The Edmonton Oilers will go for their sixth win in a row when they host the Minnesota Wild on Sunday night.
Edmonton is coming off a 4-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night. Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists to lead the Oilers, while Zach Hyman, Darnell Nurse and Kailer Yamamoto also scored.
During the Oilers’ five-game winning streak, they have outscored opponents 22-8.
The streak has coincided with the arrival of head coach Jay Woodcroft, who replaced Dave Tippett on Feb. 10. Woodcroft is two wins away from matching Geoff Ward, who holds the NHL record with a 7-0 start to his coaching career with the Calgary Flames.
“Most gratifying thing for a coach after a game is seeing the smiles on the faces of the players,” Woodcroft said after the win over Winnipeg.
Minnesota will try to spoil the good vibes in Edmonton. The Wild are looking to snap a two-game skid after losses to the Jets and Florida Panthers on Wednesday and Friday, respectively.
In their past two games, the Wild have given up 12 goals while scoring only five.
Jordan Greenway said he and his teammates needed to play with more determination in front of their net.
“We didn’t do well in our zone,” Greenway said after the loss to Florida. “We gave them too many chances. We gave them too many opportunities. We didn’t help ourselves, and against a good team, it’s going to hurt us. That’s what happened.”
Minnesota remains near the top of the standings in the Western Conference. The Wild have lost only 13 games in regulation while notching at least one point in 33 others.
Wild head coach Dean Evason said the recent defensive breakdowns were concerning but correctable.
“It’s uncharacteristic,” Evason said. “You know, Winnipeg was a little alarming, and now it’s alarming again. It’s a good chance for us to hopefully get the attention quickly and turn it around.”
This is the second meeting of the season between the teams. Minnesota won the first matchup 4-1 on Dec. 7 in Edmonton.
Joel Eriksson Ek had a goal and an assist in that game to lead Minnesota. Jesse Puljujarvi scored the lone goal for the Oilers.
Yet that contest came before Edmonton’s coaching shakeup and the hot streak that has followed.
Woodcroft has tried to keep the attention on his players instead of himself. After Tuesday’s win, he praised McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for battling on defense in addition to being a typical force on offense.
“I think it’s contagious,” Woodcroft said. “When some of the best hockey players in the world are working their way back into their own zone with the type of relentlessness and attention to detail, I think the rest of the team follows suit.”
Edmonton is 14-10-0 at home this season. Minnesota is 14-9-2 on the road.
The Oilers have the second-longest active winning streak in the league. The only team with a longer active winning streak is Calgary, which is riding nine consecutive wins.
–Field Level Media