, spinning around at the right post and knocking the puck in with a wrist shot.

Hyman appeared to have scored at 17:38, although the call on the ice was no goal because he kicked the puck into the net, which was upheld upon video replay review.

Bouchard scored into an empty net to push it 3-1 at 19:07, and Draisaitl got a wrist shot past Knight just eight seconds later at 19:15 for the 4-1 final.

“My whole take on the game was the first 15 minutes, they dominated us,” Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said. “The first five minutes of the second, they took it to us. Spencer kept us in it through that stretch. I thought the last five of the first and the rest of the game were not bad, and then we were really good in the third.

“Unfortunately a game isn’t 40 minutes long, it’s 60. We’ve talked about it being an every night League and part of an every night League is 60-minute games, sometimes 65, and you have to make sure you’re as close to your best as you can. Unfortunately, to start the game, we weren’t nearly close to our best. You’re not going to be perfect every night, but you have to be better than that, and they were on top of their game, for sure. They were flying.”

Chicago forward Teuvo Teravainen did not play after the first period. Blashill said Teravainen sustained an upper-body injury and that the Blackhawks would know more on Wednesday as the team will not practice on Tuesday.

NOTES: McDavid became the first player in Oilers history to factor on 200 game-winning goals. He is now one of seven active players to factor on as many game winners, with Sidney Crosby (279) topping that list. McDavid became the second active player to record 10 career 50-assist seasons, joining Crosby (12). He became the first player to 50 assists in a season for the fourth time in his career, which tied Bobby Orr for the third-most instances in NHL history. McDavid (46 games) matched his second-fastest mark (2020-21) to reach 80 points in a season. He reached the plateau faster in 2022-23 (44). … Bouchard and Draisaitl scored eight seconds apart to match the second-fastest two goals in Oilers history, behind tallies seven-seconds apart on Nov. 23, 2009 and Dec. 23, 1996.