Ryan Spooner's first goal since joining the Oilers held up as the game winner and Connor McDavid scored yet another highlight-reel tally as host Edmonton beat the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 Saturday night.
Oilers goalie Mikko Koskinen provided a 31-save effort to solidify his case as the club's new number-one goalie, having won every game in his team's three-game winning streak. By comparison, the Oilers won just two of 10 games prior to their current run.
Koskinen was especially strong at the bookends of the game -- looming large not just in the final moments while the Golden Knights desperately pushed for the equalizer, but also in the early going when the visitors had the early jump.
Shots on goal were 8-2 for the Golden Knights when McDavid pulled his team out of the doldrums by opening the scoring at 6:11 of the first period. Just after Koskinen made a couple of great saves, McDavid beat the defenseman on a one-on-one rush to create a partial breakaway and flicked a forehand shot as he appeared to be deking to his backhand for his 14th goal of the season.
William Karlsson tied the game 1-1 at 12:17 of the second period. Off the rush, Jonathan Marschessault sent the puck to the front of the net, and it took a lucky bounce right to Karlsson, whose shot went off the far post and into the cage to run his goal-scoring streak to four games.
Spooner restored the Edmonton lead at 5:50 of the third period with his first goal since going to the Oilers via trade from the New York Rangers last month. Ty Rattie stole the puck near the end boards and Jujhar Khaira sent it to the slot for Spooner, who quickly fired and beat Marc-Andre Fleury.
Fleury made 32 saves in a losing effort that saw Vegas's five-game winning streak snapped.
--Field Level Media
Vegas | Edmonton | |
William Karlsson 1 | Points | Connor McDavid 1 |
William Karlsson 1 | Goals | Connor McDavid 1 |
William Karlsson 0 | Assists | Leon Draisaitl 1 |
N/A | Power Play Goals | N/A |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Marc-Andre Fleury .941 | Save Percentage | Mikko Koskinen .969 |
Marc-Andre Fleury 32 | Saves | Mikko Koskinen 31 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Vegas | 32 | 1 | 0-3 | 3-3 | 6 | 25 |
Edmonton | 34 | 2 | 0-3 | 3-3 | 6 | 24 |