EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Zach Hyman had his third hat trick of the season and fourth in the NHL to help the Edmonton Oilers win their seventh straight game, 3-1 over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night.
Stuart Skinner made 29 saves to help the Oilers improve to 20-15-1 and move into eighth place in the Western Conference. They have overcome a 5-12-1 start by going 15-3-0 in their last 18.
Hyman completed the hat trick on a power play with 2:50 to go off a feed from Connor McDavid.
“I’m doing the same thing. (They’re) just going in a little bit more this year,” said Hyman, who has 25 goals in 35 games this season as he attempts to eclipse his career best of 36 goals last season. “(There are) some pretty good players who make plays every single game, and I’m very fortunate to be playing with them.”
Evan Bouchard assisted on all three goals.
“You can’t really say too many good things about him,” Bouchard said about Hyman. “He is all over the ice. He does it defensively, works down low, puts his body on the line beside the net, and he is getting rewarded for it. Everybody in the room is happy to see it.”
Kris Knoblauch became the first coach in NHL history to have two seven-game winning streaks in his first 25 games in the position.
“I had no idea,” Knoblauch said. “I’m happy the team’s winning and playing well and it was only a matter of time before they started winning games, no matter what my message was. Hopefully we’ve got many more seven-game winning streaks.”
Parker Kelly scored for Ottawa, and Anton Forsberg made 43 saves. The Senators have lost three straight and four of five to fall to 14-21-0.
“I thought for the most part we were playing well and had a couple of unlucky breaks,” Kelly said. “We just have to find a way to keep playing a full 60, that’s kind of what we’re missing right now and it’s on all of us to be better.”
Hyman opened the scoring on a power play with 1:52 left in the second. Bouchard sent a long shot through traffic that Hyman tipped past goalie
Hyman made it 2-0 at 2:36 of the third. Forsberg got a piece of a wrist shot from the top of the circle by Hyman, only to have it trickle behind him into the net.
Kelly ended Skinner’s shutout bid with 4:58 to play off a scramble in front of the net. The goal was originally waved off because of goaltender interference, but that decision was overturned by video review.
Edmonton outshot Ottawa 15-8 in the scoreless first period, highlighted by the Oilers killing Evander Kane's double-minor assessed for high-sticking Claude Giroux.
UP NEXT
Senators: At Calgary on Tuesday night.
Oilers: At Chicago on Tuesday night.
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