Saturday, March 2, 2019 01:00 PM (ET)

Koskinen makes 30 saves as Oilers blank Blue Jackets

Field Level Media
Mar 2, 2019

Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid each had three points, and Mikko Koskinen made 30 saves as the visiting Edmonton Oilers earned a 4-0 shutout of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday afternoon.

Draisaitl recorded two assists and scored his 40th goal of the season, combining with McDavid on a give-and-go 8:53 into the second period. Draisaitl joined Alex Ovechkin and Patrick Kane as the only players to reach the 40-goal plateau in the NHL this season.

Draisaitl extended his points streak to 10 games and has 25 points (16 goals, nine assists) over his last 17 games.

McDavid tied a career high with three assists in the game. Defenseman Kris Russell also had two assists.

Koskinen recorded his fourth shutout, continuing his strong play in his first full NHL season. The goaltender has a .910 save percentage and 2.76 goals-against average over 40 games for Edmonton.

The Oilers improved to 4-1-1 over their last six games as Edmonton has started a late push to reach the Western Conference playoffs.

Columbus entered the game in possession of an Eastern Conference wild-card spot, yet a flat performance resulted in the Blue Jackets' fourth shutout loss of the season. The Blue Jackets droped to 17-15-2 on home ice.

A pregame line shuffle resulted in the Oilers' top two scorers being paired together as Draisaitl was moved from second-line center to a winger on McDavid's line. The move had an immediate payoff as Draisaitl, McDavid and forward Zack Kassian combined for two goals and five assists on Saturday.

At 6:27 of the first period, Draisaitl kept the puck in the Columbus zone and then delivered a well-placed pass to Kassian on the right side. Kassian snapped it past goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky for the winger's 10th of the season.

The Oilers scored three times in the second period, with McDavid assisting on goals from Draisaitl, Josh Currie, and Alex Chiasson.

Currie continues his immediate impact in Edmonton's lineup. The rookie now has two goals and two assists over his first seven NHL games.

Chiasson's goal was his 18th of the season, snapping a 21-game scoreless drought.

Bobrovsky allowed four goals on 19 Edmonton shots. The Blue Jackets replaced Bobrovsky with backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo after two periods.

--Field Level Media

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