The Edmonton Oilers closed out 2024 with a bang, sending fans at Rogers Place home happy on New Year’s Eve with a victory over the Utah Hockey Club. The win capped off a strong December for the Oilers, who continue after a hiccup in California on the recent road trip, are in a good position heading into 2025.
Connor McDavid and Connor Brown were put together in some line juggling by head coach Kris Knoblauch. The hope was that the changes would spark everyone and potentially rekindle old chemistry between the two Connors from their time with the Erie Otters in the OHL. It worked as the two drove Edmonton’s attack. McDavid extended his impressive 12-game point streak and Brown had two assists on the two goals in the second period that put the game out of reach.
Leon Draisaitl matched McDavid’s point streak and increased his league-leading goal total to 27. He scored the empty-net goal to make it 4-1.
Goaltender Stuart Skinner stopped 27 shots to backstop the Oilers to victory. Skinner has had his ups and downs this season, but he’s put together a series of strong outings, and become a reliable starter during the Oilers’ current run.
Mattias Ekholm was also excellent, scoring the first goal of the night. He was all over the ice and pushed the Oilers forward. He was aggressive and said after the game, “We’re working towards something really good. Hopefully 2025’s the year.”
Building Momentum for 2025
What Are the Lines In Edmonton?
As the Oilers head into 2025, their focus remains on climbing the standings and solidifying a playoff spot. The Oilers gained two key points on Tuesday as the Vegas Golden Knights lost to the Montreal Canadiens. They sit tied with the Los Angeles Kings with 47 points. It was a big win, but there are some questions coming out of the victory.
It will be intriguing to see if the line juggling continues. Knoblauch moved pieces around for most of the game, shuffling things up. He’s got a knack for going with who he thinks is on, but the consistency with forward pairings could become an issue.
Nugent-Hopkins started on the third line, but was moved up to the first line in the second, scoring a goal. Zach Hyman played over 16 minutes, but saw time on the fourth line. Jeff Skinner got back into the lineup but wasn’t impactful again. Edmonton is skilled and experienced enough to win games without consistent lines, but they need to find a mix the coach can roll with.
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