There is no question that the Edmonton Oilers Saturday night game against the Washington Capitals on Hockey Night in Canada was one of the most exciting games to watch from the team in recent memory.
Evan Bouchard joins Bobby Orr as the only defenceman in NHL history to record six points and eight shots on goal in a single game 🤯
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 25, 2026
(h/t @SNstats) pic.twitter.com/uJ4DRgVayo
It was a back-and-forth affair the entire game, with both teams trading chances and goals from start to finish. The game was won off a late effort from the Oilers to tie the game and send it to overtime, where captain Connor McDavid carried the team on his back and put the game away.
Oilers stars show playoff-ready perseverance
Although most people will say that coaches hate a game like Saturday night's 11-goal match, Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch must take some solace in the fact his team was able to come back from a 3-2 deficit heading into the final frame.
It takes a special team to be able to hold onto a lead but it is equally impressive when a team is able to fight back from behind and win a game. However, it is a good idea to get out of the habit of playing behind or it will inevitably come back to bite you down the road.
The Oilers coming out on top of this game is even more important given the previous two outings both being losses. This win staves off a three-game losing streak and gives the team a chance to inch closer to the 2026 Olympic break next month on the right foot.
Oilers need a top-nine forward
Despite the heroics of captain McDavid and the hattrick from star defenceman Evan Bouchard, there was a clear lack of production from throughout the Oilers lineup. Not only were the goal scorers (McDavid, Bouchard, and Zach Hyman) all from the top line and top pair, nobody who even got an assist was from outside the top-six or top-four.
The Oilers have been reportedly interested in upgrading their top-nine forward group and this game is a great example of why. You need your stars to show up, especially when it matters but you cannot solely rely on their contributions and that is something that the Oilers do too often.
Goaltending is still up in the air
Only a few games ago, the Oilers looked to have a hot goaltending tandem as they reach the final stretch before the Olympic break. Tristan Jarry and Connor Ingram traded shutouts against the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues but then after two straight losses and a game that saw Ingram get pulled after allowing three goals on 11 shots, all of a sudden the goaltending seems much less stable.
Jarry was able to come in near the end of the second period and stop the bleeding, allowing only two goals on 15 shots and picking up the 'W'. However, his save percentage in the game was still a rough .867, coming off a game where he allowed six goals on 23 shots for a .739 save percentage.
Ingram, who was the Oilers most statistically reliable goalie with a .917 save percentage in nine games this season, he was chased from the crease after giving up three on 12 shots for a .750 save percentage on the game.
If the Oilers current tandem cannot figure it out, they may have to give struggling third string goalie Calvin Pickard another shot.
Oilers brass will need to be confident in their tandem heading into the playoffs this year, luckily the club has five games before the Olympic break to evaluate their netminders. We will see how they look heading into the break but general manager Stan Bowman and his staff may be forced to look beyond their depth forward group at the trade deadline.