Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) skates against the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period at T-Mobile Arena. Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Oilers' winning streak ends one game short of NHL record

The Edmonton Oilers' winning streak ended at 16 games on Tuesday night as they lost, 2-1, to the Vegas Golden Knights. 

That left the Oilers one game short of the NHL record (17 games) which was set by the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 1992-93 season. 

Chandler Stephenson's goal just two minutes into the third period was the game-winner for the Golden Knights. 

William Karlsson added an empty-net goal later in the period to put the game away for the defending Stanley Cup champions. 

Even though the Oilers ended up missing the record, it was still an incredible run that has played a big role in helping to turn their season around after a slow start.

The Oilers' streak began on Dec. 21 with a 6-3 win over the New Jersey Devils. 

During the streak, the Oilers scored 62 goals (3.8 goals per game) and outscored their opponents by a 62-24 margin. 

Connor McDavid was the team's top point producer during the streak with 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) in 16 games, while Leon Draisaitl had 23 (10 goals, 13 assists) and Zach Hyman added 12 goals. 

The Oilers were one of the league's most disappointing teams through the first month of the season with a 2-9-1 record in their first 12 games, resulting in the firing of head coach Jay Woodcroft. He was replaced by Kris Knoblauch. 

Since that slow start, the Oilers are now 27-7-1 and have two different winning streaks of at least eight games. They are now in a solid playoff position in the Western Conference and can turn their focus to the upcoming NHL trade deadline on March 8 and pursue the franchise's first Stanley Cup since the 1989-90 season. 

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