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The Day After 48.0: Late power-play opportunity key for Islanders in shutout win over Oilers
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Photo credit: © Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Cam Lewis
Jan 16, 2026, 11:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 16, 2026, 13:18 EST
Sometimes, all you need is one.
That was the case on Thursday evening in Edmonton for the visiting New York Islanders, as star goaltender Ilya Sorokin turned aside all 35 shots that the Oilers threw his way for a 1-0 victory.
On a night where the Oilers did almost everything right, one mistake proved to be the difference. Edmonton carried long stretches of play and controlled much of the game at five-on-five, but nothing was getting past Sorokin.
The game-winner came late in the third period after Leon Draisaitl took a poorly timed tripping penalty. On New York’s first power-play opportunity of the night, Calum Ritchie found Anthony Duclair in the high slot with a no-look pass from near the goal line. The big winger snapped his ninth goal of the season past Connor Ingram, giving the Islanders a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
The 1-0 win moved the Islanders into a tie with the Minnesota Wild for the most shutouts in the NHL this season at seven. It was also New York’s first shutout victory in Edmonton since Game 1 of the 1983 Stanley Cup Final, when Hall of Famer Billy Smith made 35 saves in a 2-0 win.
For the Oilers, the loss brought an end to Connor McDavid’s career-high point streak. The captain recorded 19 goals and 46 points over 20 games dating back to the team’s only other shutout loss of the season, a 2-0 defeat at home against the Wild on December 2.

What they said…

Head coach Kris Knobluach on the Oilers playing well despite the loss…
“I’m very happy with our team’s effort and execution. [Connor] Ingram played really well and made some big saves, especially early in the game.
“We had a lot of good scoring chances 5-on-5, on the power play, and 6-on-5. We did pretty much everything but put the puck in the net.”
Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin on New York’s shutout victory in Edmonton…
“I think it was a great game defensively and the discipline was good tonight, just two penalty kills. We were fighting every minute, and we had a chance on the power play and we scored. Luck was on our side tonight. They hit two posts, in the last minute and the PK before. It’s a big win against a big team.”
New York head coach Patrick Roy on his team’s strong defensive effort…
“We defended really well. Yes, they had some good looks and when they had those, Ilya [Sorokin] was outstanding. He made some great saves for us and our power play came through with a big one for us. That’s a big win for us.
“They lost their last game against Nashville, and we knew they were going to play a strong game and that we had to be good in our D-zone coverage. And I thought we did.”
Connor Ingram on playing in a game that only saw one goal scored…
“I thought it was a good hockey game. That’s probably one that the people who want 6-5 games hate, but I thought it was a good hockey game.
“Some days, the passes are going to go your way and sometimes they’re not. We hit two posts pretty hard in the third period and that’s the difference.”
Islanders winger Anthony Duclair on capitalizing with the man advantage… 
“We talk about the power play each and every day and how we can improve on it. Those are the types of games we need to bury our chances. We’re not getting too many calls our way, so when we do get an opportunity we want to make sure we capitalize. And that’s what we did.”

Up next…

The Oilers will play their second back-to-back of the week on the weekend. They’ll start on Saturday night in Vancouver with a Hockey Night in Canada game against the Canucks, and then they’ll head back to Edmonton to host the St. Louis Blues on Sunday.

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