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It was only a matter of time.
The Edmonton Oilers have been dogged by a lack of secondary scoring all season long, and it was starting to sink them. With Zach Hyman out of the lineup on Sunday night, three key veterans stepped up to lead the Oilers to a much-needed 3-1 win over the New York Rangers.
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Key Player Grades
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins: A
Nugent-Hopkins was all over the scoresheet for the first time in a while on Sunday. He contributed primary assists on all three Oilers goals, for his first multi-point game since February 23rd and his first three-point game since game six of the Oilers' playoff series against the Vancouver Canucks last May.
His performance on Sunday brought his point total up to 42 this season, good for a more respectable 52-point pace. Notably, this outburst came while centering the third line rather than on Connor McDavid's wing; he spent most of his even-strength ice time between Vasily Podkolzin and Viktor Arvidsson.
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Oilers Game Schedule For March 2025EDMONTON -- It's trade deadline month. Viktor Arvidsson: A
It's been tough sledding for Arvidsson in his first year as an Oiler. His eight goals in 51 games coming into Sunday's game marked the lowest scoring rate of his career, and he's struggled to find a fit anywhere in Edmonton's lineup.
Not only did Arvidsson score the eventual game-winner in the third period, he also led the Oilers with an all-situations expected goals share of 82%. If Arvidsson and Nugent-Hopkins can keep up this kind of performance on the third line, the Oilers will have a lot less to worry about going forward.
Stuart Skinner: A
That's more like it. Though he didn't face a huge workload (21 saves on 22 shots), Skinner was excellent in net against a very skilled Rangers team desperate for a win. His game-saving stop on Mika Zibanejad in the third period kept the score 2-1 Edmonton and allowed Connor McDavid to tack on an insurance marker later on.
It's well-known by now that Stuart Skinner needs to be better in order for Edmonton to go on another long playoff run this year. A little more of this from their starter, and the Oilers will have a lot less to worry about.
It wasn't a perfect game, and the Rangers are far from a perfect team, but Sunday was another encouraging night for Edmonton. They're now 5-3 in their last eight games and have climbed back up to second place in the Pacific Division, just four points back of Vegas for the lead.
The Oilers will return to action on Tuesday, starting a four-game homestand with a date with the Utah Hockey Club. With matchups against the Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars looming on the horizon, the Oilers had better hope they've gotten themselves back on track.
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