Edmonton Oilers' Troy Stecher (51) congratulates goalie Stuart Skinner (74) after his shutout against the Pittsburgh Penguins in NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (Amber Bracken/The Canadian Press via AP)
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Stuart Skinner made 27 saves for his fifth career shutout, Viktor Arvidsson had three assists, and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-0 on Friday.
Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm each had a goal and an assist. Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also scored for the Oilers (3-4-1), who had struggled offensively to start the season, scoring just 14 goals in their first seven games.
Arvidsson’s assists were his first points as an Oiler, while Vasily Podkolzin also had one for his first point since arriving in Edmonton.
The game was highly touted as a superstar showdown between Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Pens’ veteran Sidney Crosby, but both were kept off the scoresheet.
The Penguins (3-5-1) have dropped four straight.
Despite the loss, Joel Blomqvist had 46 saves for Pittsburgh.
Takeaways
Penguins: Evgeni Malkin led the Penguins with 11 points through their first eight games, including four multi-point outings, but couldn’t spark any offense on Friday night.
Oilers: Forward Zach Hyman was finally successful in his pursuit of the 400th point of his career and his first for this season. He assisted Nugent-Hopkins early in the third period.
Key moment
The game was scoreless until Draisaitl stole the puck and scored a wrist shot off the post with seven minutes left in the second period, extending his point streak to five games. Edmonton was outshooting Pittsburgh 34-13 at the time.
Key Stat
This marked the 14th career meeting between stars Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby. Edmonton is now 8-3-3, including seven straight wins.
Up next
Pittsburgh concludes a four-game trip at Vancouver on Saturday, while the Oilers begin a four-game trip at the Red Wings on Sunday.
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