Oilers attack for quick goals in second period and defeat Utah Hockey Membership

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Troy Stecher scored 20 seconds apart in the second period as the Edmonton Oilers closed out the 2024 calendar year with a 4-1 victory over visiting Utah Hockey Membership on Tuesday night.

With the game tied at 1, Nugent-Hopkins scored the go-ahead goal at the 4:53 mark on an odd-man break before Stecher created a two-goal margin shortly after.

Mattias Ekholm and Leon Draisaitl also scored goals and the Oilers moved to 9-1-0 in their last 10 home games. Connor McDavid and Connor Brown each had two assists for Edmonton. Goaltender Stuart Skinner made 26 saves for his 14th win this season.

For Utah, Jack McBain scored while goaltender Jaxson Stauber made 34 saves and the club lost its fifth straight game (0-4-1). Clayton Keller, who has a team-high 37 points on the season, was scratched late due to illness.

The Oilers got on the board at 4:26 of the first period when defenseman Ekholm advanced to the left circle and fired a slap shot.

However, Utah’s leading scorer, Dylan Guenther, played the role of giver 1:34 later, launching the puck from the midboards into the slot for McBain, who deftly pounced and deftly beat Skinner to tie it.

In a fast-paced first half, Edmonton fired 15 shots at Stauber, but the 25-year-old goalkeeper turned away 14 of them.

The hosts opened the game in the second half with a couple of quick goals.

Nugent-Hopkins, who scored the game-winning goal in overtime against the Utah Hockey Membership on Nov. 29 in Salt Lake Metropolis, forced a turnover and finished a breakaway off a pass from McDavid. Stecher then made it 3-1 before Nugent-Hopkins’ goal was announced.

In the third, Utah had a chance to reduce the deficit on its second power play of the game, but it came up empty.

Draisaitl’s league-leading 27th goal of the season entered the empty net at 18:58 of the third and nearly finished off the victory.

–Media at field level