The NHL season is very long.
It was evident in the Edmonton Oilers' 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday, in which a combined 14 players were scratched for injury or load management reasons. Even considering that fact, Edmonton's decisive win over the Presidents' Trophy winners was a thing of beauty.
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The most important part of the Oilers' win was that nobody got hurt; it feels like weeks since they've gone a game without losing a man in the process. The Jets can't say the same, as defenseman Dylan Samberg took a Connor McDavid slapshot to the knee and left the game during the second period. Even with the loss, the Jets clinched their first-ever Presidents' Trophy, thanks to Washington's loss to Columbus that same day.
Key Player Grades
Connor McDavid: A
With two more assists on Sunday, the Oilers' captain now has nine assists in three games since returning from injury and 99 points on the year. Those 99 points tie him with Mitch Marner for fifth in the league, while his 1.50 points per game are second behind only Nikita Kucherov. How many players score at a 123-point pace in a down year?
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Connor Brown: B+The Connor Connection is stronger than ever. Brown scored the Oilers' opening goal early in the second period, his fourth in three games since being paired with McDavid on the first line. With his 13th goal of the season, Brown may be playing himself into contention for a first-line assignment in the playoffs.
Corey Perry: B+
It feels crazy to say this, but where would the Oilers be without Corey Perry? With teammates dropping like flies around him, Perry has been the Oilers' most consistent player over the past few weeks. His insurance marker in the third was his 18th goal of the season, a number he's surpassed only once since 2016-17. With two games remaining in the regular season, a 20-goal campaign isn't out of the question.
Now riding a three-game win streak, home ice advantage is still in the Oilers' grasp. They're just two points behind the Los Angeles Kings for second place in the Pacific Division, and can tie their playoff rivals if they can beat them at home on Monday night.
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