Leon Draisaitl continued his MVP-type season with a three-point game. Zach Hyman buried two and could have had four. Calvin Pickard was strong early. And Corey Perry was in full-worm form with a highly effective, agitating display.

The difference in the game was great goaltending from Washington’s Logan Thompson — who was strangely left off of the Team Canada roster — and the fact that the Edmonton power play without McDavid was anemic, with not one Grade A shot in three opportunities.

Pierre-Luc Dubois had a goal and an assist as the league-leading Washington Capitals won their fifth game in a row, defeating the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 on Tuesday night.

In the wake of his career-surviving major surgery, it was a hip, hip hooray moment for John Klingberg when he signed his one-year free-agent contract in Edmonton—five years after being in the 2020 playoff bubble with the Dallas Stars when they were two games from winning the Stanley Cup.

With Ryan on waivers, fellow U of A alum Noah Philp will take on a full-time role as fourth-line centre, while Corey Perry, Kasperi Kapanen, and Jeff Skinner continue to rotate on and off his wings for the time being. If he clears waivers, Ryan will provide invaluable experience to the youngsters in Bakersfield.

Edmonton Oilers tempted fate once too often on Saturday, and this time they paid for it. They dug yet another deep first-period hole against a spirited Vancouver Canucks squad, allowing all 3 goals in 3½ minutes late in the first period including a pair of powerplay tallies by first star Quinn Hughes.

In a wild track meet of a game, with Colorado scoring the first three goals, then Edmonton the next four, the Oilers won 4-3 in Denver on Thursday night. In total, the Grade A shots were 17 for the Oilers, eight for the Avs, with the subset of more dangerous 5-alarm shots nine for Edmonton, five for Colorado.

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch refused to elaborate on what exactly is going on with the hiking Swedish defender. Though it wasn’t said in his pre-game availability, OilersTV’s Tony Brar confirmed that Ekholm will be a game-time decision for the club tonight.

Elsewhere in the lineup, Noah Philp joins Corey Perry and Kasperi Kapanen on the fourth line in his return to the NHL. Jeff Skinner's rocky tenure in Edmonton continues, as he's set to be a healthy scratch for the third consecutive game.

Zach Hyman never played major junior hockey, opting to go the junior A route, then four years of college at U of Michigan, but he’s an OHL owner now after he and his family bought the Brantford Bulldogs off Ottawa Senators’ owner Michael Andlauer.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 6. Made a swell seam pass to set up McDavid’s first period Grade A. He got wiped out hard by massive Tanner Jeannot in the second but hung in there. Slammed a slot shot at net half-way through the third but failed to drain it. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST 1/0

Changes. Skinner in goal and Josh Brown in for Derek Ryan. Oilers will go 11-7 RNH - McDavid - Hyman Podkolzin - Draisaitl - Arvidsson Janmark - Henrique - Brown Perry - - Kapanen Ekholm - Bouchard Nurse - Stecher Kulak - Emberson J. Brown Skinner