OILERS at ISLANDERS
STREAM: 5:30 p.m. MT; televised on Sportsnet 360
Oilers Team Scope
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl scored in a 5-2 loss for the Oilers to Devils at Prudential Center that stretched the Devils' win streak to 13 games and secured the Newark, NJ side the season sweep.
"It was obviously a tough game, a tough loss. They're obviously a great team. They're obviously hot right now as well," goaltender Stuart Skinnr, who made 23 saves, said post-game. "They've got some great players that make some great plays, and that was just tough to lose -- especially two in a row to these guys. But all we can do is learn from our mistakes and move on."
The two sides power-play goals in the first period, but New Jersey played a tight game and was the benefactor of some mistakes in the middle frame from the Oilers to take a 3-1 lead that they wouldn't give up despite Nugent-Hopkins pulling one back in the final frame.
"When you play a team that's on the roll that they're on, they make you pay for those individual errors," Head Coach Jay Woodcroft said. "We were made to pay tonight on some of our mistakes."
Islanders Team Scope
The Islanders snapped a two-game losing streak and finished a four-game road trip an even 2-2-0 with an exciting 3-2 comeback overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday that was finished off by Anthony Beauviller in extra time.
Their four wins when trailing after two periods this season is tied for the most in the NHL after only getting one win when trailing after two periods last campaign.
"When you've lost a couple it could be easy to just kind of pack it in," forward Cal Clutterbuck said. "But it's never really been our style."
Defenceman Noah Dobson recorded a goal and assist, and Josh Bailey added a goal. Clutterbuck recorded nine hits to become the NHL's all-time hits leader with 3,625 in the win, surpassing former Los Angeles King Dustin Brown (3,622).
"I guess one thing is that not many guys have records," Clutterbuck said. "The thing I'm most proud of is it's probably a record of longevity and consistency. And you know, it's just something that I'm proud of, I guess. It's something that it's a little bit of a validation of the amount of work I've kind of put into it and the consistency which I've been able to go out there and do it with."
The Islanders are 10-4-0 since losing four of their first six games.
By The Numbers
The Oilers continue to do well with the man advantage, going 1-for-4 on the power play on Monday vs Devils... It was their 21st power play goal this season & their 14th game recording a power play... Oilers have scored 31.8 percent of their goals on the power play this season... The Oilers currently have the second best power play in the NHL this season... They have finished in the top three in each of the previous three seasons but have struggled on the penalty kill this season, going 56-for-77... The Oilers are allowing 11.7 shots against per game in the first period this season -- second most in the NHL...
On Monday, the Oilers allowed five goals in a game for the fifth time this season... Excluding shootout goals, they've allowed at least four goals in 10 of their 19 games this season... The Islanders got another goal from a defenceman on Monday, as Dobson opened the scoring for his sixth goal of the season to make it 16 goals from Islanders d-men this campaign -- first in the NHL... The Islanders have been outscored in each of the first two periods, but they have a +12 goal differential in the third period... The Islanders have struggled on the penalty kill recently, allowing a PPG in 10 of their last 12 games...
Injury Report
OILERS - Tyler Benson (knee) is on a conditioning assignment in Bakersfield; Oscar Klefbom (shoulder) is on IR; Mike Smith (undisclosed) is on IR.
ISLANDERS - N/A
-- Jamie Umbach, EdmontonOilers.com