THIRD PERIOD
0.0: The Oilers five-game winning streak comes to an end on Sunday with a 7-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild. Benson notched his first career NHL goal, Kane picked up his fifth as an Oiler and Hyman netted his 18th while Smith allowed four goals on seven shots and Koskinen made 12 saves in relief. Edmonton gets back into action Wednesday when they touch down in Tampa Bay for a date with the Lightning.
1:06: HYMAN! The Oilers winger is sprung on a partial break by Ryan McLeod then goes to his backhand on Kahkonen for his 18th of the year and fifth in his last six games! | MIN 7, EDM 3
3:07: Koskinen holds the puck to get a whistle and then the extracurricular activities ensue between the two sides as frustration boils over for the Oilers.
10:12: Cody Ceci trips Fiala down as the two are battling for puck possession and is shown the gate. Edmonton goes to the penalty kill.
11:35: Evan Bouchard sends a laser at the net from between the dots and it almost fools Kahkonen as it hits the outside of the post and goes wide.
14:24: Zuccarello goes upstairs on a breakaway to put up the Wild’s seventh goal of the evening. | MIN 7, EDM 2
20:00: The third period has begun!
we have to post these. 🥲#LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/ornkCDqbBB
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) February 21, 2022
SECOND PERIOD
0.0: Benson scores his first career NHL goal but the Wild still holds a four-goal advantage to enter the third period.
1:03: Mats Zuccarello slams a one-timer at Koskinen from Main St. but the keeper eats it in his breadbasket.
4:02: BENNY! Hometown product Tyler Benson cleans up the garbage in the blue paint to collect his first National Hockey League goal! Assists go to Hyman and Lagesson. Grab that puck! | MIN 6, EDM 2
5:39: Matt Boldy strikes with a wrister from the top of the key. That’s the rookie’s eighth score of the season. | MIN 6, EDM 1
5:55: Minnesota defender Jonas Brodin blocks shots from Kane and McDavid, and Draisaitl is stopped from his office at the side of the net as Edmonton’s top unit fails to convert while up a man.
8:24: Yamamoto tries to make a play to Kane in the goalmouth but is prevented from doing so due to defender Dmitry Kulikov being draped all over him. The former Oiler heads to the sin bin for holding, giving the Oilers a power play.
11:32: Connor Dewar’s wrist shot from the point dings the iron then catches a fortunate bounce off the back of Koskinen’s leg to go in and restore the Wild’s four-goal lead. | MIN 5, EDM 1
12:40: The Oilers are showing well in the middle stanza with a 4-0 shot margin to start the period. The best chance thus far came from Hyman dangling towards the net before losing grip of the puck, which squirted out to McDavid at the top of the crease but his shot attempt was handcuffed.
20:00: The second period has begun!
Okay not ideal but we have 40 to play. #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/IzuUl1x1Va
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) February 21, 2022
FIRST PERIOD
0.0: The first period comes to a close with the Oilers in a three-goal hole. Kane got the club on the board and Koskinen stopped the bleeding but the home side has their work cut out for them in the remaining 40 minutes of play.
3:28: BRING THE KANE! The Oilers work the puck around the perimeter before Ryan Nugent-Hopkins filters it to the net. Evander Kane gets a piece of it with his leg to tally his fifth of the season and get the Oilers on the board. Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl nab the helpers. | MIN 4, EDM 1
5:06: Bjugstad takes out Hyman with his skate to signal a tripping penalty. The Oilers get a chance to gain some life on the power play.
6:22: Fiala corrals a loose puck in the Oilers zone and fires it past Smith’s blocker to notch his second of the period and make it a four-goal game. Smith is pulled in goal and replaced by Mikko Koskinen, who stopped 22 shots Saturday in a 4-2 win against the Jets.
8:31: The Wild counter Edmonton’s pushback by pressing for a fourth goal, this time seeing a net-front feed intended for Bjugstad deflect off his stick and wide.
11:53: The Oilers gain some pressure in the Wild zone as William Lagesson tracks down from the point then tries to find a teammate in front while the cage gapes wide but no Oiler is home to put it back. Shots are 5-3 MIN.
13:43: Kevin Fiala skates inside the offensive zone, toe-drags then goes glove side to make it a three-goal game with his 15th of the season. The Oilers are in tough to start the game, down by a trio. | MIN 3, EDM 0
14:39: Joel Eriksson Ek slams a wrister through Smith from in-tight to gain a two-goal lead early in the first. This one comes on the power play. | MIN 2, EDM 0
15:24: Kailer Yamamoto brings Kirill Kaprizov down along the boards to warrant a tripping minor. Minnesota gets the game’s first power play.
17:11: Brandon Duhaime finds some soft ice near the slot and rips Nick Bjugstad’s pass top corner to open the scoring for Minnesota. | MIN 1, EDM 0
18:31: Smith gloves down Jared Spurgeon’s wrister from the right side for his first puck touch of the night.
20:00: Game on! Mike Smith gets the nod in net as the Oilers look for their sixth straight victory with Jay Woodcroft in charge. McDavid enters the contest on a six-game point streak while Zach Hyman has four goals in his last five outings.
Smith’s net. #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/hc9Oy76UEy
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) February 21, 2022
TONIGHT’S LINEUP
Hyman – McDavid – Yamamoto
Kane – Draisaitl – McLeod
Foegele – RNH – Ryan
Benson – Sceviour
Nurse – Bouchard
Lagesson – Ceci
Niemelainen/Broberg – Barrie
Smith
Koskinen
OUT: Brendan Perlini, Devin Shore
OILERS TODAY | Pre-Game vs. MIN