The Edmonton Oilers kept their slim Pacific Division title hopes alive with a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights Tuesday night, powered by Leon Draisaitl’s NHL-leading 52nd goal of the season.
Despite the loss, the Golden Knights clinched a playoff berth when the Calgary Flames fell 3-1 to the Utah Hockey Club.
Edmonton now sits seven points behind first-place Vegas with eight games remaining for both teams.
Draisaitl scored the go-ahead goal on a 5-on-3 power play, prompting “MVP” chants from Oilers fans in attendance. The goal was the 399th of his career.
Jake Walman and Viktor Arvidsson also scored for Edmonton, while Evan Bouchard contributed two assists. Goaltender Calvin Pickard made 20 saves in the win.
Vegas saw its season-high six-game winning streak come to an end.
Pavel Dorofeyev scored his team-leading 32nd goal for the Golden Knights, with Nicolas Roy adding the other tally. Adin Hill stopped 17 shots in net.
Jack Eichel’s six-game point streak (6 goals, 7 assists) ended in the loss.
Game Flow
After a slow start, the Oilers found their rhythm late in the first period before scoring all three of their goals in the second.
A pivotal moment came when Arvidsson jammed the puck under Hill’s leg pad to give Edmonton a 3-1 lead late in the second period. Vegas challenged the goal, but the call was upheld.
The Golden Knights missed an opportunity to increase their lead over both Edmonton and Los Angeles in the division standings.
The game marked a milestone for Vegas captain Mark Stone, who skated in his 700th career NHL game.
The Oilers visit San Jose while the Golden Knights host Winnipeg on Thursday.
