Hyman scores twice in return, Oilers defeat Blue Jackets

EDMONTON -- Zach Hyman scored twice in his return to the lineup, and Connor McDavid had four assists for the Edmonton Oilers in a 6-3 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Rogers Place on Thursday.

Hyman had missed the previous five games with an undisclosed injury.

“It was nice to get ‘Hysey’ back,” McDavid said. “It was nice to create some chances. I thought ‘Nuge’ (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) played well, as well. When you’ve got three guys playing well, it’s fun out there.”

Leon Draisaitl also scored two goals, and Evan Bouchard, Nugent-Hopkins and Adam Henrique each had two assists for Edmonton (14-10-2), which opened a stretch of eight out of nine games at home prior to the Christmas break. Calvin Pickard made 19 saves.

“Leading into the game, we were No. 2 in expected goals-for, and we've been pretty much two or three all season long,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “And just this last week or so, we've been able to put the pucks in the net.

“A little bit is about generating chances, and we've generated chances, but it's also about having the skill to finish.”

Cole Sillinger had a goal and an assist, and Daniil Tarasov made 30 saves for the Blue Jackets (11-11-3), who will close out a back-to-back at the Vancouver Canucks on Friday.

“We started correctly, we played hard, we played well,” said Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason.

The Blue Jackets took a 1-0 lead at 2:31 of the first period. Mikael Pyyhtia's shot from the top of the right circle bounced off the stick of Oilers forward Mattias Janmark and the shin of Kevin Labanc before beating a sliding Pickard.

Hyman tied it 1-1 at 9:46. McDavid deked Blue Jackets defensemen Jake Christiansen and Jordan Harris in the low slot and sent a no-look backhand pass across the crease to Hyman for a one-timer.

“Being back is the best. To get a win and being able to contribute feels good,” said Hyman, who has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 21 games. “I think it was a good reset. I obviously didn’t have the greatest start. It was a good first game back.

“When I say not the greatest start, I just wasn’t scoring. I thought I was playing pretty good and getting looks and getting chances and whatnot. Eventually they were going to go in.”

Draisaitl gave the Oilers a 2-1 lead at 2:22 of the second period. McDavid carried the puck around the back of the net and sent a centering pass to Draisaitl, who scored with his backhand past the outstretched pad of Tarasov.

Columbus unsuccessfully challenged the play for goaltender interference, resulting in a delay of game penalty.

“That happens. We obviously had a different opinion on what happened there and we made the decision to challenge,” Sillinger said. “Unfortunately it didn’t go our way. But that’s part of the game, that’s hockey. We didn’t get it and we had to lean on our kill.

“The puck got into their best player's hands and they got going, they got rolling and we just had little cracks tonight. Obviously, when you give players like that those opportunities, they’re going to capitalize.”

Mattias Ekholm then pushed it to 3-1 on the ensuing power play at 4:02. He picked up his own rebound off a one-timer from the slot and tucked the puck past Tarasov’s right pad.

Hyman made it 4-1 at 6:53, finishing a tic-tac-toe passing sequence with McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins on an odd-man rush.

Damon Severson made it 4-2 at 10:02 with a shot that hit Oilers defenseman Ty Emberson and bounced up off Pickard’s right pad and in.

Jeff Skinner put Edmonton ahead 5-2 at 18:30. He received a pass from Henrique from behind the net, pulled the puck to his backhand, and lifted a shot past Tarasov’s glove.

“It always feels like you’re playing better or executing better when you’ve got some confidence and things are going your way,” Skinner said. “Then you go through times when things aren’t bouncing your way and you just have to fight through it.”

The Oilers outshot Columbus 16-7 in the second period.

Sillinger cut it to 5-3 at 6:10 of the third period, scoring with a wrist shot through traffic from the point that beat Pickard high stick side.

Draisaitl made it 6-3 at 13:37, burying a snap shot from the left face-off dot stick side for a power-play goal.

NOTES: A ceremony was held prior to puck drop acknowledging Connor McDavid becoming the fourth-fastest player in NHL history to reach the 1,000 points. ... McDavid has earned a point in 13 of his past 14 games against the Blue Jackets (seven goals, 22 assists). ... McDavid and Draisaitl have factored on the same goal 455 times, the eighth-most in NHL history.