Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid help Oilers beat Hurricanes

EDMONTON, Alberta -- — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid each had a goal and three assists and the Edmonton Oilers snapped a two-game skid with a 6-4 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night.

Zach Hyman, Ryan McLeod, Evander Kane and Leon Draisaitl also scored for the Oilers (2-2-0). Jack Campbell made 36 saves.

“It was a big win for our group,” McDavid said. “It was a great test against a really good Carolina team, and they gave us everything that we could handle. Soup (Campbell) made some big saves and our power play did its thing. It was a big win, a bit ugly, but we’ll take it. Being 2-2 is nothing to write home about, but we’ll take it.”

Andrei Svechnikov had a hat trick and Martin Necas added another goal for the Hurricanes (3-1-0) in their first loss of the season. Sebastian Aho added three assists, and Frederik Andersen stopped 27 shots.

“Today was a tough game,” Necas said. “We didn’t play bad. We just gave up some easy goals, which against teams like that can cost you. “We scored four goals and with four goals, we should win every night. It was tough night.”

Edmonton scored the game’s first goal for the first time this season 8:22 into the opening period. On the power play, Tyson Barrie intercepted a clearing attempt and floated a puck on net for Hyman to tip past Andersen.

Carolina pulled even 1:38 into the second period when Svechnikov beat Campbell glove-side to extend his points streak to four games.

Just over eight minutes into second, the Oilers regained the lead with their second short-handed goal of the season. Nugent-Hopkins sent the puck across to McLeod on a two-on-one, and he beat Andersen through the legs.

Edmonton made it 3-1 a couple of minutes later as McDavid sent a long pass to spring Kane and he scored his first of the season on the backhand.

The Hurricanes cut into the deficit 12:35 into the second as a Svechnikov shot ticked off a defender’s stick and past Campbell.

A little over a minute into the third period, the Oilers restored their two-goal lead. Andersen coughed up the puck behind his net and Hyman was able to kick it out to Nugent-Hopkins who scored into a wide-open net.

However, just a couple of minutes later, Carolina struck again on the power play as the puck deflected off a skate from the faceoff circle to Svechnikov, who scored his third goal of the game and sixth of the young season.

The Oilers struck on a power play of their own 5:16 into the third as McDavid sent it across to Draisaitl for a one-timer into the net.

Carolina once again punched back with a power-play goal on a tick-tack-toe passing play converted by Necas 8:55 into the third period.

The Hurricanes had a great chance to tie it up with a minute left as Aho went on a breakaway, but Campbell came up with a huge save.

McDavid scored an empty-netter to put the game away with 10 seconds remaining.

UP NEXT

Hurricanes: At Calgary on Saturday night.

Oilers: Host St. Louis on Saturday.

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