Oilers edge Sharks despite losing Leon Draisaitl

Field Level Media|published: Fri 4th April, 01:37 2025

Apr 3, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; Edmonton Oilers defenseman Jake Walman (96) controls the puck against San Jose Sharks right wing Collin Graf (51) in the first period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Jeff Skinner scored what proved to be the winning goal and added an assist as the Edmonton Oilers beat the host San Jose Sharks 3-2 on Thursday.

Connor Brown and Viktor Arvidsson also tallied for the Oilers (44-26-5, 93 points), who won their third straight game. Defenseman Evan Bouchard had two assists, and Calvin Pickard made 27 saves.

NHL goal-scoring leader Leon Draisaitl, who had an assist for Edmonton, left in the middle of the second period due to an undisclosed injury and didn't return.

Draisaitl has 52 goals this season and 399 for his career. The Oilers already were without their other superstar, Connor McDavid, who missed his sixth game with a lower-body injury.

Defenseman Jack Thompson and Tyler Toffoli produced the goals for the Sharks (20-45-10, 50 points), who lost their fourth game in a row (0-3-1). Defenseman Mario Ferraro had two assists, and Georgi Romanov stopped 35 shots in an emergency start.

San Jose's Alexandar Georgiev was scheduled to start between the pipes, but he was scratched due to an upper-body injury earlier in the day. Gabriel Carriere was called up from the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL to back up Romanov.

Pickard preserved the win by making a save with his mask to deny Collin Graf from the bottom of the left circle with just under a minute left.

Skinner broke a 2-2 tie with 5:03 left in the second period when he tipped in Bouchard's shot from the left point.

Toffoli had tied the game 8:48 into the middle period on a one-time shot from the slot for his team-leading 28th goal.

Arvidsson's power-play goal 2:59 into the second period, on a one-time slapshot, made it 2-1 Oilers. Draisaitl picked up an assist on the play.

Brown opened the scoring 6:22 into the game when he took a pass from Skinner at the San Jose blue line, split the defense for a breakaway and beat Romanov. It was Brown's second goal in his past 22 games.

It only took 1:48 for Thompson to tie the game 1-1 on a one-timer from the top inside portion of the left circle.

Romanov made a blocker save, moving from his left to right, on Draisaitl's one-time shot from the left circle on a two-on-one rush.

--Field Level Media

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