McLeod scores 2, Oilers top Arizona for 7 straight home wins
Mar 28, 2022, 9:39 AM | Updated: 10:18 pm
Edmonton Oilers' Zach Hyman (18) celebrates a goal against the Arizona Coyotes during second-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, March 28, 2022. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
(Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Ryan McLeod had two goals and an assist and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Arizona Coyotes 6-1 on Monday night.
“As a group, we were pretty motivated after that last game,” McLeod said of the Oilers’ 9-5 loss to Calgary two nights earlier. “Everyone was pretty frustrated and we came out pretty motivated.
“It was good to see our response.”
Connor McDavid, Warren Foegele, Zach Hyman and Leon Draisaitl also scored for the Oilers, who have won seven straight home games.
“It was really important that we learned a lesson from our last game,” said Oilers goalie Mikko Koskinen, who made 31 saves. “We really wanted to bounce back.
“It was an embarrassing game Saturday and I think we got exactly the result that we needed. Not just the result, but the way we played. We didn’t give any odd-man rushes. We played well. That was the most important thing, with the two points.”
Clayton Keller scored for the Coyotes, who lost their sixth straight and were officially eliminated from playoff contention with a record of 20-41-5. Karel Vejmelka made 30 saves. Josef Korenar came out to start the third in the Arizona net and finished with six saves.
“It’s a tough schedule, we know that and we’re pretty banged up right now,” Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny said. “Mentally we were a little bit tired and a little bit off.
“We had a number of turnovers tonight and our execution was not sharp and making plays was tough. We had a bad game.”
Edmonton scored on its first shot of the game four minutes into the first period. Jesse Puljujarvi found McDavid alone in front, and McDavid was able to wait for Vejmelka to go down before lifting a backhand into the net for his 36th of the season.
The Oilers made it 2-0 midway through the opening period when McLeod banked a shot from behind the net off of Vejmelka and in.
Arizona countered on the power play with four minutes left in the first. Keller’s pass attempt caromed off Hyman and past Koskinen.
Edmonton regained its two-goal lead on a power play early in the second. Kailer Yamamoto hit McLeod, who split the defenders and scored his second of the game and eighth of the season.
The Oilers added to their lead with midway through the second. A rebound came out to Foegele in the slot and he blasted it home.
Hyman made up for the goal that went in off him earlier in the game later in the second, scoring his 22nd on another rebound.
After killing off three straight power plays — all penalties taken by Evander Kane, who took eight minutes worth in a less than a nine-minute span — the Oilers were rewarded midway through the third. Puljujarvi made another nice pass to give Draisaitl an easy tap-in at the side of the net for his 48th goal, tying Toronto’s Auston Matthews for the league lead.
NOTES: It was the third and final meeting between the teams, with the Oilers winning the previous two games in Arizona by 5-1 and 5-3. … Arizona was missing a host of players in Conor Timmins (knee), Andrew Ladd (lower body), Liam O’Brien (upper body), Antoine Roussel (lower body), Jakob Chychrun (lower body) and Christian Fischer (lower body). … Out for the Oilers: defenseman Kris Russell, who entered COVID-19 protocol Monday.
UP NEXT
Arizona: Host San Jose Sharks on Wednesday.
Edmonton: Host Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday in the second game of a three-game homestand.
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