Hyman-led Oilers extend win streak to five games with 5-3 victory over Lightning

EDMONTON – Zach Hyman had a pair of goals as the Edmonton Oilers extended their winning streak to five games with a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.

Ryan McLeod, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid also scored for the Oilers (26-18-3), who have won their last two at home after losing six of the previous seven at Rogers Place.

Jack Campbell made 28 saves in his fifth consecutive start.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Victor Hedman (77) and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) look on as the Edmonton Oilers celebrate a goal during first period NHL action in Edmonton on Thursday January 19, 2023.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Brandon Hagel, Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point replied for the Lightning (29-14-1), who had their five-game winning streak halted.

Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 29 shots.

Edmonton opened the scoring 6:13 into the opening frame when a Vincent Desharnais point shot was redirected in by McLeod for his seventh of the season. It was the third assist in five games for Desharnais, a 26-year-old rookie defenceman.

McDavid found Draisaitl all alone in front and he blasted home his 27th of the season at 3:17 of the first to double the lead. The assist extended McDavid’s point streak to nine games and he now has at least a point in 26 of his last 27 games.

Hagel put the Lightning on the board 1:30 into the second period after he scored on a rebound from an Alex Killorn breakaway shot that went off the post.

Hyman quickly responded just under two minutes later as he sent a shot off the backboards that came right back to him in front and allowed him to give the Oilers a 3-1 advantage.

Stamkos cut the deficit to one at 7:51 when he beat Campbell with a wicked one-timer for his 22nd of the season and fourth in the last two games. It also extended Stamkos’ points streak to seven games.

The Lightning tied the game 12:03 into the middle period as Victor Hedman sent a pretty pass ahead to Point and he was able to score his 27th up high past Campbell.

McDavid took it upon himself to restore Edmonton’s lead 2:10 into the third period, dancing around defenceman Ian Cole and chipping it over Vasilevskiy in tight for his league-leading 39th.

With 2:12 remaining, Draisaitl fed Hyman for his second of the night into an empty net to seal the win.

NOTES

The game featured the two top power plays in the league, with Edmonton sitting first at 30.8 per cent and Tampa settled in second at 28.6 per cent. … The Oilers were without Kailer Yamamoto (undisclosed), Ryan Murray (back) and Mattias Janmark (illness). Edmonton also sent forward Devin Shore to Bakersfield of the American Hockey League for conditioning on Thursday. … Out for the Lightning were Rudolfs Balcers (upper body) and Nick Perbix (upper body) … The players chosen to attend the All-Star game via fan votes were announced during the first intermission with Draisaitl and goalie Stuart Skinner added to the Pacific squad for Edmonton, while Tampa’s Vasilevskiy was chosen for the Atlantic.

UP NEXT

The Oilers make the trip to Vancouver to face the Canucks on Saturday.

The Lightning close out a season-high five-game road trip in Calgary against the Flames on Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2023.