PREVIEW: Oilers at Canadiens

The Edmonton Oilers can set a new franchise record with their 10th straight victory on Saturday night against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre.

You can watch the game on Sportsnet & Hockey Night in Canada at 5:00 p.m. MT or listen live on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630 CHED.

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MONTREAL, QC – When the Edmonton Oilers hit the ice at the Bell Centre against the Montreal Canadiens on Hockey Night in Canada, they’ll take aim at setting a new team record.

The Blue & Orange matched a franchise-best on Thursday night by defeating the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in overtime to pick up their ninth-consecutive victory – accomplishing a feat that’d only been done twice by the Oilers in 2001 (February 20 to March 13) and last year during their 14-0-1 run to end the 2022-23 regular season (March 27 to April 13).

The conclusion of the regular season in April of 2023 prevented the Oilers from having their opportunity to set a new team record for consecutive wins, but on Saturday, this composed and determined team will have that chance to set a new benchmark for the franchise that would exceed any win streak from Edmonton’s dynasty days of the 1980s.

While there’s certainly excitement in the locker room for a second chance this season at reaching double-digit wins and setting a new franchise record, the Oilers are determined to keep the same hard-checking approach that’s allowed them to go 17-3-0 under Head Coach Kris Knoblauch – including two separate eight-game win streaks – and pull to within three points of the Los Angeles Kings and the Pacific Division’s top three.

“It speaks to our group and that resilience,” said defenceman Darnell Nurse, who scored the overtime winner on Thursday.

“I think the care that we have for each other, it hasn't been easy to get to this point. There's been a lot of highs and lows, and it’s going to continue to be a roller coaster of things that go on throughout the season, but we've been able to keep it pretty even-keel.

“To be able to win nine in a row, it’s pretty special. It's cool to tie a franchise record, but with that said, we just move on to the next one and try to win one game.”

If one thing’s for certain over Edmonton’s nine-game win streak, it’s that they’ve proven that they can win games in different ways. Thursday night at Little Caesars Arena was no exception.

“I think a lot of these games where you got to find different ways to win, whether it's shutting it down and not giving an opponent any chances late in the game,” Zach Hyman said. “Good teams find ways to win and we're very fortunate we're finding ways.”

The Oilers recorded 47 shots on goal against netminder Alex Lyon, who had a strong performance for the Red Wings, as Edmonton put 16 shots on goal in the opening 20 minutes after registering 15 over the full 60 minutes back in Chicago on Tuesday in a 2-1 win over the Blackhawks.

After Andrew Copp made it 1-0 less than four minutes into the third, Connor McDavid found a way to beat the Detroit shot-stopper with 11 minutes left in regulation by scoring on a dazzling dangle that came after he stayed onside with seconds earlier a skilled delay at the blueline.

The tally was McDavid’s 16^th of the season and his 906^th career point, which put him into a tie with Glenn Anderson for fourth all-time behind only Wayne Gretzky (1,669), Jari Kurri (1,043) and Mark Messier (1,034).

The Oilers captain turns 27 years old on Saturday and is currently on a nine-game point streak with five goals and 10 assists.

Zach Hyman produced his team-leading 26^th goal of the campaign to make it 2-1 before defenceman Olli Maatta scored off a fluky bounce on netminder Calvin Pickard just over two minutes later to force overtime.

Only 80 seconds into extra time, Darnell Nurse notched his fifth career overtime goal – the most by any Oilers defenceman in team history – after Lyon was left without a stick from a strong cut to the net by Hyman.

"I just try to get the right spots," Nurse said. "We have some special players that make special plays and I try to capitalize when I get my chance. Tonight was just one of those opportunities of getting to the right spot on the ice and trying to hit my shot."

Edmonton's last two victories over the Blackhawks and Red Wings required the team to take two different routes toward acquiring the two points, but if the ground can remain steadfast in their approach, they believe they have plenty more victories to come.

“I just think we're process-oriented,” Hyman said. “We just want to do the same thing over and over again. And some nights, you're going to win and some nights, you're not. But if you can continue to play the way that you know you can play more times than not, you're going to win and I think that's kind of been the mentality – just be a hard-checking team. 

“I thought today, we limited the chances and then, we were patient. We got our looks and we scored a couple there and then obviously got the one in OT.”