QUICK RECAP: Oilers 3, Sharks 1

SAN JOSE, CA – Went fishing in the tank and reeled in our fourth straight victory.

The Edmonton Oilers improved to 4-0-1 this season after goaltender Tristan Jarry made 19 saves, forward Alex Formenton scored his first goal in Blue & Orange, and Mattias Ekholm and Vasily Podkolzin tallied goals on Saturday afternoon in a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center.

"I just liked that we stayed patient,” Edmonton coach Mike Babcock said. “We stuck with the plan. Their coach did a real good job and their guys were organized. I thought we had to do it the hard way."

Ekholm blasted home the opener on a 91.7 MPH slap shot with 7:23 left in the first period, and the Oilers never looked back, giving up a goal to Macklin Celebrini in the final frame but locking it down defensively the rest of the way and more than doubling their shot totals from the first two periods to give the club its best start since the 2021-22 campaign (5-0-0).

"I think we just played a simple game," Jarry said. "I think when things weren't going our way, or they were kind of clogging up the middle, we weren't getting frustrated with it. We stuck to our game plan and did what we needed to, and I think we showed a lot of character tonight."

Podkolzin extended his career-best point streak to five games with already his fifth goal of the season that came 3:13 into the second period, while Formenton's backhand finish on a breakaway just over two minutes later marked his first tally for the Oilers.

Connor McDavid added an assist, with the Oilers captain now leading the NHL with 13 points (3G, 10A) through five games, while Bouchard matched Toronto's Morgan Rielly best-ever points total by a defenceman through five games in NHL history by reaching 12 points (6G, 6A) with a helper on Podkolzin's second-period marker.

Mathieu Joseph and Connor Murphy also got on the scoresheet with assists.

The Oilers have allowed fewer than three goals against in their last three games and will finish their three-game road trip by looking to make it five wins in a row on Tuesday when they face the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena.

"The team that won the Cup last year, they're playing like that, and that's the way to go.  It's tough sometimes. It's boring, but it works."

FIRST PERIOD

13:34: Jarry fends off a dangerous look for Colin Graf in the slot with a quick blocker save to register an important early intervention. The netminder is making his first appearance between the pipes for Edmonton since Opening Night.

7:23: EDM GOAL | Mattias Ekholm - Isaac Howard, Josh Samanski

SLAMMED HOME BY EKHOLM! Josh Samanski helps turn the puck loose along the boards in San Jose's zone with the help of Isaac Howard, who scoops it up and moves it up top to Ekholm to beat a screen set by Trent Frederic with a blast that Yaroslav Askarov had no chance of stopping.

Ekholm now has points in back-to-back games after snagging an assist on Wednesday night in Anaheim. The Swede is also now +49 in his career against the Sharks, the best plus/minus all time against a Pacific Division club. Is that good? EDM 1, SJS 0

QUICK STATS: Ekholm’s goal came on a slap shot from the blueline that was clocked at 91.74 MPH, which is the third hardest shot resulting in a goal this season behind only Travis Sanheim (95.71 MPH – Oct. 1) and Cale Makar (91.76 MPH – Oct. 8). The goal was also Ekholm’s 31st career goal as an Oiler which ties him with former captain Jason Smith for the 17th most in franchise history by a defenceman.

END OF 1 | EDM 1, SJS 0

Shots: EDM 5, SJS 5

SECOND PERIOD

6:02: It takes the Oilers more than half the period to register their first shot(s) of the middle frame, and it's a pair of terrific chances in front for Alex Formenton and Mathieu Joseph, who can't double Edmonton's lead.

The Sharks are outshooting the Oilers by a 7-2 margin in the period.

8.0: Jarry & the Oilers keep their lead after Macklin Celebrini turns and fires a blind shot through traffic that hits the post in the final few seconds of the period.

END OF 2 | EDM 1, SJS 0

Shots: SJS 7, EDM 3

THIRD PERIOD

19:38: The first period of the afternoon comes 22 seconds into the period, and it goes against Kiefer Sherwood for a late hit on Leon Draisaitl that's called for interference.

The Oilers record four shots on the power play – more than their entire second period – but they can't cash in.

16:47: EDM GOAL | Vasily Podkolzin - Connor McDavid, Evan Bouchard

THE TOP LINE DELIVERS! Right after the power play ends with the second unit out there, Babcock unleashes the Oilers' top line, and McDavid creates space for a one-timer off the zone entry for Vasily Podkolzin to score his fourth goal of the season. 

McDavid gets the primary helper and Bouchard records his 12th point in five games with the secondary assist. EDM 2, SJS 0

QUICK STAT: Podkolzin entered play this afternoon having picked up points in each of the Oilers' first four games of the season, tallying four goals and two assists. Dating back to last year’s postseason, he has notched at least a point in each of his last six games played, racking up eight points (6G, 2A) over that span. His current five-game regular-season point streak is the longest of his career.

14:20: EDM GOAL | Alex Formenton - Mathieu Joseph, Connor Murphy

A FIRST OILERS GOAL FOR FORMENTON! It comes just over two minutes after Podkolzin made it 2-0 when Joseph's pass into the middle in the neutral zone springs Formenton on a breakaway, and he roofs a backhand past Askarov. EDM 2, SJS 0

8:41: SJS GOAL | Macklin Celebrini - Michael Misa

The Sharks captain gets his first goal of the season to cut into the Oilers' third-period lead and end the shutout bid for Tristan Jarry. EDM 3, SJS 1

2:47: A bad slashing call by the officials assessed to Podkolzin will make it six-on-four for the Sharks with over two minutes left to find two to equalize.

FINAL SCORE: EDM 3, SJS 1

POST-GAME INTERVIEWS

OILERS LINEUP

Podkolzin - McDavid - Draisaitl
Hallander - Dickinson - Kapanen
Formenton - Michaels - Joseph
Frederic - Samanski - Howard

Ekholm - Bouchard
Shea - Murphy
Mukhamadullin - Emberson

Jarry
Levi