Stuart Skinner recorded an 18-save shutout, and Connor McDavid recorded his 74th assist of the season as the Edmonton Oilers defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-0 in the final game of the campaign for both teams.
The game was San Jose’s first since captain Logan Couture announced the end of his playing career one day prior. The Sharks honored him during the game, and Oilers players made a point to shake hands with him after the contest concluded.
Game Summary
The Sharks dominated the opening minutes of the first period, recording the game’s first five shots on goal, but Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner stopped all six shots. Despite that start, Edmonton managed the first goal of the game on a shot from the point by former Shark Ty Emberson, aided by a good screen from Connor Brown. Emberson now has two goals this season, both against San Jose. Connor McDavid recorded the primary assist to reach 100 points on the season, joining Wayne Gretzky, Marcel Dionne and Mario Lemieux as players in NHL history with eight 100-point seasons.
From that point on, the Oilers controlled the rest of the period. They outshot the Sharks 6-1 over the remaining 11:40 and received one power play, but couldn’t add to their lead in that time.
After a back-and-forth and physical start to the second, the Oilers expanded their advantage midway through the period. They used sustained zone pressure and good puck movement to work the puck down low and give Max Jones a great look at the front of the net, which he put away for his first goal of the season.
Edmonton had a couple of decent scoring chances as they tried to pile on, but couldn’t capitalize. The Sharks, on the other hand, found very little for the remainder of the period. Their best chance actually came after the period was over. Jan Rutta tipped in a last-second shot by Will Smith, but it didn’t go into the net until after the buzzer sounded.
After the Oilers got the first look of the third period, the Sharks began to press in hopes of mounting a comeback. They controlled the puck for a stretch, but lost that momentum when they were called for a penalty about six minutes into the period. Edmonton didn’t score on the ensuing power play, but sustained the momentum from it to keep the Sharks from getting many more looks. San Jose got one last high-quality look when Noah Gregor hit the post with about four minutes remaining, but Corey Perry ended the game with an empty-net goal shortly thereafter.
Edmonton will finish the season with 101 points, good for third in the Pacific Division, while the Sharks finish with 52, last in the NHL. The Oilers continue their season in Los Angeles, where they’ll face the Kings in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Meanwhile, the next major event for San Jose will be this year’s draft lottery, where they’ll have the highest odds at the top pick for the second straight season.
