Oilers Jump to Early Lead, Defeat Kraken 4-2 for Third Straight Win

Angelo Apuli
Angelo Apuli
2 Min Read
Jan 4, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Edmonton Oilers forward Jeff Skinner (53) skates against Seattle Kraken forward Chandler Stephenson (9) during the second period at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Vasily Podkolzin and Jeff Skinner scored in the opening 5 1/2 minutes as the Edmonton Oilers secured a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night, extending their winning streak to three games.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl also scored for Edmonton, with Draisaitl sealing the game with an empty-net goal with 1:58 left, just six seconds after Seattle pulled goaltender Philipp Grubauer.

Calvin Pickard made 15 saves for the Oilers, who improved to 24-12-3 on the season. Viktor Arvidsson contributed two assists.

Chandler Stephenson and Jaden Schwartz scored for Seattle, while Grubauer stopped 28 shots.

Podkolzin wasted no time putting Edmonton ahead, scoring just 57 seconds into the game with a shot from the slot after a pass from Draisaitl.

Skinner doubled the lead at 5:18, capitalizing on a long pass from Kasperi Kapanen and slipping the puck past Grubauer from close range for his seventh goal of the season.

Takeaways

Oilers: Draisaitl extended his point streak to 14 games, tying a career-high. His assistance with Podkolzin’s goal marked his 30th of the season, and his late goal brought his season total to 29.

Kraken: Vince Dunn played his 500th NHL game, assisting on Schwartz’s goal. Dunn is the third Kraken player this season to hit the 500-game milestone, following Chandler Stephenson on Oct. 17 and Brandon Tanev on Nov. 13.

Key Moment

Nugent-Hopkins made it 3-0 for the Oilers with 8:08 left in the second period, sweeping in a rebound after Connor Brown’s initial shot was blocked.

Key Stat

Draisaitl’s dominance against the Kraken continues. He has 25 points (six goals, 19 assists) in 11 career games against Seattle — the most of any NHL player.

Up Next

The Oilers travel to face Boston on Tuesday night, while the Kraken return home to host the New Jersey Devils on Monday night.