EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Leon Draisaitl had a goal and three assists, Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist, and Edmonton beat the New York Islanders 4-1 on Monday night in Kris Knoblauch's debut as Oilers coach.
Zach Hyman and Evander Kane also scored for Edmonton and Stuart Skinner stopped 32 shots. The Oilers got their first home victory of the season and got their second straight win overall after losing four in a row.
Mathew Barzal scored for the Islanders and Ilya Sorokin finished with 28 saves. New York five in a row, including four straight in regulation.
It was Knoblauch's first game since taking over for the fired Jay Woodcroft on Sunday following the Oilers' 3-9-1 start.
The new coach's debut did not start smoothly as the Oilers coughed up a puck in their own end just 40 seconds into the game, allowing Bo Horvat to send it across to Barzal for a one-timer that beat Skinner glove-side.
Edmonton tied it with 5:43 to play in the opening period as Draisaitl skated around Islanders defenseman Sebastian Aho and took an off-balance shot that beat Sorokin for his sixth goal of the season.
The Oilers then took the lead with two power-play goals coming less than two minutes apart midway through the third period.
First, McDavid sent the puck from behind the net to Hyman in the crease and he chipped home his eighth of the season and fourth in the last two games at 7:35.
Draisaitl then made a long stretch pass to McDavid whose shot hit Sorokin but then trickled into the net at 9:33, ending his eight-game goal-scoring drought.
The Islanders took a chance with 2 1/2 minutes to play and pulled their goalie while on a power play, but Draisaitl intercepted a pass and sent Kane in on a short-handed breakaway to put his fourth into the empty net.
The Islanders were without defenseman Adam Pelech (lower body).
UP NEXT
Islanders: At Vancouver on Wednesday night in the second of a four-game trip.
Oilers: Host Seattle on Wednesday night.
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AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
The Associated Press
