McLeod scores 2, Oilers top Arizona for 7 straight home wins

Updated Mar. 29, 2022 12:39 a.m. ET
Associated Press

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Ryan McLeod had two goals and an assist and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Arizona Coyotes 6-1 on Monday night.

Connor McDavid, Warren Foegele, Zach Hyman and Leon Draisaitl also scored for the Oilers, who have won seven straight home games. Mikko Koskinen finished with 31 saves.

Clayton Keller scored for the Coyotes, who lost their sixth straight and were officially eliminated from playoff contention with a record of 20-41-5. Karel Vejmelka made 30 saves. Josef Korenar came out to start the third in the Arizona net and finished with six saves.

Edmonton scored on its first shot of the game four minutes into the first period. Jesse Puljujarvi found McDavid alone in front, and McDavid was able to wait for Vejmelka to go down before lifting a backhand into the net for his 36th of the season.

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The Oilers made it 2-0 midway through the opening period when McLeod banked a shot from behind the net off of Vejmelka and in.

Arizona countered on the power play with four minutes left in the first. Keller’s pass attempt caromed off Hyman and past Koskinen.

Edmonton regained its two-goal lead on a power play early in the second. Kailer Yamamoto hit McLeod, who split the defenders and scored his second of the game and eighth of the season.

The Oilers added to their lead with midway through the second. A rebound came out to Foegele in the slot and he blasted it home.

Hyman made up for the goal that went in off him earlier in the game later in the second, scoring his 22nd on another rebound.

After killing off three straight power plays — all penalties taken by Evander Kane, who took eight minutes worth in a less than a nine-minute span — the Oilers were rewarded midway through the third. Puljujarvi made another nice pass to give Draisaitl an easy tap-in at the side of the net for his 48th goal, tying Toronto’s Auston Matthews for the league lead.

NOTES: It was the third and final meeting between the teams, with the Oilers winning the previous two games in Arizona by 5-1 and 5-3. ... Arizona was missing a host of players in Conor Timmins (knee), Andrew Ladd (lower body), Liam O’Brien (upper body), Antoine Roussel (lower body), Jakob Chychrun (lower body) and Christian Fischer (lower body). ... Out for the Oilers: defenseman Kris Russell, who entered COVID-19 protocol Monday.

UP NEXT

Arizona: Host San Jose Sharks on Wednesday.

Edmonton: Host Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday in the second game of a three-game homestand.

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