Sharks win 2nd straight after 11 consecutive losses to open season, 3-2 over slumping Oilers

Nov 9, 2023 | 10:56 PM

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Tomas Hertl scored a goal and set up another to help the San Jose Sharks win their second straight game following 11 consecutive losses to open the season, 3-2 over the slumping Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.

In a matchup of the NHL’s two worst teams so far this season, it was Connor McDavid and the Oilers who ended up on the losing end.

Hertl assisted on Fabian Zetterlund’s goal that opened the scoring in the first period and then took advantage of a fortunate bounce to score midway through the second period. Filip Zadina also scored for San Jose, which ended an an eight-game losing streak against the Oilers.

Mackenzie Blackwood made 39 saves, coming up big on an Edmonton power-play late in the game after Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored with the goalie pulled with 2:26 to play. Darnell Nurse also scored for the Oilers.

McDavid, who led the NHL with 64 goals last season, has no goals in his last seven games. The Oilers have lost four straight and have one win in their last nine contests. Their five points are tied with the 1993-94 team for the fewest through 12 games in franchise history.

Stuart Skinner made 15 saves for Edmonton in the first game since the Oilers sent high-priced goalie Jack Campbell to the AHL in what coach Jay Woodcroft described as a “message” to his struggling team.

BRUINS 5, ISLANDERS 2

BOSTON (AP) — Charlie Coyle had his first career hat trick — thanks to an empty-netter spoon-fed to him by David Pastrnak — and Linus Ullmark made 27 saves in Boston’s victory over New York.

Coyle also assisted on a goal in the first period for four points on the night to help the defending Presidents Trophy winners win for the 11th time in their first 13 games. They are tied with Stanley Cup champion Vegas for the NHL points lead.

Pastrnak and Trent Frederic also scored for Boston. Brock Nelson and Simon Holmstrom scored for New York.

KRAKEN 4, AVALANCHE 3

DENVER (AP) — Oliver Bjorkstrand scored his second goal of the game with 32 seconds remaining and Seattle beat Colorado.

Jaden Schwartz and Matty Beniers also scored to help the Kraken hand the Avalanche their first home loss in five games this season.

Philipp Grubauer had 23 saves against his former team. He also helped knock off Colorado last season in the first round of the playoffs.

Bowen Byram, Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin scored for Colorado.

There was a scary moment midway through the second period when Colorado forward Artturi Lehkonen took a bump from defenseman Jamie Oleksiak and slid head-first into the boards. Lehkonen was taken to the hospital.

CANUCKS 5, SENATORS 2

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Elias Pettersson had a goal and two assists to take the NHL points lead and Vancouver beat Ottawa for its fifth straight victory.

Pettersson has 24 points on seven goals and 17 assists. He has five goals and nine assists during a seven-game points streak.

Ilya Mikheyev scored twice, Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller added goals and Casey DeSmith made 28 saves to help Vancouver improve to 10-2-1.

Drake Batherson and Artem Zub scored for Ottawa.

PENGUINS 4, KINGS 3, OT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bryan Rust scored on a wraparound at 3:45 of overtime and Pittsburgh beat Los Angeles to sweep a California trip for the first time since 1996-97.

Rust appeared to put in his own rebound 17 seconds earlier, but the goal was waved off when he was ruled offside.

Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist, Lars Eller and Jake Guentzel also scored for the Penguins. Magnus Hellberg stopped 34 shots. Adrian Kempe, Carl Grundstrum and Kevin Fiala scored for Los Angeles.

BLACKHAWKS 5, LIGHTNING 3

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Top draft pick Connor Bedard had his first multi-point game with two goals and two assists and Chicago beat Tampa Bay to snap an eight-game losing streak against the Lightning.

Rookie defenseman Kevin Korchinski and ex-Lightning forwards Tyler Johnson and Corey Perry also scored for Chicago, and Petr Mrazek made 31 saves. Anthony Cirelli, Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos scored for the Lightning.

JETS 6, PREDATORS 3

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Kyle Connor had a hat trick and added an assist to help Winnipeg beat Nashville.

Connor has 11 goals this season, five in the last two games.

Cole Perfetti, Mason Appleton and Brenden Dillon also scored, Mark Scheifele had three assists and Laurent Brossoit made 20 saves. Winnipeg improved to 7-4-2.

Filip Forsberg scored twice for Nashville, Philip Tomasino added a goal. Nashville has lost two in a row and four of five to fall to 5-8-0.

CANADIENS 3, RED WINGS 2

DETROIT (AP) — Cole Caufield scored a power-goal at 4:04 of overtime, Cayden Primeau stopped 27 shots for his first win of the season and Montreal beat the Detroit to snap a four-game skid.

Mike Matheson had a goal and two assists, and Nick Suzuki had a goal and an assist for Montreal, which ended an 0-3-1 slide.

Christian Fischer and J.T. Compher scoreds for Detroit.

RANGERS 4, WILD 1

NEW YORK (AP) — Alexis Lafreniere scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period and added two assists, Louis Domingue made 26 saves in his first NHL game in nearly 18 months and New York Rangers beat Minnesota.

Vincent Trocheck also had a goal and two assists, Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist, and Blake Wheeler also scored as the Rangers won for the eighth time in nine games. Brandon Duhaime scored for the Wild.

BLUES 2, COYOTES 1

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Robert Thomas broke a tie in the second period and St. Louis held off Arizona.

Oskar Sundqvist also scored, and Joel Hofer had 19 saves to help the Blues win for the third time in their last four games. Lawson Crouse scored for Arizona, and Karel Vejmelka stopped 31 shots.

STARS 5, BLUE JACKETS 2

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Matt Duchene scored the go-ahead goal in the second period and Dallas beat Columbus to snap a two-game losing streak.

Mason Marchment, Craig Smith and Jason Robertson also scored, and Jake Oettinger stopped 28 shots for Dallas. Boone Jenner and Kirill Marchenko scored for Columbus.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The Associated Press