Oilers' penalty kill perfect, snap losing streak with win against Lightning

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Edmonton forward Evander Kane was cut on the left wrist by a skate blade Tuesday night and taken to the hospital with a frightening injury during the Oilers' 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

The Oilers said Kane was in stable condition and scheduled to undergo a procedure Tuesday night.

“The news that I’ve received so far, it’s very limited, is that he’s in a good spot,” Edmonton coach Jay Woodcroft said. “He’s getting well taken care of.”

Kane got tangled with Lightning defenseman Philippe Myers just inside the Edmonton defensive zone and while on the ice was cut by Tampa Bay forward Pat Maroon's skate blade 3:27 into the second period.

“You cringe when you see that,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “It was tough to see. Hopefully he's going to be OK because you know, hockey, you battle against each other. It's a war (but) we're still a family.”

Kane grabbed the lacerated area with his right hand and rushed to the bench before heading for the locker room.

“It's scary, certainly scary,” Oilers star Connor McDavid said. “I think you could feel the energy in the entire rink kind of just get sucked out. We're thinking about him. We're hearing he's doing OK, but that's obviously initial.”

McDavid had a goal and an assist for the Oilers, who had lost three straight. Jack Campbell made 35 saves, and Warren Foegele and Leon Draisaitl added goals.

Campbell made a number of strong saves during the final minute.

McDavid extended his point streak to eight games (nine goals, 19 points). He has 14 goals in 14 games this season.

Draisaitl has a five-game goal streak, and a point in nine consecutive games (seven goals, 18 points).

Cooper called McDavid and Draisaitl “human highlight films.”

“Think about McDavid, we’re in the best league in the world, with the fastest players in the world, and he sticks out like a sore thumb,” Cooper said. “Draisaitl, he’s just a horse. He’s got the whole package.”

Brandon Hagel and Alex Killorn had the Tampa Bay goals, and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 26 shots. 

Lightning star Nikita Kucherov extended his point streak to 11 games (14 assists, 20 points) with an assist, but had his six-game goal streak snapped. He left briefly late in the second after being slashed on the wrist.

McDavid and Draisaitl had power-play goals during the opening 4:07 of the second to put the Oilers up 3-1.

Killorn made it 3-2 just 49 seconds into the third.

Oilers defenseman Ryan Murray preserved the one-goal advantage when he swiped away Maroon's in-close shot off the goal line with eight minutes to play.

After giving up the first eight shots, the Oilers opened the scoring when Foegele had a short-handed goal 7:15 into the game on Edmonton’s initial shot.

Hagel tied it 2:08 after Foegele’s goal. Tampa Bay outshot Edmonton 16-7 in the first period — the Oilers arrived at their Tampa hotel around 3 a.m. after losing 5-4 at Washington on Monday night.

The Oilers killed off all five short-handed situations after allowing four power-play goals to the Capitals. Edmonton went 2 for 4 on the power play.

ELITE TALENT

It was the first NHL game to feature the last six Art Ross Trophy winners since Game 5 of the 2001 Eastern Conference finals, when New Jersey defeated Jaromir Jagr, Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Kucherov, McDavid and Draisaitl have combined to lead the NHL in points for each of the last six seasons.

“You’ve got some star power on the ice,” Cooper said.

NUMBERS

Kucherov has 12 assists and 22 points in 13 games against Edmonton. … McDavid has nine goals and 14 points in nine games against Tampa Bay. … Foegele stopped an 18-game goal drought. ... Lightning C Steven Stamkos had five shots on goal but his goal drought reached eight straight games. He opened the season with seven during a five-game streak.

UP NEXT

Oilers: Play the third of a four-game Eastern Conference trip Thursday night at Carolina.

Lightning: Play at Washington on Friday night.