EDMONTON — Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist and Leon Draisaitl had two helpers as the Edmonton Oilers won their second game in a row, defeating the St. Louis Blues 4-2 on Saturday.
Corey Perry, Zach Hyman, and Troy Stecher also scored for the Oilers (15-10-2), who won five of their last six outings.
Dylan Holloway and Jake Neighbours responded for the Blues (13-13-2) who had a two-game winning streak halted and suffered their first regulation loss under new head coach Jim Montgomery, dropping to 4-1-1 in his brief tenure.
Stuart Skinner made 29 stops in net for the Oilers, while Jordan Binnington recorded 17 saves between the pipes for the Blues.
"I thought it was pretty solid for the most part," Edmonton's netminder said post-game of his team's performance. "There was a couple of details that we definitely left out, but that takes everyone to step up and be a little bit better... For myself personally, I thought I was pretty solid, could've helped out a little bit in some areas, but for the most part, I thought it was a solid team effort."
Skinner, who has now won four of his six last starts and allowed more than two goals just once in that span, seems to be rounding into the form that saw him backstop the Oilers to a 16-game win streak in early 2024 and to the Stanley Cup Final later in the spring.
Those efforts made the Edmonton native appear like a candidate for Team Canada at February's 4 Nations Face-Off, but his early-season struggles left him on the outside looking in of the final roster. And as chance would have it, Binnington, one of the three goalies set to don the Maple Leaf in a couple months' time was set up across from him on Saturday night.
Naturally, Skinner downplayed any extra importance in going up against the Blues, who, yes, have Binnington setting up shop in the crease, but are also run by Doug Armstrong, an advisor for the 4 Nations roster selection and Canada's GM for the 2026 Olympics.
"Moreso just cared about getting the two points tonight," Skinner said when asked about facing St. Louis post-roster announcement. "I'm happy that I beat Binner, obviously, because we won the game, but he beat me out (for) the spot for a reason. He's a hell of a goalie, so you just kind of see it for what it is.
"I didn't get picked and that's alright. It gives me an opportunity to keep on working hard. It gives me an opportunity for a little bit of rest. There is a blessing in disguise, which is I get to be a father to a newborn baby for a little while."
TAKEAWAYS
Blues: All eyes in Edmonton were on Blues defenceman Philip Broberg and forward Holloway, who were both poached away from the Oilers as restricted free-agent signings in the off-season. The cap-strapped Oilers were unable to match the offer sheets to the pair of young first-round draft picks. Both have already had career-high campaigns in goals, assists and points for the Blues this season, with Broberg coming into the contest with 12 points in just 15 games and Holloway posting 16 points. Both were also tied for the team lead at plus-seven.
With the pair's return, the Edmonton faithful did give Holloway and Broberg their fair share of boos during the contest.
"Oiler fans are very passionate," head coach Kris Knoblauch said after the game. "They love their team and are probably feeling that two players chose not to be here. The fans are showing their dis-appreciation for that. Ultimately, they're not showing hatred for the players, they're just showing support for their team."
Oilers: After an awfully slow start by his standards with only 10 points in his first 11 games, McDavid has caught fire since early November. McDavid, who became the 99th player in NHL history to hit the 1,000-point mark for his career on Nov. 19, has now recorded 27 points in his last 13 games. His second period assist was also his 123rd of the 2024 calendar year (including playoffs) matching Mario Lemieux’s highest total of his career in 1992. Only Wayne Gretzky has had more assists in a calendar year.
KEY MOMENT
The Oilers took a two-goal lead five minutes into the middle frame as a clearing attempt by Broberg caromed off a teammate into the slot to the worst possible opponent as McDavid picked it up and sent it through Binnington’s legs for his 13th goal of the season. It was McDavid’s 29th career unassisted goal.
KEY STAT
Hyman has doubled his seasonal goal total in his last two games. The 32-year-old Toronto native, who made a big leap forward last season with a career-high 54 goals, had a slow start to this year with just three goals in his first 20 games. However, after missing five games with injury, Hyman has recorded three goals in his last two games back to give him six on the season.
UP NEXT
Blues: Close out a four-game road trip in Vancouver against the Canucks on Tuesday.
Oilers: Remain home to host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.
— With files from Sportsnet Staff
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