Nugent-Hopkins has goal and assist, Skinner stops 27 shots as Oilers beat Avalanche 4-1

Kapanen, playing his fourth game with the Oilers since being claimed off waivers on Nov. 19, tied it less than five minutes later. Connor McDavid brought the puck around the net, attracted the attention of much of the Colorado defence and hit an open Kapanen with a backhanded, cross-crease pass for his 19th assist of the season.

Podkolzin put the Oilers ahead for good with 6:12 left in the second period. Troy Stecher had an assist on the play, extending his streak to three games.

Kulak made it 3-1 at 3:56 of the third and Nugent-Hopkins added an empty-netter with 1:32 to go.

Takeaways

Avalanche: Samuel Girard, playing in his 500th career game, had an assist on Kovalenko’s goal, tying Erik Johnson for sixth in franchise history with 178 assists

Oilers: Edmonton improved to 3-11-1 in their last 15 meetings with the Avalanche, including the playoffs. It also ended a six-game losing streak (0-5-1) in the regular season in Colorado.

Key moment

Podkolzin’s goal proved to be the winning goal and strengthened the Oilers’ grip on a game they largely controlled after the opening 10 minutes of the first period.

Key stat

McDavid’s assist gave him 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists) in 22 career games against the Avalanche.

Up Next

Avalanche visit Buffalo on Tuesday, and Oilers visit Vegas.

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AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Craig Meyer, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

Nugent-Hopkins has goal and assist, Skinner stops 27 shots as Oilers beat Avalanche 4-1

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