Ceci, Hyman Score To Lead Oilers In Win Over Islanders
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Cody Ceci and Zach Hyman each scored a goal, Mike Smith stopped 37 shots and the Edmonton Oilers beat the New York Islanders 3-1 Friday night.
Jesse Puljujarvi also scored for the Oilers and Connor McDavid had two assists to help Jay Woodcroft get a win in his NHL coaching debut. Mike Smith stopped 37 shots, including 18 in the first period, to improve to 3-4-1 on the season.
Edmonton snapped a two-game skid and improved to 6-2-1 in its last nine.
Anthony Beauvillier had a goal for the Islanders, who have lost four of six. Ilya Sorokin finished with 33 saves.
Edmonton scored a rare first goal of the game when Ceci beat Sorokin with a long point blast with 57 seconds to play in the opening period. It was just the sixth time in the last 36 games that Edmonton got the game's first goal. The Oilers are now 13-0 this season when scoring the initial goal.
Edmonton made it 2-0 midway through the second period when Hyman elected to shoot on a 2-on-1 opportunity and got his 14th goal of the campaign and 100th of his career.
New York got back into the contest on the power play with five minutes to play in the middle frame as Beauvillier beat Smith glove-side.
The Oilers restored their two-goal lead on the power play midway through the third as Puljujarvi dove for a puck and swatted it through Sorokin's legs. His 11th ended a 14-game goal-scoring drought.
NOTES: Woodcroft and assistant coach Dave Manson, who joined him in coming up to Edmonton, were in their fourth season coaching the Oilers AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. They recorded an overall record of 105-71-21 during their tenure before moving up to coach the NHL club after Dave Tippett was relieved of his duties on Wednesday. ... It was the first time the Islanders faced the Oilers in Edmonton since Feb. 21, 2019. The Islanders won the previous meeting between the two teams on Jan. 1 this season in New York, prevailing 3-2 in overtime. ... Out of the lineup for the Oilers were Kris Russell (undisclosed), Zack Kassian (fractured jaw), Duncan Keith (upper body) and Mikko Koskinen (COVID-19). ... Missing for the Islanders was Kyle Palmieri, after he and his wife welcomed a baby earlier this week.
UP NEXT
Islanders: At Calgary on Saturday night in the third of four straight on the road.
Oilers: At San Jose on Monday night to open a two-game California trip.
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