The Edmonton Oilers got the response they were looking for Wednesday night, bouncing back from a defensive lapse against the Utah Mammoth with a convincing 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks.

It was the Connor McDavid show in the first two periods, then an overall shut-down game from the rest of the roster in the third. This was the kind of performance the Oilers needed, even if they didn't walk away from it without scars. 

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Moving to 90 points on the season and climbing back into the top spot in the Pacific Division, McDavid put up five points. It was the kind of performance where it was clear he knew it was his job to put the team on his back, and he did. 

The Oilers surrendered the opening goal when Macklin Celebrini capitalized, giving San Jose a brief 1-0 lead. Following the brief hiccup, it was all McDavid and Edmonton. 

The Oilers captain delivered one of his most dominant performances of the season, factoring in all five goals. He opened the scoring for Edmonton on the power play, and set up Jack Roslovic on another. His second goal was a beauty as he drove wide on two Sharks defenders and out-waited the goaltender. His third goal was a friendly bounce, and he got an assist on the Vasily Podkolzin goal as well. Edmonton finished a perfect 3-for-3 with the man advantage, a development they badly needed given their recent struggles to capitalize on the power play. "To get the three goals that we got was the difference in the game," said head coach Kris Knoblauch. 

The assumption, based on the way McDavid played the first 40 minutes, was that he'd keep going in the final 20. However, Connor Ingram suffered an injury with a few minutes left in the second and didn't return for the third. Then, Jason Dickison took a shot and had to be helped off the ice, unable to put weight on his leg. 

The game pivoted from an offensive display to a defensive clinic. The Sharks were limited to just three shots in the first period and struggled to generate sustained pressure all night. Four shots in the third and 14 total for San Jose made Tristan Jarry's job easy in relief. 

The win didn’t come without concern. Connor Ingram remained at ice level as a backup, but didn't play the third period. He tried to stretch out whatever was bugging him, but could not come in. The good news is that he appeared to be in good spirits at the end of the game and congratulated Jarry. Perhaps it was just a cramp or a minor, uncomfortable tweak. More will likely be learned on Friday as the Oilers have Thursday off. 

As for Dickinson, nothing is known, but it didn't look as positive. He was clearly in some discomfort and unable to leave on his own accord. The hope is that his injury isn't serious. Losing him -- the team's best defensive forward -- would be a big loss. 

Still, the overall takeaway is a positive one. The Oilers not only secured two critical points but did so in a way that resembled their best form. McDavid acknowledge that the work isn't done yet and they still have to "punch their ticket" to the playoffs, but he also believes their best game is in front of them and they're going to hit their peak at the right time in a couple of weeks. 

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