NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Leon Draisaitl scored three goals and Mike Smith made 30 saves to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Leon Draisaitl scored three goals and Mike Smith made 30 saves to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday.
Draisaitl’s hat-trick gave him 54 goals this season, four behind NHL leader Auston Matthews (58) of Toronto.
Darnell Nurse also scored and Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had two assists for Edmonton, who snapped a two-game losing streak. The Oilers swept the three-game season series with Nashville and have beaten the Predators in six straight games.
The shutout was Smith’s first of the season and the 43rd of his career. His best save came 24 seconds into the third period when he gloved Matt Duchene’s shot from close range down the right side.
Juuse Saros had 28 saves for Nashville, which has lost three of four. The Predators entered the Western Conference’s top wild-card spot Thursday by one point.
Draisaitl opened the scoring at 8:56 of the first half.
With Edmonton on a power play, McDavid sent a pass from the left circle to Nugent-Hopkins in the slot. He made a quick touch pass to Draisaitl in the right circle, and beat Saros with a single time.
Draisaitl struck again at 12:36 of the second.
Zach Hyman drove down the right side and, from under the goal line, sent a pass to Draisaitl in the slot. He beat Saros with a wrist strike through traffic on the side of the stick.
Nurse scored a shorthanded goal at 15:29 to make it 3-0, connecting from the slot on an Evander Kane drive.
Draisaitl capped off his second hat-trick of the season and the sixth of his career at 11:09 of the third, again on the power play. It was his 23rd power play goal of the season.
Colton Sissons appeared to break Smith’s offer early in the third, but Edmonton challenged the call for a goal on the ice and video review determined the play was offside.
HE LOVES TO TACKLE THE PREDS
Draisaitl has had a lot of success in his career when he faced the Predators. With three goals on Thursday night, Draisaitl has 19 goals and six assists in 20 games against Nashville.
Two of his career hat-tricks have come in Nashville. His previous one was on March 2, 2020, when he scored four goals.
He had five goals and one assist in all three games against Nashville this season.
GLASS BACK
Earlier Thursday, the Predators called up Milwaukee center Cody Glass from the AHL. Glass, obtained in the offseason as part of the trade that sent Ryan Ellis to Philadelphia, started the season in Nashville before being sent to the minors for most of the season.
Glass centered Nashville’s fourth row Thursday between wingers Nick Cousins and Luke Kunin.
WHATS NEXT
Predators: hosts the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.
Oilers: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.
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Jim DiamondThe Associated Press
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