By Canadian Press

Bouchard’s three-point performance keeps Oilers streaking with 4-3 victory over Wild

Dec 8, 2023 | 10:11 PM

EDMONTON — Evan Bouchard had two goals and an assist and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had four assists as the Edmonton Oilers outlasted the Minnesota Wild for a 4-3 victory on Friday.

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each had a goal and an assist for the Oilers (11-12-1), who have won six straight.

Stuart Skinner made 17 saves to earn the win in net.

Matthew Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek and Connor Dewar replied for the Wild (9-12-4), who have lost back-to-back games.

Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 36 shots for the Wild.

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Edmonton went 2 for 4 on the power play and Minnesota was 0 for 2 with the extra man.

Edmonton controlled the bulk of the play to start the game and were finally rewarded with the game’s first goal coming with 4:44 remaining in the opening period.

Nugent-Hopkins picked up his own rebound and threaded a pass through traffic to a pinching Bouchard, who beat Fleury for his sixth goal of the season and extend his career-best point scoring streak to 10 games.

Only new Oilers assistant coach Paul Coffey has had a longer points streak by a defender in team history.

Edmonton outshot Minnesota 18-4 in the first period.

The Wild had a much better start to the second period, however, getting two goals in the first 41 seconds. Just 15 seconds in, the rebound from an Eriksson Ek shot bounced around in the crease before Boldy directed it past Skinner.

Then, just 26 seconds later, Edmonton got caught flat-footed on an odd-man rush that saw Eriksson Ek rifle home a wicked one-timer for his 13th of the season.

Minnesota’s lead only lasted 40 seconds as McDavid put on a show, cutting across the front of the crease and pulling Fleury way out of his net before tucking it in behind his prostrate body for his ninth to push his points streak to eight games.

The Wild made it 3-2 with eight minutes to play in the middle frame as Ryan Hartman sent a puck in front from behind the goal line to Dewar, who hammered a shot up high past Skinner.

The Oilers tied the game up again on the power play with 1:30 to play in the second as Nugent-Hopkins fed it to Draisaitl and he unleashed his patented one-timer for his 11^th goal of the season and eighth on the PP.

Edmonton led 32-12 on the shot clock through 40 minutes.

The Oilers moved back in front with another power play goal coming just 1:32 into the third period as Bouchard sent a bomb from the point past Fleury for his second of the game.

Minnesota had several good opportunities late with their goalie pulled but Ryan Hartman hit a post and Skinner made a couple of huge stops to preserve the win.

ON YOUR MARK — It was a special night in more ways than one for Oilers forward Mattias Janmark. Not only was it his 31^st birthday, but he was also playing in his 500^th game, becoming just the third player in NHL history to celebrate a birthday during the career milestone. Janmark was coming off a pretty impressive 499^th game where he recorded a career-best three assists.

NOTES — Edmonton came into the game having outscored opponents 26-8 during their previous five games, all victories … Minnesota was without Zach Bogosian (upper body) … Wild defenceman Jonas Brodin left the game early in the third after taking a hit from behind into the boards by Evander Kane.

UP NEXT — Both teams return to action on Sunday. The Oilers host the New Jersey Devils in the third game of a six-game homestand. The Wild close out a four-game trip in Seattle against the Kraken.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2023.

Shane Jones, The Canadian Press