McDavid extends season-opening point streak to 14, Oilers blank Islanders

ELMONT, N.Y. -- Connor McDavid extended his season-opening point streak to 14 games with an assist, helping the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-0 win against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on Saturday.

McDavid extended the streak on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ second goal of the game at 18:26 of the second period. He leads the NHL with 37 points (eight goals, 29 assists) and is three games shy of matching the season-opening 17-game run he had to start 2021-22.

"Just the way that he drives the game, personally I've seen it so long that he just finds ways,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “And even if things aren't going his way or the team's way, he'll find a way to kind of get us some momentum, and usually that ends up in a goal for us.

“It's been a lot of fun to watch and he's not going to slow down, for sure."

Tristan Jarry made 18 saves for his second straight shutout, and Leon Draisaitl had two assists for the Oilers (10-2-2), who are 5-1-1 in their past seven and opened a three-game road trip that continues at the New York Rangers on Sunday.

Jarry made 24 saves in a 4-0 win against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.

"I'm really happy for him, that’s the first thing,” Edmonton coach Mike Babcok said. “He got to work all summer and he's done a good job with (goaltending coach) Pete (Aubry), and suddenly it appears like he has his confidence back. That's real good for the Oilers, but it's real good for him and his family, so I'm happy for him."

Ilya Sorokin made 20 saves for the Islanders (7-5-2), who won their previous two games.

They went 0-for-4 on the power play; the Oilers were 1-for-6.

“We obviously had some self-inflicted stuff tonight against a team that you can't do that to,” New York coach Peter DeBoer said. “I think to play down a man again, considering what we've gone through recently, for the whole game, basically after one shift, and then take all those penalties, that's a tough ask against that team and that power play. So, I think that's probably the story of the game.”

Nugent-Hopkins gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead at 8:42 of the second, scoring off the rush after a feed from Kasperi Kapanen, who won a puck battle against defenseman Logan Stanley.

Vasily Podkolzin then quickly made it 2-0 at 9:50, redirecting a pass in front from Draisaitl for his second goal in three games.

Nugent-Hopkins scored again on a power play at 18:26, tapping in McDavid’s feed at the far post to give Edmonton a 3-0 lead. He has three goals in five games since making his season debut Oct. 22. Nugent-Hopkins missed the Oilers’ first nine this season because of a lower-body injury sustained during practice on Sept. 28.

With the assist, McDavid became the first player to have at least 35 points in a single calendar month since Mario Lemieux did so three times during the 1992-93 season (37 in March, 36 in December and October).

“He has the puck the whole game,” Edmonton defenseman Ryan Shea said. “I feel like every time he touches the puck, whether it's behind our net or behind their net, in my head I feel we're going to score because when the puck’s in him and Leo and those guys' hands, good things happen.

“I'm surprised by how good of a leader he is on and off the ice. All those guys are, the way they're back checking, the way they're tracking, the way they’re using their body. They've been physical. If they can do it, then everyone should.”

Jason Dickinson scored an empty-net goal at 17:23 of the third period for the 4-0 final.

“We just didn't generate enough offense,” Islanders captain Bo Horvat said. “Obviously, and credit to them, they played us hard tonight. They were ready for us, but yeah, we just took too many penalties. It wears you down, and it's tough to create momentum after that.

“It wasn’t our best today, but we’ve got to learn from it and move on.”

Oilers forward Isaac Howard left 2:22 into the game after a collision with Islanders forward Emil Heineman, who received a five-minute major penalty for kneeing and game misconduct.

“We don't think it's as serious as it looked,” Babcock said. “We're hoping for a real good kind of recovery day for him tomorrow, and then if he doesn't (feel better), then we'll get on with the medical part of looking into it. But they think it's favorable."

NOTES: It was McDavid’s 23rd primary assist this season; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews and Rangers defenseman Adam Fox are next closest in the League with 10 each. … Jarry became the fourth Edmonton goalie in the past 20 years, and the first since Mike Smith in 2021-22, to post back-to-back shutouts. … The Oilers are the fifth team since 2014-15 to win each of their first six road games of a season. … Draisaitl (12 goals, 13 assists) joined McDavid (eight goals, 27 assists) as the only players in the NHL to reach 25 points this October. … Horvat was minus-3 in 20:29 of ice time.