4 Takeaways From Oilers’ 6-2 Loss to Penguins

It was a stunning sequence, as the Oilers allowed more goals in 37 seconds (three) than they had over the previous three games combined (two). Not only that, but Pittsburgh set the record for the fastest three goals ever scored against the Oilers.

To their credit, the Oilers didn’t quit and cut the Penguins’ lead to 3-1 when Walman scored short-handed at 5:19 of the second period. But that’s as close as the home team got, as Pittsburgh added two goals before the second intermission to effectively put the game away.

Warm Welcome for Kulak and Skinner

It was exactly six weeks ago to the night that defenceman Brett Kulak and goaltender Stuart Skinner played their last game as members of the Oilers. On Dec. 11, Kulak blocked three shots in 16:45 of ice time, while Skinner was beaten just once on 28 shots as Edmonton defeated the host Detroit Red Wings 4-1. The next morning, both were traded to the Penguins in a deal that brought Jarry to Edmonton.

Early in the first period, a touching tribute video was shown for the two ex-Oilers, who looked emotional as they watched together at the Penguins bench. While the Rogers Place fans were still in a state of stunned silence after watching Pittsburgh jump in front 3-0, they rose to their feet and gave a tremendous ovation for Kulak and Skinner.

Skinner didn’t see any action against his former team; after backstopping Pittsburgh to a 4-1 victory over the host Calgary Flames on Wednesday (Jan. 21), he backed up Silovs on Thursday. Kulak, however, had a great night, leading the Penguins with 21:05 of ice time, while recording an assist before finishing the game with a plus/minus rating of plus-2.

Mini Slump for McDavid

Since going on a remarkable 20-game point streak, in which he totalled 19 goals and 27 assists, Oilers captain Connor McDavid has just three points, all assists, in his last five games.

Against Pittsburgh, McDavid was held pointless for the second straight game, marking the first time he’s gone back-to-back contests without getting in the scoring summary since Jan. 3 and 4, 2025.

Thursday was a tough night all around for Edmonton’s captain. With the Oilers trailing 4-1 late in the second period, McDavid lost the puck inside the Pittsburgh blue line to Malkin, who took off on a breakaway and fired the puck past Jarry, effectively putting the game on ice. McDavid finished the game with a minus-2 rating and just one shot on goal.

As brilliant as he is, McDavid is still human and not immune to hitting a rough patch every now and again. The problem is, the Oilers simply can’t afford him to have an off game: Edmonton has now lost 12 consecutive games when its captain doesn’t have a point, which speaks volumes about the team’s depth scoring.

Draisaitl Returns to Oilers Lineup

After missing Edmonton’s previous three games while taking a leave of absence to attend to a family illness in his native Germany, Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl was back in the lineup on Thursday.

It was a surprise return from the superstar centre, who wasn’t expected to suit up on Thursday. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reported that Draisaitl had been in the air traveling and didn’t even arrive in Edmonton until late afternoon.

Draisaitl wound up playing 19:17, second most among Oilers forwards behind only McDavid, and fired four shots on goal. The German forward wasn’t at his best, understandably, but he was far from the weakest link on an Oilers team that got trounced Thursday.

The Oilers, who lost 2-1 to the New Jersey Devils at Rogers Place on Tuesday (Jan. 20), will look to snap their two-game skid when they host the Washington Capitals on Saturday (Jan. 24).