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RECAP: Mikko Koskinen stops 40 shots as Oilers beat Senators again

Feb 9, 2021; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators center Derek Stepan (21) and Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) follow the puck after a face off in the first period at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

Mikko Koskinen made 40 saves and Jujhar Khaira had two assists as the visiting Edmonton Oilers recorded a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.

The Oilers improved to 5-1-0 in their past six games, a stretch that includes a perfect 4-0-0 record against the Senators.

Defensemen Darnell Nurse, Evan Bouchard and Tyson Barrie all scored for the Oilers, who received offense from their blue line rather than their high-powered forwards.

The Oilers took advantage of a rough night for Senators goalie Marcus Hogberg, who allowed three goals on 13 shots before being pulled 3:53 into the second period. Hogberg has allowed 12 goals and posted an .800 save percentage in fewer than 137 minutes of action against Edmonton this season.

Those three concessions created too large a deficit for the Senators to overcome, even though they outshot Edmonton by a 42-22 margin.

Koskinen turned in one of his strongest performances of the season. The Oilers goaltender entered Tuesday’s action with just a .889 save percentage and a 3.55 goals against average in 12 starts this season.

Evgenii Dadonov and Connor Brown scored for Ottawa, with Brown putting the Senators ahead just 26 seconds into the game.

Nurse’s fourth goal in his past five games brought the Oilers even at the 4:11 mark of the opening period. With five overall goals this season, Nurse has already tied his total from the entire 2019-20 season.

Hogberg didn’t look sharp on Nurse’s shot, and he allowed an even longer-range goal to Bouchard at 17:19 of the first period. It was Bouchard’s second career NHL goal, as the defenseman found the net for the first time since Oct. 25, 2018.

After Barrie’s goal 3:53 into the second period, Matt Murray entered the game in relief of Hogberg. Murray stopped all nine shots faced in the game.

The goaltender change seemed to spark the Senators. Ottawa outshot Edmonton by a 30-10 margin over the final two periods, with Dadonov scoring at 1:20 of the third period.

Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid didn’t record a point, ending both players’ 10-game points streaks.

–Field Level Media

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