GAME STORY: Oilers 3, Coyotes 2

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Edmonton plays one final game before the Christmas break on Friday in San Jose. The game can be seen on Sportsnet Oilers and heard on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630 CHED. Puck drop is 8:38 p.m. MST.
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"It was a big win for us here," McLellan continued. "A couple buildings on this trip here where we haven't had a lot of success. I liked the start. The middle was average. The back-end was a lot of penalty kill and we put ourselves in that situation. Our goaltender was excellent and some of our guys had some good clear attempts at the end there to keep it alive."
Right near the end of the game, brawls broke out after Hendricks was crushed into the boards trying to beat out an icing call. Kassian then hammered Ekman-Larsson into the end boards before fighting Anthony Duclair and Letestu and Hanzal squared off in a fight at the same time.
"Sometimes those guy are stars in their own way, too," McLellan said, talking about the Hendricks, Kassian, Letestu line which was all over the ice all night long and put up seven points on the scoresheet. "The way they grind it out, the way they penalty kill you have to have a whole bunch of different types of ingredients to come up with wins in this League. As the year drags on and games get heavier and harder, those types of players become even more important.
"We've seen them now two games in a row basically take charge of the group and lead us."
Kassian got five minutes for intent to injure on the play and on the ensuing man advantage, Arizona scored when Ekman-Larsson put the puck over the line during a mad scramble in front of Cam Talbot to make it a 3-2 game.
"We're equipped to play however the play is dictated. I didn't necessarily agree with all the calls -- the match call (on Kassian) certainly and I didn't agree with the Gryba major but whatever," the head coach remarked.
For Letestu, the fight signified his second career "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" which means a goal, assist and fight in the same game.
"Two teams that are competing really hard," Letestu stated. "When you're going into the circle sometimes there's shots exchanged and things boil over. There's nothing sinister there, just two guys competing hard and things boil over."
Letestu's goal came just over eight minutes into the opening period. He powered down the right wing side and after making an excellent move, rifled a shot off the post behind Arizona starting goaltender Mike Smith. Then 10 seconds later, Letestu got the puck a second time at the bottom of the right circle and made no mistake, whipping a shot in to open the scoring.
Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett challenged the play, contesting that there was goaltender interference by Matt Hendricks in front of the Arizona net but after a lengthy review it was determined that it was a good goal with no interference.
Edmonton then had a pair of power plays - one which was unsuccessful followed by another which converted 59 seconds in. Letestu's shot from the slot went off Jordan Martinook in front and then off Milan Lucic's right skate before going into the net.
With 3:36 to go in the first, Matt Hendricks hit Chychrun into the boards, injuring the Coyotes blueliner. Chychrun had to be helped off the ice.
Shots on goal after the opening 20 minutes were 12-11 for the Oilers.
The Oilers fourth line did some more damage 2:27 into the middle frame. After some repeated shots on net, the puck bounced to Hendricks in front and he put the puck past an outstretched Smith to make it a 3-0 lead.
"It's easy chemistry with those guys," said Letestu of his linemates. "We all play very similar. We like to get the puck in on the forecheck, get to the dirty areas and score goals. Tonight we were fortunate, especially off the end-wall there with Hendo - the winner. We've been consistent over the last little stretch here and were rewarded with some goals."
11 seconds after the Hendricks goal, the fourth line almost scored again. Zack Kassian wrapped the puck in but it was ruled no goal due to goaltender interference by Hendricks.
Pouliot took two minutes for hooking in the Coyotes zone, setting up Arizona's first power play of the game midway through the period and they converted 1:38 later.
Radim Vrbata teed up a one-timer from the left point that was tipped by Martin Hanzal in front, beating Cam Talbot top corner to bring the home side to within a pair of goals.
Shots on goal after two were even at 20-20 but Oilers had a 3-1 lead.
Five minutes into the third, Smith made an unbelievable stop while down and out on Draisaitl, reaching out in desperation to steal the puck off the goal line after Draisaitl corralled a feed from McDavid.
A minute after that, Gryba crushed Chychrun into the boards and then fell on top of the Coyotes rookie defender. Luke Schenn then rushed to the defence of his partner, dropping the gloves with Gryba. Gryba won that one handily, getting a bunch of punches in and busting open Schenn.
The result of everything was five minutes to Gryba for a hit to the head and a game misconduct plus two minutes for instigating to Schenn. This meant a four-on-four situation.
30 seconds into the four-on-four, Vrbata got two for hooking to give the Oilers a four-on-three power play. Coyotes were able to kill that one off and OIlers were subsequently able to kill off the rest of that major.
With 7:26 to go, Maroon dropped the gloves with Lawson Crouse for a very brief fight that saw both combatants tumble to the ice quickly to add to the physical storyline.