The Edmonton Oilers returned home from a 3–2–0 road trip to take on the Vegas Golden Knights last night. Both teams were coming off three-goal losses the day before, with the one difference being the Oilers could stew over theirs in the evening while the Knights had to play in Calgary. Either way, rest wouldn’t be a major factor in this one, but Jack Roslovic potentially could be.
Vegas, after starting Akira Schmid the night before, went with their other goaltender, Carter Hart who, local tangents aside, shouldn’t have gotten this opportunity so soon. Edmonton countered with Connor Ingram’s first NHL start as an Oiler, and first overall since February. Getting him a win in his Oiler debut would be the merriest early Christmas present the team could offer. But going up against the Golden Knights’ ever-dangerous offence, that task would be easier said than done.
Both points held some relevance in this one. For one, the Oilers rocketed out to a 4–0 lead early, taking full advantage of the Golden Knights’ inability to start games on time. However, once Vegas awoke, they connected for three goals thereafter, including two in under a two-minute span of the third period. In true Oilers fashion, we were left to watch the team defend a 4–3 lead for 14 minutes. If any outsider fan wonders why Edmontonians can be so uptight about this team, games like this are a big reason why. But in the end, they got the job done, even if it went all the way down to the final second.
Oilers win 4–3.
That’s their first win in the second game of a back-to-back all season. Given how many of those there are in 2025–26, it’s absurd it took this long. At least it’s finally been secured. Here’s the game story.
In the first half of the game, it looked like Oilers would win 9–0
The Oilers wasted little time in putting pedal to the metal, as if this were a drag-race out at RAD Torque Raceway. In the case of Connor McDavid, he took that analogy seriously with his opening masterpiece. Another scribe tweeted it best: “Stop what you’re doing, and watch.”
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would pot the next two tallies, one in the first period and one in the second. Both were back-door power play strikes, making the Knights pay for the sins of Sin City. This is just a random conclusion reached by The Oil Rig writers, but maybe Nuge missing a good chunk of time earlier this season was a major part of why the power play got off to a sluggish start. Just a thought.
Zach Hyman made it 4–0 before the halfway point of the hockey game arrived. Most times, when you hear of a Zach Hyman goal, you think a drive-the-net play is how it occurred. But that makes you forget Hyman has silky hands too, and can rock a slick backhand if he wants. Most times he’s wearing the leather gloves of a lumberjack, but woollen mittens suit him just as well. That’s the beauty of Hyman.
Four goals on 15 shots, not even halfway through the game. A fifth goal might well have chased the Vegas netminder, which everyone would have cheered. It would have been nice to see it happen to an opponent, and not the Oilers themselves. But nevertheless, still an extremely solid way to play the first 30 minutes. Perhaps scratching Trent Frederic was all they needed to do.
Bet like a pro here with Bet99—Ontario’s go-to for elite odds and nonstop action. And outside Ontario, Canadians bet better here with Bet99—bringing top-tier odds and action from coast to coast.
Penalties came back to bite them in the rear end eventually
The good Edmonton start masked a specific flaw, that Louie DeBrusk mentioned eventually. The Oilers ran into a bit of penalty trouble in this game, taking a total of four in the first two periods, and adding on a fifth before the third period was five minutes old. At the very least, the first three resulted in successful penalty kills. But taking too many against Vegas is a recipe for disaster, and sure enough, it’s how they broke their goose egg.
They got a second tally on the man advantage courtesy of Pavel Dorofeyev early in the third period. At this point, it seems the message got through to the boys on the home bench, to stay out of the box. But it was slower to be received than an 8:00 AM text on a Saturday to someone who works a 9-to-5 office job.
And as a result of that delay, the Golden Knights got an even-strength goal less than two minutes later. They may be without Jack Eichel, but Vegas still has elite talent like Mitch Marner. Yes, that’s your reminder he’s in our division, and about to score more goals against Edmonton.
Penalty trouble can swing momentum, and this game was clear evidence of that. Against the Golden Knights, you can’t often take five of them and expect all to be killed off. Lesson learned, hopefully, moving forward.
After rough AHL stint, Connor Ingram is solid in his Oiler debut
With Tristan Jarry injured, and Calvin Pickard having had the unenviable job of trying to fend off the Wild the previous day, last night’s game fell to Connor Ingram. This became Ingram’s first start since February 22, when he was still with the Utah franchise that got named the Mammoth. His AHL numbers so far this season were very not great, and that gave cause for uneasiness. Then again, the Golden Knights got shut out for over 120 minutes in the playoffs by Stuart Skinner, so who knows?
The first half of the game, Ingram didn’t have much work to do, but he responded well to the work he did have. By the time Nugent-Hopkins made it 4–0, Ingram already had 10 saves under his belt. He didn’t have to make any acrobatic saves, but he made solid ones all the same, keeping his team in the lead.
Ingram only allowed one five-on-five goal in the game, and three overall. He helped his team lock it down for the final 14:11 of the contest, and when all was said and done, Ingram stopped 26 of 29 shots, for a reasonable .897 save percentage. That’s all the Oilers need, most nights, is .900 goaltending, and Ingram gave them just shy of that. After a dismal run of AHL games, this was a very solid Oilers debut for Ingram, and a powerful return following extended personal absences. Congrats, Connor!
A message of support for survivors
Given the appearance of a specific player in this game, this is a message I feel has to be said.
If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual abuse and misconduct, please know you are heard and supported. It’s understandably a very difficult topic to discuss, but that doesn’t mean it should ever be minimized. Believing, supporting, and listening to survivors is paramount.
Contacting emergency services or police is just one option you have, if you are affected. You can also reach out to the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton (SACE), or if you solely need assistance with mental wellness, an organization such as CASA Mental Health. Just know your feelings are valid, and you deserve to be heard and believed.
Player perspective
“It’s been really hectic, but at the end of the day, no matter what level you’re in- my job is to stop the puck. I don’t have to worry about the forecheck, my job never changes.” -Connor Ingram on re-adjusting from the AHL to the NHL
Battles of Alberta bookend the Christmas break
This is something we need more often. Oilers versus Flames right before Christmas, then Flames versus Oilers right after Christmas. Not just because the storied rivalry games make for exceptional holiday entertainment, but because this allows the players, and fans of both teams who live in this province, to be home for the holidays.
The Rogers Place tilt takes place on Tuesday, which will be the Flames’ last trip here of the season. The return leg of the home-and-home gets Hockey Night In Canada treatment on Saturday. With the Oilers two points out of first place, these games should *pun intended* add fire to the push for the Pacific Division crown.
