Nugent-Hopkins secures Oilers' OT victory
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins sealed the deal for the Edmonton Oilers with a clutch overtime goal just 1:18 into the extra period, securing a 4-3 victory over the Utah Hockey Club at Delta Center. On a breakaway, Nugent-Hopkins beat Karel Vejmelka with a precise shot from the right circle, blocker side.
“It’s nice to see them go in once in a while,” Nugent-Hopkins said postgame. “Quite a few times this year I’m either missing it by a couple inches or it’s goalies making a good stop.”
The Oilers, now 12-9-2, leaned heavily on their power play to get the job done, going 2-for-3 with the man advantage—marking the first time this season they’ve managed multiple power-play goals in a game. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each tallied a goal and an assist, while Calvin Pickard stood strong in net with 28 saves.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch credited the Oilers’ power-play efficiency and Vasily Podkolzin’s second-period goal for shifting the game’s momentum.
“The biggest thing was the power play,” Knoblauch explained. “Getting two power-play goals made the difference. Credit to Podkolzin for scoring that first one, giving us momentum, and the special teams came through tonight.”
McDavid’s power-play goal late in the second period gave Edmonton a brief 3-2 lead. After receiving a feed from Draisaitl, he buried a shot past Vejmelka’s glove from the left circle.
The Utah Hockey Club (9-10-4) didn’t make it easy. Alex Kerfoot opened the scoring in the first period, tapping in a slick cross-crease pass from Kevin Stenlund. Logan Cooley extended the lead to 2-0, cleaning up a rebound after Juuso Valimaki’s point shot slipped through traffic.
Utah head coach Andre Tourigny acknowledged the challenge of slowing Edmonton’s power play.
“Their power play is really tough to contain,” Tourigny admitted. “They wore us down. When we got tired, they capitalized.”
Lawson Crouse’s third-period goal tied the game at 3-3, giving Utah hope. After receiving a pass from Nick Bjugstad, Crouse scored from close range, beating Pickard glove side.
“I think it just speaks to our character,” Crouse said. “There’s no quit in this team. We didn’t get it done in overtime, but we’ll take the positives and get ready for tomorrow.”
The Oilers came alive midway through the game. Podkolzin’s second-period goal broke the ice for Edmonton, setting the stage for Draisaitl and McDavid to take over. Draisaitl tied the game with a power-play strike, firing into an open net after McDavid’s pass deflected off Ian Cole.
“I think we just found our legs,” Draisaitl said. “If you take care of the puck, good plays happen. It’s a snowball effect.”
Overtime was short-lived. Ryan Nugent Hopkins capitalized on a defensive mistake, won a foot race, and delivered a perfect shot to end it.
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