Oilers Defeat Kraken 4-2 to Set Franchise Record with 12th Straight Win

Andrew McMann
Andrew McMann
4 Min Read
Jan 18, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Seattle Kraken forward Tye Karate (52) looks for a loose puck in front of Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) during the second period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

Warren Foegele scored twice, and Leon Draisaitl added a goal and three assists, leading the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night. The win extended the Oilers’ franchise-record winning streak to 12 games.

Zach Hyman also scored for Edmonton, and Stuart Skinner made 25 saves. The Oilers have gone 20-3-0 in their last 23 games, improving to 25-15-1. They matched the longest winning streak by a Canadian team, set by the 1967-68 Montreal Canadiens.

“I am happy we got the win. This group just kept battling back, and we were super calm. Hopefully, we can continue this,” Foegele said. “Stu played a huge game again, and that is what you need from your goaltender.”

The Oilers have come from behind eight times during their 12-game streak.

“It’s been a theme of this winning streak. We stay composed,” defenseman Mattias Ekholm said. “It hasn’t really mattered if it’s going into the third, the second, or the last five minutes of the game. We find a way to stay in it and end up on the right side of things.”

Eeli Tolvanen and Jared McCann scored to give Seattle a 2-0 lead. The Kraken have now lost three in a row during the tail end of a six-game trip following a nine-game winning streak.

“Our first 20 was good and, obviously, the first 10 minutes of the second period was what cost us,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “We weren’t as sharp as we needed to be and gave up too much in that time span. We did push back after that, but we weren’t able to capitalize on what was a good start.”

Seattle started the scoring midway through the opening period when Oliver Bjorkstrand set up Tolvanen with a long breakaway pass. Tolvanen beat Skinner high to the glove side for his 12th goal of the season.

The Kraken went up 2-0 a few minutes later when McCann picked the top corner for his 18th goal after a giveaway by Evander Kane.

Edmonton responded 37 seconds into the second period. A big rebound on Draisaitl’s shot fell to Foegele, who scored his eighth goal before Joey Daccord could get across.

The Oilers tied the game on a power play 4:38 into the second when Draisaitl banked in his 22nd goal of the season off Daccord. Draisaitl has 10 goals in his last 13 games.

Edmonton took the lead when a backhand pass from Draisaitl sent Foegele in all alone, scoring his second goal of the night.

The Oilers sealed the game with 2:38 remaining while Yanni Gourde served a five-minute major for charging. Connor McDavid set up Hyman with a backhand pass across the crease, giving Hyman an easy power play tap-in for his 27th goal of the season. The assist extended McDavid’s point streak to 12 games.

Edmonton tied its franchise record with 10 consecutive games, allowing two or fewer goals.

Upcoming Games

  • Kraken: Host Toronto on Sunday night.
  • Oilers: At Calgary on Saturday night.