GAME STORY: Coyotes 3, Oilers 2

EDMONTON, AB - Conor Garland scored twice without his stick, and Darcy Kuemper made 23 saves as the Oilers dropped a 3-2 decision to the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night at Rogers Place.

YOUR GAME-DAY ESSENTIALS

GAME DAY
View Photo Gallery
Box Score
Look Back at the In-Game Blog
POST-GAME VIDEO
Full Highlights
OILERS TODAY | Post-Game vs. ARI
POST-GAME RAW | Talbot
POST-GAME RAW | McDavid
POST-GAME RAW | Russell
POST-GAME RAW | Oilers Head Coach Ken Hitchcock
THE OTHER SIDE | Conor Garland
THE OTHER SIDE | Jordan Oesterle

WHAT'S NEXT
The Oilers cap off a three-game home stand against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday. The game can be seen on Sportsnet West and heard on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630 CHED. Puck drop is 7:08 p.m. MST.
POST-GAME UPDATES
Inside The Oilers Blog
Defenceman Kris Russell scored his second of the season, and Connor McDavid tallied his 27th goal of the season on the eve of his 22nd birthday.
"I thought we played well in spurts, but we couldn't seem to hold on to the momentum," Russell said. "When we got down, we started to play well. We've got to start playing like that all game and impose our will on teams."
The victory gives Arizona their first regulation win since December 4, 2018 after their last four wins came in overtime or a shootout.
The Oilers fall to 21-21-3 overall and 3-9-0 in their last 12 games.
"They did a good job at not allowing us to pull the puck off the boards in the offensive zone," Oilers Head Coach Ken Hitchcock said. "They defended their zone hard and well with numbers."
"We're trying to get more and more from people, and sometimes we do and sometimes we don't," Hitchcock continued. "I just know what it takes to get in, and at the present level it's not good enough. We'll have to find a way to get more from this group, and that's on us to try and see what we can squeeze more out of."
After going 17-for-18 (94.4%) shorthanded in their last 8 games, the Oilers went 0-for-2 down on the penalty kill. With the man advantage, Edmonton were goalless on one attempt against Arizona's league-best penalty kill.
Russell was keen to set the tone early when he flattened Richard Panik inside the Coyotes zone only 13 seconds of the contest after Draisaitl was up-ended seconds earlier by Derek Stepan.
Cam Talbot was in the game early too, denying Vinnie Hinostroza and Oliver Ekman-Larsson with a strong double save two minutes later.
On the eve of his 22nd birthday, McDavid opened the scoring 6:46 into the opening frame with another gift for Rogers Place.
Ty Rattie, elevated to the top line tonight after sitting out Thursday's win over the Florida Panthers, passed the puck ahead to a streaking McDavid, who beat two defenders to the puck in the neutral zone before firing five-hole through Darcy Kuemper on the breakaway for his 27th tally of the season.

Shots were 13-11 through 20 minutes.
A giveaway by the Oilers in the defensive zone led to former Oiler Jordan Oesterle ripping home the equalizer 1:16 into the second period. The play would be reviewed for offside, but to no avail as the goal would stand.
The ensuing bench minor for the Oilers after an unsuccessful challenge set the stage for a painful go-ahead goal for the Coyotes by Garland, who took a shot off the face before the puck trickled past Talbot to make it 2-1 'Yotes.
"It wasn't a very good shift from us and myself included on that one, so it's going to turn it a bit," Russell said of the momentum shift in the second period. "Regardless of that swing, we were still sitting pretty in our own rink. We just didn't get it done."

Russell found his way into the slot to equalize the score and notch his second goal of the season with Kuemper on the deck. The Nuuuge and Loooches rained down from the gallery as both Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Milan Lucic picked up the helpers.
The Oilers then put Arizona's league-best penalty to the test with their first man-advantage of the night after Nugent-Hopkins was brought down by Mario Kempe in the neutral zone, but the first attempt proved fruitless as a second frame ended with the game tied at two.
Garland was back on the ice for the Coyotes to start the third period, and used his foot this time to score his second of the contest on the power play to restore Arizona's lead after a shot from the point ricocheted the glass and back into the crease. No distinct kicking motion was determined after a quick review.
"On our glass [the puck] usually dies on it," Talbot said. "It must've hit a stantion and came out the other way. We face those all the time in practice and it never comes out that way.

"It seems to be the story of our last few games, but at this point there's no more excuses. We can't allow those bounces to beat us."
The Oilers pushed back late with no results, with physicality ensuing after the final whistle as Nurse jumped in for the protection of Alex Chiasson.
The Buffalo Sabres are in town for the final game of a three-game home stand for the Oilers on Monday.