By Canadian Press

Draisaitl scores twice, Edmonton Oilers roll to 5-2 win over San Jose Sharks

Mar 24, 2022 | 9:55 PM

EDMONTON — Leon Draisaitl scored a pair of goals as the Edmonton Oilers snapped a two-game losing skid with a 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.

Kailer Yamamoto, Derick Brassard and Evander Kane also scored for the Oilers (36-24-5), who improved to 6-1-1 in their last eight outings.

Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl responded for the Sharks (28-28-8), who saw a two-game winning streak halted.

San Jose’s Kaapo Kahkonen made 36 saves and Mike Smith stopped 28-of-30 shots for Edmonton.

There was no scoring in the opening frame with Kahkonen stopping 12 shots and Smith making seven saves.

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The Sharks broke the deadlock just 68 seconds into the second period as some nice passing allowed Karlsson to deposit his 10th of the season into a wide-open net with Smith sprawled on the ice.

Edmonton knotted it back up five minutes into the second on the power play as Yamamoto drove to the net and sent a backhand shot through Kahkonen’s legs for this 18th of the season and his seventh goal in the last eight games.

Three minutes later, Zack Kassian knocked a defender off the puck along the boards and it popped out to Draisaitl, who sniped his 43rd goal of the season.

Sharks forward Logan Couture was injured when he got hit by a point shot from his own player and did not return.

The teams traded goals seven minutes into the third period as Brassard got his first goal as an Oiler when he sent a puck on net and it ticked off of Karlsson’s skate and in. 

However, San Jose responded just 29 seconds later when Hertl was given some space in the slot and he picked the top corner for his 26th.

Edmonton took a two-goal lead with just over six minutes left as Connor McDavid made a perfect feed to Draisaitl on the power play for his second of the game.

The Oilers put the game away on an empty-netter from Kane.

Both teams return to action on Saturday as the Oilers travel to Calgary to face the Flames and the Sharks head home to welcome the Anaheim Ducks.

NOTES: Edmonton had a fully healthy lineup for one of the first times this season as forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins returned after missing 12 games with an upper-body injury. The Oilers also welcomed two players who they acquired at the trade deadline — defenceman Brett Kulak (Montreal Canadiens) and journeyman forward Brassard (Philadelphia Flyers). … San Jose’s deadline day addition, Kahkonen, made his first start with San Jose after coming over from the Minnesota Wild. … Out with injuries for the Sharks were Adin Hill (lower body), Mario Ferraro (lower body), Kevin Labanc (upper body) and Matt Nieto (undisclosed).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2022.

Shane Jones, The Canadian Press