{allcanada} Draisaitl, Talbot help Oilers thump Blackhawks 5-0

 

Ebates.ca - Amazon.com - Amazon.ca - Wal-Mart - GameStop - Match.com - Work From Home

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) The Edmonton Oilers hope they are finally out of their funk.

Leon Draisaitl scored twice and Cam Talbot made 31 saves for his third shutout of the season, helping Edmonton beat the Western Conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks 5-0 on Monday night.

''They've been playing some good hockey lately so it's not an easy team to shut out by any means,'' Talbot said. ''We played a great team game. That's a huge statement win for us tonight.''

Oscar Klefbom, Andrej Sekera and Anton Slepyshev also scored for the Oilers, who have won two straight since ending a five-game skid.

Connor McDavid had two assists to move into the NHL scoring lead with 24 points in 20 games.

''They've been playing really well and for us to get a win like that is definitely big for the confidence moving forward,'' McDavid said. ''We've been able to snap out of a bit of a funk and we're looking to go on a run now. Once you get out of one of those, it is important you take off from there.''

The 19-year-old McDavid set up a goal 2:39 in by skating the length of the ice before centering the puck for Klefbom, who blasted a shot past Crawford.

McDavid also assisted late in the first when Draisaitl tipped in Klefbom's shot from the point on a power play for a 2-0 lead.

Corey Crawford made 22 saves in the loss as the Blackhawks had a two-game winning streak snapped.

''That wasn't our team, it was a tough loss and we just have to forget about it and worry about the next game,'' Crawford said. ''I don't take anything away from this one. We created a few good chances, but it was one of those games where nothing was going right.''

Talbot kept Chicago from getting on the board four minutes into the second when he stopped Duncan Keith on a point-blank power-play shot.

Sekera scored on a long wrist shot with just 7.6 seconds left in the second shortly after a power play expired to make it 3-0.

Edmonton took a 4-0 lead seven minutes into the third period when Slepyshev's deceptive shot from a bad angle handcuffed Crawford.

Draisaitl scored his second of the game late in the third on the power play to put the game away.

''That's the closest we've come to a complete game,'' Oilers coach Todd McLellan said. ''It's a really good sign for our team going forward.''

NOTES: It was the first of three games between the two teams this season. Chicago swept the season series last year, with McDavid missing all three contests for the Oilers due to injury. ... Despite their 13-5-2 record, the Blackhawks were last in the NHL on the penalty kill at just 69.5 percent coming into the game. ... Veterans Benoit Pouliot, Mark Letestu and Eric Gryba remained healthy scratches for the Oilers. ... The lone injury listed for Chicago is Trevor van Riemsdyk (upper body), while Edmonton is still without Iiro Pakarinen (knee), Brandon Davidson (upper body) and Mark Fayne (lower body).

UP NEXT

Blackhawks: Play the fifth in a season-high seven-game road trip in San Jose on Wednesday night.

Oilers: Start a two-game trip at Colorado on Wednesday night.

Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music, Soaps
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99

Babe Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonth.html

Hunk Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonthman.html