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It was a long time coming, but the Edmonton Oilers collected their first victory of the 2024-25 NHL season and did so in dramatic comeback fashion against the visiting Philadelphia Flyers at Rogers Place.
Despite trailing 2-0 and 3-2, the Oilers found a way to tie the score both times and send the contest to overtime, where Leon Draisaitl scored his second goal of the season to secure the extra point for his squad.
The Flyers got the scoring started thanks to the first two goals in the career of highly-touted Russian prospect Matvei Michkov. His first goal withstood a goaltender interference challenge from the Oilers.
The Oilers knotted the score at 2-2 in the second period thanks to goals from Adam Henrique and Connor Brown:
The Flyers re-took the lead after Bobby Brink's pass deflected off Mattias Ekholm past Stuart Skinner, an advantage they held until Evan Bouchard blasted home the tying goal with under four minutes remaining in regulation:
Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson made a spectacular save on Connor McDavid in overtime. However, the Oilers captain fed the puck to a wide-open Leon Draisaitl, who ended the game with a quick wrist shot that beat Ersson blocker side:
What are the three biggest takeaways from the Oilers' first win of the season?
#1. Finally, the Oilers have their first win
The first and most obvious takeaway from Tuesday night is that the Oilers finally picked up their first victory. They prevented what would have been a woeful 0-4 start, avoiding the third instance in team history that they failed to pick up a victory in the first four games. However, the work isn't finished.
The Oilers and their fans still remember well how they began last season 3-9-1, something they'll want to avoid this time around.
#2. Stuart Skinner had his best game of the year (so far)
While Skinner's numbers weren't spectacular coming into Tuesday's game, he finished with 27 stops on the night and was able to match Ersson save for save.
The good news for the Oilers is that the win will help boost his confidence moving forward. Without goaltending, Edmonton has no realistic chance at a repeat deep playoff run.
#3. The Oilers stood up for their goaltender
Flyers captain Sean Couturier ran down Skinner behind the net during the third period, and it was defenseman Troy Stetcher who immediately swooped in and challenged him:
It wasn't the only scrap of the evening, as Corey Perry dropped the mitts against Joel Farabee.
The Oilers can enjoy their victory for a short time before they have to hit the road and take on the Nashville Predators (who are 0-3) on Thursday night before a rematch of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars on Saturday night.
