Raleigh, N.C. – The Edmonton Oilers closed out their road trip on a high note, snapping a five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night at Lenovo Center. Behind a stellar performance from goaltender Calvin Pickard, who turned aside 35 shots—including 15 in the final period—the Oilers weathered Carolina’s push and secured a much-needed win.

Edmonton found itself in early penalty trouble, taking three first-period infractions, but managed to strike first while shorthanded. Adam Henrique capitalized on a Carolina miscue to open the scoring. Meanwhile, Carolina had three power-play opportunities in the opening frame but failed to capitalize, unable to break through Edmonton’s penalty kill.

The second period saw the Oilers extend their lead, thanks to a crucial coaching adjustment. Head coach Kris Knoblauch shuffled his lines, pairing Corey Perry with Leon Draisaitl, and the veteran winger delivered, firing home Edmonton’s second goal of the night. With the Oilers controlling play and Carolina struggling to solve Pickard, Lenovo Center—often touted as one of the loudest buildings in the NHL—was noticeably subdued.

But the Hurricanes weren’t done. The home crowd came back to life early in the third period when Sebastian Aho finished off a beautiful tic-tac-toe passing play from Mikko Rantanen and Shayne Gostisbehere, finally breaking through on Carolina’s fourth power-play opportunity to cut the deficit to 2-1.

With momentum swinging, Carolina pressed for the equalizer, but Pickard stood tall. The veteran netminder made several key stops in the final minutes, including a game-defining short-handed breakaway save on Aho in the dying seconds of regulation—one that earned high praise from his teammates.

“He was unbelievable,” Draisaitl said of Pickard. “He gives us a chance to win every night, and everyone in our room loves playing for him. That breakaway save was huge for us.”

Carolina pulled their goaltender in the final minute, but Edmonton’s defense held strong. With less than a second left on the clock, Evan Bouchard sealed the win, blasting a shot from the point into the empty net to lock in the 3-1 final score.

As the Oilers head home, Knoblauch emphasized the importance of closing the road trip on a positive note after a tough stretch.

“We needed that one,” Knoblauch admitted postgame. “That would have been a long flight back if we lost. A lot of guys should feel good about themselves because they worked hard to get this one.”

While the road trip didn’t meet Edmonton’s expectations in terms of wins and losses, this victory gives the team something to build on. With a three-game homestand ahead, the Oilers will look to turn the page and find consistency as they push through the second half of the season. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes will need to regroup quickly as they continue their homestand, looking to bounce back from a frustrating loss in front of their home crowd.

Both teams remain in the playoff hunt, and while this win provides a confidence boost for the Oilers, the Hurricanes will look to regroup and respond as their homestand continues.

Written by Josh MacDonald
Edited by Josh Elijah