Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl scored the goals that mattered as the Edmonton Oilers beat the New York Rangers 3-1 at Rogers Place on Monday night, in a game the home side controlled from the opening minutes.
McDavid opened the scoring at 6:42 of the first period, and Draisaitl doubled the lead just 2:59 into the second, finishing a move set up by Vasily Podkolzin and Mattias Ekholm, according to Sportradar and SportsFBI. The Rangers pulled one back through Jaroslav Chmelar, shorthanded at 5:05 of the middle frame off a feed from Mika Zibanejad, but Draisaitl sealed the outcome with an empty-net goal at 18:47 of the third.
Devon Levi anchored the Edmonton defence, turning aside 28 of 29 shots to outduel Dylan Garand, who stopped 17 of 19 for New York. The Rangers outshot the Oilers 29-20, but could not find a way past Levi often enough.
A statement at home
The win keeps Edmonton among the best teams in the NHL in the early season, and it was a reminder of how dangerous their top line remains. McDavid and Draisaitl combined for all three goals, and when the two of them are scoring, the Oilers are very hard to beat.
For the Rangers, it was a frustrating night. They generated more shots, they scored shorthanded, and they pushed hard in the third period — but they left Edmonton with nothing. Their next game is a chance to reset, but the gap between the two sides on the night was clear.
What comes next
Edmonton continue their home stand, while the Rangers head on to their next stop on the road. The Oilers’ start to the season has them firmly in the Western Conference’s leading group, and nights like this are why.
