Koskinen Shuts Down New Jersey, Oilers Blank Devils 4-0
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Alex Chiasson had a goal and an assist and Mikko Koskinen made 26 saves as the Edmonton Oilers snapped a two-game losing streak with a 4-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Friday night.
Leon Draisaitl, Gaetan Haas and James Neal also scored for the Oilers (11-5-2), who improved to 6-2-1 at home.
The Devils (4-7-4) have lost two straight.
There was no scoring in the first period, with the best chance going to New Jersey. Taylor Hall rang a shot off the post behind Koskinen on a breakaway with nine minutes left in the first.
Edmonton got on the board two minutes into the second period when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins sent Draisaitl in on a breakaway and he scored on a back-handed shot past Devils goalie Cory Schneider.
With his 14th goal of the season, Draisaitl extended his points streak to eight games. Oilers defenseman Joel Persson also picked up his first NHL point on the play.
The Oilers added to their lead with four minutes left in the second. Haas tipped home a shot from the point by Matt Benning.
Just 66 seconds later it was 3-0. Neal picked up the rebound off a shot by Persson in front and scored his 12th goal of the season.
The Oilers got a power-play goal six minutes into the third period as Chiasson tipped a Nugent-Hopkins shot past Schneider for his first goal of the season.
NOTES:
It was the second and final game between the clubs this season, with Edmonton winning the first 4-3 in a shootout.
Devils defenseman Sami Vatanen left the game with a first-period injury and did not return. The game featured five of the last 10 first-overall picks in the NHL in Connor McDavid, Jack Hughes, Nugent-Hopkins, Hall and Nico Hischier.
The Oilers got a pair of forwards back from injury in Riley Sheahan and Josh Archibald. Jesper Bratt returned from an upper-body injury for the Devils.
UP NEXT:
The Devils finish a five-game trip at Vancouver on Sunday.
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