It looks like Kris Knoblauch’s Christmas wishes will come true.
Asked what he’d ask for for his team for Christmas after Sunday’s game, Knoblauch responded “health and that we can keep our momentum.”
With twelve wins in their last fifteen games, the Oilers have certainly built up plenty of momentum as they head into the holiday break. They’re going into Christmas on a high note, celebrating a 3-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night.
They were dealt a blow before the game even started, when it was announced that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would be out due to illness. That necessitated a lineup shuffle that turned out to pay big dividends.
Viktor Arvidsson, taking Nugent-Hopkins’ spot on the first line in just his third game back from injury, got the night started for Edmonton. He was in the right place at the right time late in the first period when Connor McDavid found him in the slot and he wired a puck past the dominant Linus Ullmark, for his first goal since November 9th.
Already heading into the second period with a 1-0 lead, the Oilers were given another advantage when Ullmark didn’t come out for the middle frame. The Senators later announced that he had exited with an upper-body injury and would not return.
In his place was Leevi Merilainen, coming off an overtime win in Vancouver the night before and playing in just his fourth career game. He faced his first big test late in the second, in a tie game after Nick Cousins tied it for Ottawa. It was Zach Hyman who was finally able to beat Merilainen, cleaning up a net-front scrum on the powerplay to give the Oilers a 2-1 lead.
That’s par for the course for Hyman, who’s now scored ten goals in nine games since returning from injury on December fifth. With goals in each of his past six games, he’s fully turned his season around after a slow start that saw him score just three times in the first twenty games.
The Oilers got a little bit of insurance to start the third, as Adam Henrique found the back of the net for his first goal in 15 games to make it 3-1. The Oilers were able to ride it out from there, closing out their third win in four days.
Player of the Game: Viktor Arvidsson
Arvidsson has quickly climbed up the lineup since his return on Thursday, going from the fourth line to the third to the first in the span of three games. He made the most of his opportunity on Sunday, notching the Oilers’ first goal and picking up a rare powerplay assist on Hyman’s goal.
It’s been a frustrating season for Arvidsson, who struggled to produce before missing fifteen games with a nagging injury. At his best, he’s a skilled and tenacious disruptor in the top six, and could be a huge addition for the Oilers if he can find his game again after Christmas.
The Oilers have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. They’re the hottest team in the league, with eight wins in their past nine games, and they now sit in second in the Pacific Division after the Los Angeles Kings lost on Sunday afternoon. They’ll get the chance to widen the gap over their division rivals when they return to action on December 28th in Los Angeles.
