GAME RECAP: Oilers 5, Predators 2

EDMONTON, AB - Leaders of the pack, leading the Pacific Division.
Leon Draisaitl overtook the National Hockey League scoring lead with a three-point performance, Connor McDavid & Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had multi-point efforts and Mikko Koskinen stopped 31 of 33 shots as the Oilers improved to 8-1-0 on the year to take sole possession of first in the Pacific Division with a 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators Wednesday at Rogers Place.

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FIRST BLOOD

Once the Oilers top-ranked power play takes to the ice, it's only a matter of time. As two seconds remained on the clock on the club's opening man advantage in the first period - a tripping minor against Predators forward Mikael Granlund - Leon Draisaitl sniped the limited space above netminder Connor Ingram's left shoulder to kiss the crossbar and score his eighth goal of the season.
The German product is nothing but net from his office in the right circle but credit goes to Connor McDavid for keeping the play alive along the half-wall as the advantage was winding down and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for sifting a pass over to Draisaitl idling in the wing as both players earned the assists on Edmonton's 13th power-play marker of the season.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Draisaitl's second tally of the evening and ninth of the campaign provided the Oilers with the insurance they would need to overcome the visiting Preds. McDavid gained the line and bought real estate within the offensive zone before feeding a drop-pass to Draisaitl trailing behind.
The former 50-goal scorer looked to pass but decided to shoot, zipping a wrist shot blocker side on Ingram for the 3-1 lead and what would stand as the game-deciding goal.

SAVE OF THE GAME

At 6-foot-7, Mikko Koskinen is big. And at 6-1-0, Mikko Koskinen is playing big. It's going to take more than a muffin to beat the big Finnish keeper, who made two standout saves on Nashville's first two shots of the game.
Koskinen robbed Matt Duchene off the rush with a blocker save and got back into position quickly when the forward wrapped a pass across the crease to Eeli Tolvanen for a backhander from Main Street. The key stops allowed the Oilers to get on the board first with Draisaitl's power-play strike later in the frame.

TURNING POINT

Go to the net and good things will happen. Right, Kailer Yamamoto? The winger did just that in the early minutes of the middle stanza to notch the go-ahead goal and his second of the season. Nugent-Hopkins' point shot caught a bounce off of Zach Hyman and made its way right onto Yamamoto's blade for a quick tap-in tally.
The goal was the 23-year-old's second in as many games after not scoring for 21 contests before breaking the slump in Monday's 5-2 final over the Seattle Kraken. Nugent-Hopkins acquired his second assist of the evening on the even-strength tally, bringing his League-leading total to 13 on the year.

TOP PERFORMER

Draisaitl's three-point performance, scoring two goals and showing his unselfishness by dishing the puck over to Jesse Puljujärvi for an easy empty-netter rather than going for the hat trick late in the game, earns him the top performer honours.
The third-overall selection in the 2014 NHL Draft supplanted his superstar partner McDavid for the League scoring lead with 20 points and tied Washington Capitals sniper Alex Ovechkin for first in goals with nine.

400 CLUB

Welcome to the 400 Point Club, Tyson Barrie. The defender achieved the milestone after registering a secondary assist on Devin Shore's first goal of the season at 4:59 of the third period to put the Oilers ahead by a three-goal advantage.
Dressing for the Orange & Blue in 65 games over the past two years, the 30-year-old has compiled 54 points for a .83 point per game average. As a member of the Colorado Avalanche, Barrie put up 75 goals and 307 points in 484 contests and with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2019-20 campaign, he collected 39 points in 70 matches.

PARTING WORDS

Draisaitl on the confidence of the Oilers top power-play unit:
"Our main goal, besides creating chances and scoring goals is to give our team a little bit of momentum. Create chances, get the crowd into it; that's our main goal and focus, to do that. Every power play wants to score every single time they go out there and that's impossible, obviously, but we know what we want to do. We've been together for a long time now and we're pretty dialled in with what we want to do."
Draisaitl on being the first player to reach 20 points in the first nine games since Mario Lemieux did so in 1996:
"The confidence is obviously there right now. We're all here to win, really. Individual stats and individual awards, I've been there and I've done that. I'm very proud of it but that's not why I'm here. That's not why Connor's here, that's why nobody's here. We all want to win. We got a great group. The start is great for me personally and us as a group. Just looking to continue keeping the confidence, helping the team win and doing the little things right. Just continue to get better and win."
Nugent-Hopkins on Draisaitl's dominance:
"MVP a couple of years ago, you have to be playing well to do that. This year, the way he's rounded out his game is the best that I've seen from him. He's getting older, getting more confident, knows what he can do and is a big, strong kid with the ability through the roof. He can put the puck in a hole the size of a puck. You saw tonight, he finds a way to put the puck in the net. It's fun to watch and fun to be part of."

Nugent-Hopkins on Draisaitl's unselfish play late in the game to set up Puljujärvi for an empty-net goal:
"He could have easily shot that and got his hat trick but it's no surprise that he slides that over and puts it on a tee for Jesse. He creates a lot for us and hasn't got rewarded as of late but it's definitely good to see him put one in. He's been playing really well for us. It's no surprise Leon moves that over. It goes to show the team that we have in here. Nobody's too worried about who's scoring. The main thing is that we're scoring and we're winning."
Evan Bouchard on becoming a key member of the Oilers penalty kill, which went 3-for-4 on Wednesday:
"For a good penalty kill to work, you have to be on the same page and everyone has to know what they're doing. We prepare well and everyone embraces the role. It's an honour to play on the penalty kill and I think everyone cherishes that. That's what is making our penalty kill so good."