The Edmonton Oilers celebrated their 8th straight win with a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Despite Connor Bedard's early goal, his 12th of the season, the Oilers dominated the game with standout performances from McDavid, currently on a 10-game point streak, Bouchard, on a 12-game point streak, and Skinner, who marked his 7th straight win with 22 saves. The victory also pushed the Oilers over .500 for the first time this season. Bedard downplayed his own performance, emphasizing the team's achievements over individual accolades.
Bedard Snipes but McDavid Shines. #LetsGoOilers #Blackhawks https://t.co/lWwFMklyBk
Connor Bedard unimpressed by his goal: "Just had a shot and went in."
Conor Bedard unimpressed by his goal: "Just had a shot and went in."
The @EdmontonOilers win their 8th straight. EDM's 4th line of Gagner (1-1-2)-Hamblin-Ryan with a big goal for the 2nd consecutive game! McDavid 0-2-2, 10-game point streak (6-19-25) Bouchard 0-2-2, 12-game point streak (5-13-18) Skinner solid, 22 saves, has won 7 straight starts
Bedard and McDavid shared the ice for 6:45 of 5v5. In that time, the Blackhawks had a 7-6 advantage in shot attempts, 3-1 in shots on goal, 4-3 in scoring chances and 1-0 in goals, per Natural Stat Trick. McDavid and the Oilers obviously did their damage elsewhere, though.
It only took 26 games, but #LetsGoOilers are finally over .500 for the first time this season after a 4-1 win tonight against Chicago, their 8th consecutive victory. Helluva turnaround. Amazing what happens when you get stable play between the pipes (1.63 GAA during the streak).
The Oilers cruise to a 4-1 victory over Chicago. Make it eight straight wins.
FINAL: Oilers 4, Blackhawks 1 Hawks get locked down after Bedard's early goal and lose their 7th consecutive road game.
Hyman scores on a power play to make it 4-1 Oilers. Assists to McDavid and Bouchard. That's Hyman's 16th goal of the season.
GOAL, Oilers. Hawks trail 4-1. Hyman tap-in in front for the PPG.
GOAL: Hyman. 4-1 Oilers. Redirect in front.
2nd intermission: Oilers 3, Blackhawks 1 Hawks face an uphill climb after Zaitsev's...miscue. The stats are what you would expect. Shot attempts: 34-51 EDM Shots on goal: 19-22 EDM Scoring chances: 16-27 EDM
END OF PERIOD 2: Nikita Zaitsev's own-goal sends the Oilers into the locker room with a 3-1 lead. Shots are 22-19 Edmonton.
Oh man, Nikita Zaitsev just redirected the puck into his own net. #Blackhawks https://t.co/XD8h70KQRf
Draisaitl throws the puck in front from the sideboards and it goes off Zaitsev's stick and in. Assists to Ceci and Gagner. 3-1 Oilers
GOAL, Oilers. Hawks trail 3-1. Zaitsev with the ownest of own goals you'll ever see. Oh no.
GOAL: Zaitsev just scored into his own net. Deflected in a Draisaitl shot. Oof.
Halfway through the game, the Blackhawks, with four rookies on the back end, have held the Oilers to just 12 shots on goal.
First Period Ice Time in Edmonton. Bedard 6:11 McDavid 6:10 They have not disappointed.
1st intermission: Oilers 2, Blackhawks 1 A very entertaining period. Bedard and Crevier each nearly tied it in the final seconds. SOG 14-9 Hawks.
END OF PERIOD 1: McDavid's team 2, Bedard's team 1. It's a track meet. Fun stuff out there.
A nice forecheck by Brett Kulak (!!) leads to Derek Ryan setting up Sam Gagner for a goal. 2-1 Oilers.
GOAL, Oilers. Hawks trail 2-1. Gagner pops it over Mrazek after Kulak and Ryan beat Phillips and Johnson in a battle below the goal line.
GOAL: Gagner off a bang-bang pass from behind the net by Ryan. 2-1 Oilers.
Connor Bedard just took a line-drive pass from Connor Murphy and somehow deadened it softly, straight down to his feet so he could handle it without breaking stride. That might have been cooler than the shot earlier.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins finishes off a saucer pass from Connor McDavid. The Oilers tie it 1-1.
GOAL, Oilers. Tied 1-1. Nugent-Hopkins picks the corner after beating Roos (and kinda Reichel) down the center of the ice.
CONNOR BEDARD STRIKES FIRST 🚨 📺: ESPN https://t.co/DetFP4r6xY
Connor Bedard scores his 12th of the season https://t.co/7eC8GPGOTq
BEDARD STRIKES FIRST IN THE BATTLE OF THE CONNORS! 🚨 (🎥: @Sportsnet) https://t.co/MmJL2x7bxg
Bedard just introduced himself to McDavid and the Oilers @barstoolchicago @spittinchiclets https://t.co/8eayilIAYi
Just casually watching some hockey and holy cow what a goal by Connor Bedard
Connor Bedard and Connor McDavid are facing off for the first time tonight 🔥 Bedard has the early advantage 😱https://t.co/tbPB3NiWcJ
Bedard's the first Connor to score tonight and that release is just 🥵 https://t.co/xmkDvnZJA1
BEDARD STRIKES FIRST IN THE BATTLE OF THE CONNORS!! 🚨 https://t.co/AuXtD8XxDr
Burst of speed. Quick hands. Typical Connor goal by Bedard in McDavid’s rink.
What a shot by Connor Bedard. He move the puck from his backhand to his forehand and looked like he flicked it past Stuart Skinner's glove in an instant. 1-0 CHI
Cheers and polite applause (with a few scattered boos) when Bedard's goal is announced.
GOAL: Bedard. I guess he's the best Connor now. 1-0.
GOAL, Blackhawks. 1-0 lead. Bedard. Snipe. Ridiculous.
A sea of orange, with a dash of red…getting ready for McDavid v Bedard. @Sportsnet at 8 mountain. https://t.co/NoJhAsacKD
From @TSNRyanRishaug - Previewing Connor McDavid and Connor Bedard facing off for the first time, and discussing the biggest change in Edmonton's that's helped right the ship: https://t.co/8rzaReXuyg https://t.co/YGFyBZR20a
Some No. 1 picks hit the ground running. Some need time to acclimate to the NHL level. Connor Bedard’s first 25 games have been a mix of both. How does he stack up to other top overall selections? @domluszczyszyn examines ⤵️ https://t.co/XfPiRsY5wq https://t.co/4oMsz1sCVE
Connor Bedard in Edmonton today. #98 vs #97 tonight. https://t.co/XwxZWUbTn5
It’s Connor vs. Connor tonight. Better drink a late coffee. There have been many gripes at the rink this a.m. about the 10 ET/9CT/8MT puck drop — and not just from the media. At least it gives you more time to read this from me and @MarkLazerus: https://t.co/O9y3px42rB
Aside from having the same first name, there have been a lot of comparisons made between Bedard & McDavid. We know how the Oilers captain has made out in his career, but who's had the more impressive start? More from @martybiron43 in The Talking Point: https://t.co/gonYGU6Iti https://t.co/nQGsqwfzt2
How has Connor Bedard looked in his first 25 NHL games compared to past No. 1 picks? @domluszczyszyn with the analysis: https://t.co/8SC4uLRxvf
Today on THE DROP: - Has Ovechkin's scoring slump killed the Gretzky chase? - Jonathan Quick revival - Why Shohei Ohtani should scare the @EdmontonOilers. - Bedard vs. McDavid + we rank every Connor in the world. Wherever you get podcasts and watch here: https://t.co/W89cuXBszD
How does Connor Bedard's start stack up against previous No. 1 picks? @domluszczyszyn dives into the numbers to find out: https://t.co/CsqoOggEPg
How has Connor Bedard looked in his first 25 NHL games compared to past No. 1 picks? ⤵️ https://t.co/9HvESffwAm
What the hell happened to Alex Ovechkin's goal-scoring? Is the Gretzky record chase in trouble? We dive into that, Bedard vs. McDavid, the Perron suspension and more on THE DROP! Available on all podcast platforms (search NHL on ESPN) or watch here: https://t.co/SPWwuCPfWy
HOT OR NOT presented by @MontanasBBQ - Taking into consideration age and future performance, is Connor Bedard a better option than Connor McDavid to build a franchise around right now? More from @KevinWeekes: https://t.co/fBCedyVO96 https://t.co/0t9ICnMLOb
Tuesday's episode of THE DROP has lots of Connor vs. Connor coverage, including my interview with Connor McDavid on getting older and watching Bedard. THE DROP is available on all podcasting platforms and YouTube. Search "NHL on ESPN." It's a fun one! https://t.co/qEOjd124gp
This Bedard assist from last night is *chef's kiss*. 😮💨 (🎥: @NHLBlackhawks) https://t.co/9oLO6PJ3q4
Connor McDavid was chasing Sidney Crosby's standard when he entered the NHL. Now, Connor Bedard is chasing his. Is Connor vs. Connor the NHL’s next great rivalry? (w/ @MarkLazerus) Hear from Nugent-Hopkins, Gagner, N. Foligno, Murphy, and the Connors: https://t.co/RY4HWa5lKQ
Can Alex Ovechkin get back on track in pursuit of the NHL goals record? Why Bruce Boudreau believes. My latest for @TheAthletic ⤵️ https://t.co/WgcCREpnd0
"You look at what MJ did, he’d find motivation in any little thing. The greats usually do." Connor McDavid & Connor Bedard are very different players at different career stages. But starting tomorrow, they're likely to bring the best out of each other. ⤵️ https://t.co/V5Q4WlbAIH
Could Connor McDavid and Connor Bedard forge the NHL’s next great rivalry? 🔗 https://t.co/Tx7iGrOlcT