3 Takeaways From Oilers’ 5-2 Win Over Mammoth

Ollers netminder Tristan Jarry made 16 saves in a winning effort. Karel Vejmelka started between the pipes for Utah but was pulled after allowing four goals on 15 shots and replaced by Vitek Vanacek, who stopped all 10 shots he faced.

With the victory, Edmonton moves one point ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights for second place in the Pacific Division. The Oilers have 79 points, five back of the division-leading Anaheim Ducks.

Milestone Game for Oilers Vets

There were three major milestone moments for veteran Oilers players on Tuesday night, one in each period.

In the opening frame, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins notched the 800^th point of his career by assisting on Roslovic’s first goal of the game. Nugent-Hopkins, who has spent all 15 of his NHL seasons in Edmonton, is the seventh player to record 800 points for the Oilers.

At 12:07 of the second period, McDavid broke a 2-2 tie by scoring for the 40^th time this season, giving him 400 career goals. The Edmonton captain joins Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri and injured teammate Leon Draisaitl as the only players to reach 400 goals as an Oiler.

Finally, McDavid hit 1,200 career points when he put the puck into an empty net at 19:52 of the third period. With 1,200 points in only 784^th career games, McDavid is the third fastest player to reach that milestone in NHL history, behind only Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.

Oilers Lock it Down in Utah

Fundamentally speaking, this was one of the Oilers’ best-played games of 2025-26. Right from the outset, Edmonton gave the Mammoth little to work with, holding them to just three shots in the first period. Utah finished the game with just 18 shots, nearly 10 below its season average.

The Oilers were all-in defensively, blocking 24 shots, their second-most blocked shots in a game this season. And for one of the few times this season, there was really no lapse from Edmonton: Once they took a 4-2 lead with just under five minutes remaining in the second period, the Oilers locked it down.

This was the template for how Edmonton can succeed without Draisaitl, who is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season while recovering from a lower-body injury. The Oilers showed they can beat a good team without relying solely on their ability to outscore them. Instead, Edmonton won by playing smart, sound hockey and capitalizing on subsequent offensive opportunities.

Confidence Booster for Jarry

Could the Oilers’ increased commitment to defence have anything to do with who was starting between the pipes? After struggling through a dreadful 10-game stretch in which he went 3-6-0 with a goals-against average of 5.09 and save percentage of .826, Jarry had gone 12 days without playing, and maybe Edmonton’s skaters felt their beleaguered goalie needed a bit of extra help.

Whatever the case, Tuesday’s game should serve as a much-needed confidence boost for Jarry. He allowed his fewest goals in a start since Jan. 20, and couldn’t really be faulted for either Utah goal, particularly Kerfoot’s first-period tally, which bounced off two Edmonton defenders before landing behind Jarry.

Though he didn’t face a ton of rubber earlier in the game, Jarry was rock solid during the third period, turning aside all eight Utah shots while Edmonton was protecting a multi-goal lead. Most importantly, Jarry looked poised between the pipes, providing Oil Country with hope that he can get back on track before the postseason.

Despite Jarry’s encouraging performance, netminder Connor Ingram is likely to get the start when Edmonton returns to action for a hugely important game against Vegas at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday (March 26). Edmonton can put some distance between itself and the Golden Knights with a victory, while Vegas can leapfrog the Oilers back into second place by winning in regulation.