Oilers find groove ahead of clash vs. struggling Sabres

Edmonton Oilers' Zach Hyman (18) celebrates a goal against the Dallas Stars during first period NHL action in Edmonton on Saturday, March 8, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson (JASON FRANSON/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

The Edmonton Oilers carry the momentum of two consecutive wins into a road matchup with the Buffalo Sabres on Monday.

While the Oilers are pointing in the right direction, the down-on-their-luck Sabres come into the clash sporting a six-game skid (0-5-1).

After securing a 3-2 overtime victory over the visiting Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, the Oilers squeaked out a home win against the fellow powerhouse Dallas Stars 5-4 on Saturday night.

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The Oilers jumped out to a 5-1 lead, before the Stars came storming back with three third-period goals, only to come up one shy.

Zach Hyman tallied two goals and one assist, while Connor McDavid tacked on a goal and an assist to extend his point streak to seven games (two goals, eight assists).

“We’ve been building the last couple games, obviously haven’t been able to put it in, but I think today we were finally able to capitalize on some looks.” Hyman said when speaking to the media about his team’s offensive play following the contest.

“Everything looks better when you’re scoring, obviously.”

NHL leading goal scorer Leon Draisaitl (46 goals) stretched his point streak to 14 games (11 goals, 10 assists) with an assist.

Draisaitl has only been held off the scoresheet twice since Dec. 5, 2024.

Newly-acquired defenseman Jake Walman tallied an assist on Hyman’s second goal. The 29-year-old came over from the San Jose Sharks in a deal before Friday’s trade deadline.

Monday’s tilt marks the beginning of a four-game road trip for last season’s Stanley Cup runners-up.

Edmonton has come out on top in four of the previous six meetings (4-1-1), with the most recent matchup an Oilers 3-2 home victory on Jan. 25.

Meanwhile, the Sabres are hoping to climb their way out of the basement of the Eastern Conference standings.

The Sabres were blanked 4-0 in their most recent outing against the Florida Panthers on Saturday.

“We have to move on and we have to get ready and get better for the future,” forward Alex Tuch said. “We have to be the best we can be for these last 20 games. No matter what happens, we have to be the best we can individually and as a team.”

Buffalo has been leaking goals throughout their current skid, failing to hold their opponents to fewer than four goals in all six contests.

The Sabres' key acquisition on trade deadline day, Ottawa Senators forward Josh Norris, played 20:27 in his debut on Saturday.

“Really good skater, really smart player,” Tuch said about his new teammate. “I think he’s got a really high ceiling and he’s got a really unique and exciting skill set that he brings to the table. He was working really hard out there, too.”

The Sabres sent former first-round pick Dylan Cozens as the key cog in the deal to acquire Norris, a two-time 20-goal scorer.

-- Field Level Media