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OILERS TODAY | Jessica Kent wraps up the game
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POST-GAME RAW | Oilers head coach Ken Hitchcock
WHAT'S NEXT
Edmonton returns home on Tuesday against the Arizona Coyotes. 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
Just like the first two matchups of the three-game trip, the Oilers jumped out to an early shot advantage and looked to be on the offensive right out of the gate, outshooting the Islanders 13-4 at the midway mark of the first period, though things remained scoreless after 20.
"I thought the first period was the best we played all year on the road," said Head Coach Ken Hitchcock. "We've just got to take positives from this and hopefully we can continue to do it."
Despite the strong start from the visitors, push back from the home side saw the Islanders get rewarded first when a bomb from Ryan Pulock on the power play at the outset of the second period put them up 1-0. The Oilers had a man-advantage of their own minutes later and had their best look to tie it when a rebound popped out to Oscar Klefbom but Islanders goalie Robin Lehner stretched out to make a beautiful pad save, robbing the Oilers d-man of what had the makings of a sure-fire equalizer.
Valtteri Filppula added to the Islanders with 6:03 remaining in the second on a deft deflection in front that caught the top corner over Mikko Koskinen's left shoulder to make it 2-0.
With the Oilers frustrated on the scoresheet early once again, those frustrations seem to boil over in the form of some physical play as Darnell Nurse and Anders Lee dropped the mitts for a spirited scrap in the latter stages of the middle frame, resulting in dual fighting majors, a minor penalty each and an accompanying ten-minute major to the Oilers d-man.
The blueliner spoke post-game and echoed a recurring theme in the locker room during this three-game swing.
"We're doing a lot of things really well that we've been working on and working on and it's tough not to get the results," said Nurse. "But for us, it's important not to gt discouraged and bring that hardworking attitude each and every day."
Mired in a continued streak of plenty of shots, but little to show for it, the Oilers first goal of the game came on a simple point shot floated in by Kris Russell where Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was ready in front to tip one past the hot Robin Lehner for his 18th of the season to draw the Oilers within one with three seconds remaining in the second period.
Despite the goal giving them some life late in the second, the Oilers weren't able to harness any momentum early in the 3rd and New York took advantage with Matt Barzal giving them the 3-1 lead with another tipped point shot past Koskinen.
