Talbot, Oilers shut out Blackhawks
EDMONTON, Alberta -- After years of being tormented by their longtime nemesis from Chicago, the Edmonton Oilers gained a measure of revenge Monday with a 5-0 victory over the Blackhawks at Rogers Place Arena.
Goaltender Cam Talbot made 31 saves for the shutout as the Oilers beat Chicago for just the third time in the past 13 meetings. Leon Draisaitl scored twice and added an assist.
While the Oilers were 1-5-0 in their previous six games, the Blackhawks were one of the hottest teams in the league, going 11-1-2 in their previous 14 contests to sit first in the Western Conference.
But it didn't seem to matter.
The Oilers got off to some notoriously bad starts in recent weeks -- giving up a goal in the first two minutes six times in an eight-game stretch -- but they started strongly in this one.
Defenseman Oscar Klefbom got it going with his third goal in three games at 2:39, and Draisaitl added to the lead with a power-play goal at 19:26.
Center Connor McDavid assisted on both goals to increase his total to a league-leading 16 on the season.
The Hawks pressed hard in the second period, but Talbot didn't give them a sniff, stopping several point-blank scoring chances to keep Chicago off the board.
Then, with 7.6 seconds left in the second period and Blackhawks center Marcus Kruger just stepping out of the penalty box, defenseman Andrej Sekera made it 3-0 with a shot from the point.
Right winger Anton Slepyshev and Draisaitl added third-period goals to put the game away.
Chicago goalie Corey Crawford stopped 22 shots.
NOTES: The Oilers made LW Benoit Pouliot a healthy scratch for the second game in a row. Pouliot doesn't have a point in 11 games despite playing on the second line. ... C Mark Letestu was also scratched for the second game in a row, ending his streak of 100 straight games played since joining the Oilers. ... Blackhawks RW Marian Hossa, who had 13 goals all last season, has 11 in his first 19 games this year. ... The Blackhawks are four games into a seven-game road trip that coincides with the annual circus at the United Center. ... The Blackhawks have five rookies in their lineup this season -- C Jacob Hinostroza, RW Ryan Hartman, C Tyler Motte, C Nick Schmaltz and D Gustav Forsling -- and all of them already have their first NHL goal. ... After going 27 straight games without a goal, Oilers D Oscar Klefbom has now scored in three consecutive games.