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Edmonton Oilers Brett Kulak with center Connor McDavid and Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins celebrates a goal on Winnipeg Jets goalie Eric Comrie (Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images)

4 Takeaways From Oilers’ 4-1 Win Against Blackhawks

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Brian Swane | Last updated Jan 13, 2026 9:55 AM ET

Evan Bouchard scored twice to lead the Edmonton Oilers past the host Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 4-1 at United Center on Monday (Jan. 12) night.

Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman also tallied for Edmonton. The Blackhawks got their lone goal from forward Tyler Bertuzzi.

Oilers netminder Connor Ingram made 29 saves in a winning effort, while Chicago goalie Spencer Knight stopped 33 of the 36 shots he faced.

Edmonton never trailed in the game. The Oilers led 1-0 after the opening 20 minutes and took a 2-0 advantage into the third period.

With the victory, the Oilers improve their record to 23-16-7. Edmonton now has 53 points, one less than the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights.

Statement Game From Ingram

With netminder Tristan Jarry set to return from injury, the Oilers are likely to assign either Ingram or fellow goalie Calvin Pickard to the American Hockey League (AHL). Pickard would have to clear waivers, while Ingram is waiver-exempt until Friday (Jan. 17).

Given that scenario, Monday might have been Ingram’s last opportunity to show the Oilers that they should keep the 28-year-old goalie around. And Ingram couldn’t have made a better case for himself.

During what was by far his best performance as an Oiler, Ingram made several huge saves throughout the game. He was especially sharp in the third period when Chicago fired 13 shots on goal and shut the door after Bertuzzi scored with just over five minutes remaining to cut Edmonton’s lead to 2-1.

Since being recalled from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL on Dec. 19, Ingram has gone 4-2-1 with a 2.98 goals-against average and .904 save percentage over seven appearances for the Oilers. He equalled both his NHL season-low for goals-against (one) and season-high for saves (29) on Monday.

McDavid Reaches Milestone

Oilers captain Connor McDavid picked up two assists against the Blackhawks, extending his point streak to 19 games.

Not only is that the longest single-season streak of McDavid’s remarkable career (he has longer streaks spanning the end of one season and the start of the next), but it’s the most consecutive games with a point in a single season by any Edmonton player since Wayne Gretzky had points in 19 straight games from Nov. 11 to Dec. 20, 1986. Gretzky holds the franchise and NHL record for the longest single-season point streak, with an incredible 51 straight games during the 1983-84 season.

Over the course of his 19-game streak, which began on Dec. 4, McDavid has totalled 19 goals and 25 assists. He now has 80 points in 2025-26, one back of Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon for the league lead.

Depth Scoring Still Lacking

The Oilers are 12-5-2 in their last 19 games, coinciding with McDavid’s streak. They have 26 points over the last six weeks, second most in the Western Conference over that span, behind only the juggernaut Avalanche.

But while Edmonton is getting wins and picking up points at a great rate, the fact remains that the Oilers are overly reliant on their top players. Over the last 14 games, which has seen Edmonton go 8-5-1, McDavid has 29 points, Draisaitl has 21 points, Bouchard has 17 points, Hyman has 15 points, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has 12 points. After those five players, no other Oilers skater has more than four points.

In Monday’s win, Bouchard led the Oilers with three points, McDavid and Hyman both had two points, while Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins registered one point each. No one else factored in Edmonton’s scoring.

This top-heavy production is not a model for sustained success, and if the Oilers are going to make a third consecutive run to the Stanley Cup Final, they are eventually going to need depth scoring, likely sooner rather than later.

Oilers Dominate in Alternate Jerseys

Monday’s game was the fifth time this season that the Oilers wore their new alternate uniform, and they remained undefeated in the off-white ensemble.

Edmonton has been utterly dominant while wearing its third jersey, outscoring the opposition 30-11. Over those five games, McDavid has 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) and Bouchard has 13 points (three goals, 10 assists), while Draisaitl has 12 points (seven goals, five assists) and has scored in every game.

The Oilers will wear their alternate jersey only twice more this season, including their next game, Tuesday (Jan. 13) night at Bridgestone Arena against the Nashville Predators.