In the last game of 2024, the Edmonton Oilers played the type of game we have known from them in 2024. After playing one of the worst games of the season against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday the Oilers played a full 60 minutes and controlled the play a majority of the time.
Scoring Breakdown
1st Period
- Edmonton Goal: Mattias Ekholm opened the scoring at 4:26 with a well-aimed slap shot, assisted by Vasily Podkolzin and Evan Bouchard. Edmonton led 1-0 early.
- Utah Goal: Just over a minute later, Jack McBain equalized for Utah at 6:00, set up by Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley. The period ended tied 1-1.
2nd Period
- Edmonton Goal: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins regained the lead for Edmonton at 4:53, scoring on a wide-open net with help from Connor McDavid and Connor Brown, making it 2-1.
- Edmonton Goal: Troy Stecher extended the Oilers' lead just 20 seconds later at 5:13 with a bit if an ugly goal, assisted by Connor Brown (his second of the game) and Connor McDavid. Edmonton ended the period up 3-1.
3rd Period
- Edmonton Goal: Leon Draisaitl sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 18:58, assisted by Ty Emberson and Mattias Ekholm.
Tied for second
With the win and the 2 points the Edmonton Oilers are once again tied for second in the Pacific Division. They are now tied with the LA Kings again at 47 points, although the Kings do have one less game played. Both teams are trailing the leading Vegas Golden Knights, who currently have 53 points. While there are still 45 games left it will be hard to catch up Golden Knights. The Knights are a good team and if the Oilers want to catch up, they need to start beating the weaker teams, the loss to the Ducks was a tough one to swallow.
The good news for the Oilers is they get a chance to bounce back against the Ducks on Friday as they face the Ducks again, but this time it will be in Edmonton. I would expect the Oilers to play a much better game than they did last game against the Ducks (not that it could get much worse).
The Oilers now have a couple fo days off. I hope they use the time to make their game better, the problem we have seen with this Oilers team is when they get time off, they lose their game. If the Oilers hope to take over top spot in the Pacific Division they will need to beat the Ducks on Friday, if they lose to the Ducks again that will be a total of 4 points this season lost to the Ducks.