<p>The Edmonton Oilers head into the Christmas break on a high note, with the club absolutely on fire, winning eight of ten games so far in December, going 3-1 in four games last week, and improving to 21-11-2 overall on the season. That said, Oilers fans can feel good heading into the break, knowing their team is on a solid streak, even if you&#8217;re feeling a bit guilty about re-gifting that coffee mug from last year’s Christmas gift exchange.</p>
<p>The Oilers have earned a well-deserved few days off, with plenty of positives to take into their Christmas break. With that in mind, we highlight the Oilers&#8217; Three Stars of the Week below, along with an honourable mention to a steady defender who came up clutch last week and sports a beard so good it could almost rival that of jolly old St. Nick.</p>
<h2>Oilers’ 3rd Star: Leon Draisaitl</h2>
<p><strong>Last Week’s Stats – 4 GP – 2 G – 5 A – 7 Pts</strong><br />
<strong>Season Stats – 34 GP – 24 G – 28 A – 52 Pts</strong></p>
<p>Oilers’ forward Leon Draisaitl had another highly productive week, tallying seven points in four games, earning the Oilers’ third Star of the Week honour.</p>
<p>On Dec. 16, against the Florida Panthers, Draisaitl scored a goal from his office to beat Sergei Bobrovsky and also picked up an assist in the rematch of last season&#8217;s Stanley Cup Final. Additionally, he continued to build on his dominating season, assisting on all three goals the next game against the Boston Bruins while skating mostly on a loaded-up line with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="fr" dir="ltr">EDM FLA G31. December 16, 2024. Leon Draisaitl goal. 4-2 EDM. 🎥: Amazon Prime <a href="https://t.co/n358rfTxvc">pic.twitter.com/n358rfTxvc</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Nation Network Media (@NationNMedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/NationNMedia/status/1868855485333737930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Two of the Oilers&#8217; goals came from his hard work along the boards, winning battles and freeing up the puck. The third tally came at the tail end of his shift in overtime, where he got a shot off, and the puck eventually found its way to Mattias Ekholm, who buried the game-winner.</p>
<p>Draisaitl notched point #900 on Ekholm&#8217;s goal, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/leon-draisaitl-becomes-fifth-fastest-european-nhl-player-to-hit-900-point-milestone">becoming the fifth-fastest European player</a> to reach that milestone, trailing only Peter Stastny, Jari Kurri, Jaromir Jagr, and Nikita Kucherov. We often talk about how we shouldn’t take McDavid’s greatness for granted, but we shouldn&#8217;t take Draisaitl&#8217;s greatness for granted, either. As casual as he makes it look when dominating the game, it&#8217;s important to remember that we&#8217;re still witnessing one of the top-tier players to ever lace up the skates.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">EDM SJS G33. December 21, 2024. Leon Draisaitl game-winning goal. 3-2 EDM. 🎥: Sportsnet <a href="https://t.co/yTPoJMphx0">pic.twitter.com/yTPoJMphx0</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Nation Network Media (@NationNMedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/NationNMedia/status/1870614385238192331?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Against the San Jose Sharks, Draisaitl was back to centering the second line and had plenty of scoring chances with his linemates, Vasily Podkolzin and Kasperi Kapanen. While he failed to convert on a couple of glorious opportunities in the third period, he flipped the switch to clutch mode <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/mattias-ekholm-to-the-rescue-yaroslav-askarov-almost-stole-it-and-oilers-get-another-three-points-from-connor-mcdavid">and buried a McDavid pass for the OT winner</a>. A day later, in a back-to-back against the Ottawa Senators, he earned an assist on Hyman’s power-play goal, led all forwards in ice time (22:40), and won 60% of his faceoffs.</p>
<p>Draisaitl is heading into the Christmas break on a major high note, and while I’m not sure if he’s an eggnog guy or not, he definitely deserves as many glasses as he so chooses. He enters the break second in points (52), first in goals (24), and also leads in even-strength goals (19), game-winning goals (8), and OT goals (4). Additionally,<a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/leon-draisaitl-for-the-hart-trophy-viktor-arvidssons-limited-return-and-the-oilers-overcome-a-tough-start"> as Baggedmilk mentioned</a>, the former league MVP is starting to establish himself as a front-runner for the Hart Trophy this season.</p>
<h2>Oilers’ 2nd Star: Zach Hyman</h2>
<p><strong>Last Week’s Stats – 4 GP – 5 G – 1 A – 6 Pts<br />
Season Stats – 29 GP – 13 G – 6 A – 19 Pts</strong></p>
<p>Zach Hyman had a heckuva week, tallying five goals and one assist in four games, and he earned the number two spot on the Oilers’ Three Stars of the Week list. On Dec. 16 against the Panthers, he proved just how hard-nosed (pun intended) hockey players can be.</p>
<p>The Oilers’ forward scored twice against the Panthers, including a near replica of his tally from Game 6 of last year’s Stanley Cup Final—breaking in on Bobrovsky and beating him with a backhander. Later in the second period, Hyman took a ‘Bouch Bomb’ to the face, quickly left the ice, and we <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/oilers-notes-zach-hyman-has-a-broken-nose-connor-mcdavid-and-darnell-nurse-collide-at-practice-and-more">later learned he had broken his nose</a> on the play. But he returned, wearing a full face shield and proudly sported his battle wounds, with a blood stain on his jersey near the Oilers logo.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">hockey players are just built different man <a href="https://t.co/R7uwFphEsA">pic.twitter.com/R7uwFphEsA</a></p>
<p>&mdash; zach (@zjlaing) <a href="https://twitter.com/zjlaing/status/1868865549499089145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>When the camera zoomed in on the bloodstain, it reminded me of the saying, &#8220;he bleeds orange and blue.&#8221; Of course, he doesn’t literally, but the camera shot of his blood near the Oilers logo served as a powerful reminder of Hyman&#8217;s relentless effort night in and night out, that he does whatever it takes to help his team win, and Oilers fans are fortunate to have a heart and soul player like him on the team.</p>
<p>Against the Bruins, Hyman played a pivotal role in the Oilers’ comeback win. Fresh off taking a puck to the face and sporting some bumps and bruises—looking like Stan’s dad from South Park in the ‘I didn’t hear no bell’ meme—<a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/the-day-after-32-0-oilers-remind-rest-of-the-league-how-dominant-they-are">he got the Oilers on the board</a> with a half-clapper that trickled past Jeremy Swayman. Hyman was just as crucial on the tying goal, scooping up a loose puck on the backcheck, evading a poke check from the towering Nikita Zadorov, and sliding it over to McDavid, who buried it to set the stage <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/oilers-erase-2-0-first-period-hole-and-beat-bruins-in-overtime">for a 3-2 OT victory</a>.</p>
<p>Against the Sharks, Hyman continued to show that he’s a perfect fit with McDavid, on this Oilers team, or any team for that matter (*cough Team Canada *cough). In the first period, as McDavid danced around the Sharks’ zone, Hyman casually found open space, received the captain’s pass, and fired a wrister past Jaroslav Askarov.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">EDM OTT G34. December 21, 2024. Zach Hyman goal. 2-1 EDM. 🎥: Sportsnet <a href="https://t.co/itg6If2BAO">pic.twitter.com/itg6If2BAO</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Nation Network Media (@NationNMedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/NationNMedia/status/1871020283592892695?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>A day later, against the Sens, the 32-year-old extended his goal-scoring streak, netting his 13th of the season—the eventual game-winner. It was also his <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/viktor-arvidsson-cashes-in-on-his-opportunity-zach-hyman-stays-hot-and-the-oilers-take-over-2nd-in-pacific-division">10th goal in his last nine games</a>, and in the process, he joined elite company—<a href="https://x.com/SNstats/status/1871021313621663889">Wayne Gretzky</a>, Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson and McDavid—becoming the fifth player in Oilers history to record multiple six-game goal streaks.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, with how hot Hyman&#8217;s been lately, heading into the holidays, Hockey Canada is probably hoping Santa delivers a time machine so they can go back and pencil in ‘Zachary Martin Hyman’ on the Team Canada roster before it&#8217;s too late.</p>
<h2>Oilers’ 1st Star: Connor McDavid</h2>
<p><strong>Last Week’s Stats – 4 GP – 1 G – 7 A – 8 Pts</strong><br />
<strong>Season Stats – 31 GP – 15 G – 34 A – 49 Pts</strong></p>
<p>Connor McDavid once again takes the number one spot on the Oilers&#8217; Three Stars of the Week after a one-goal, seven-assist performance, averaging two points per game last week, and has now crept into the top five in league scoring.</p>
<p>The week kicked off against the Panthers, and despite the Oilers’ loss, it was an entertaining affair, packed with goals, a fight, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/emotions-rise-in-stanley-cup-final-rematch-youre-not-doing-yourself-any-favours-yelling-at-the-referee">and plenty of controversial calls—and no-calls</a>, but overall, the Oilers’ captain came to play. By the end of the night, he had three assists, including setting up the red-hot Hyman for two goals and assisting on Draisaitl’s goal—marking the 200th time he’d assisted on a Draisaitl goal.</p>
<p>Against Boston, the Oilers had a relatively quiet night, McDavid included. But when it mattered most, the three-time Hart Trophy winner stepped up, driving to the net and tying the game 2-2 with just over two minutes left.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">EDM BOS G32. December 19, 2024. Connor McDavid goal. 2-2 tie. 🎥: Sportsnet <a href="https://t.co/XfTURoIR6z">pic.twitter.com/XfTURoIR6z</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Nation Network Media (@NationNMedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/NationNMedia/status/1869963802588131376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Two days later, against the San Jose Sharks, the captain was in control all game. To put it into context, according to <em>Natural Stat Trick,</em> he had a 20-5 edge in scoring chances, including 11-2 in high-danger chances, while registering three assists.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">THE OILERS STUN THE SHARKS! 🤯</p>
<p>Connor McDavid sets up Leon Draisaitl for the <a href="https://twitter.com/SUBWAYCanada?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SUBWAYCanada</a> OT winner. <a href="https://t.co/K25MFO1g3y">pic.twitter.com/K25MFO1g3y</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1870614712745873868?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>His biggest play came when he gingerly danced around San Jose’s young gun Macklin Celebrini and assisted on Draisaitl’s game-winner in OT. Against the Senators, McDavid found Viktor Arvidsson in front, who buried his third goal of the season and became <a href="https://x.com/SNstats/status/1871008316643819627">the 58th player</a> to score a goal off a McDavid pass in the 3-1 victory.</p>
<p>Overall, it’s no surprise that the Oilers&#8217; captain has crept into the top five in league points. With both him and his team absolutely on fire, he might want to ask Santa for a fire extinguisher to contain all the heat he’s brought over the last stretch.</p>
<h2>Honourable Mention: Mattias Ekholm</h2>
<p><strong>Last Week’s Stats – 4 GP – 2 G – 1 A – 3 Pts<br />
Season Stats – 34 GP – 5 G – 10 A – 15 Pts</strong></p>
<p>Mattias Ekholm earns the Oilers’ honourable mention of the week. While he didn’t put up as many points as the players listed above, the big, rugged Swede, who consistently plays well, came up big last week with two timely goals that earned the Oilers crucial points.</p>
<p>In OT, Darnell Nurse is usually deployed as the lone defender after Evan Bouchard in 3v3 play; however, an incredible hunch by Kris Knoblauch against the Bruins saw Ekholm sent out just over a minute into the extra session. The Swede made a smart exit out of the zone, followed up the play, snuck in all alone in the slot, and made no mistake, burying the Ryan Nugent-Hopkins pass to secure the OT win and bank two points.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">ekholm calls game. <a href="https://t.co/0DUlVsLCmM">pic.twitter.com/0DUlVsLCmM</a></p>
<p>&mdash; zach (@zjlaing) <a href="https://twitter.com/zjlaing/status/1869965825576448120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Two days later, against the Sharks, the Oilers dominated play, but Askarov was putting on a clinic in net. With time winding down and it looking like the story would be all about Askarov stealing a win, Ekholm had other plans. For the second game in a row, he snuck into the slot <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/mattias-ekholm-to-the-rescue-yaroslav-askarov-almost-stole-it-and-oilers-get-another-three-points-from-connor-mcdavid">and fired home a clutch shot</a>, tying it up 2-2 with just 17 seconds remaining. The Oilers sealed the deal with Draisaitl&#8217;s OT goal, earning the two points.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">mattias ekholm ties it up late. <a href="https://t.co/xWmhw5EjEi">pic.twitter.com/xWmhw5EjEi</a></p>
<p>&mdash; zach (@zjlaing) <a href="https://twitter.com/zjlaing/status/1870613164251091093?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Ekholm <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/the-oilers-have-traded-tyson-barrie-reid-schaefer-and-two-draft-picks-for-mattias-eklhom">arrived in Edmonton in February 2023</a>, and since then, he’s fit in ridiculously well with his steady veteran play, logging big minutes—like the 22:27 per game he averaged in four games last week. What I admire most is how, after a mishap, big play, or even after scoring a goal, he’s always talking to his teammates, encouraging them, or offering guidance, and he&#8217;s been a huge reason why the Oilers have won 11 of their last 13 games.</p>
<p>With that said, with Christmas just around the corner, check out the latest <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/monday-mailbag-what-would-you-want-santa-to-bring-the-oilers-for-christmas">Monday Mailbag</a> to see what the crew thinks Santa should bring the Oilers for this Christmas. Happy holidays to you all!</p>
<h2><strong>PRESENTED BY STAR MECHANICAL</strong></h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-146181" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Article-2-SME.png" alt="" width="728" height="404" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Article-2-SME.png 728w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Article-2-SME-300x166.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px" /></p>
<p>Star Mechanical is one of Edmonton’s biggest locally owned and operated plumbing and heating businesses. They have been working within the community for over 20 years, and many of the homes built in Edmonton over the last two decades have had their plumbing and heating systems installed by Star Mechanical.  Visit them at <a href="http://starmechanical.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://starmechanical.ca&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1707492487512000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2mVs3WUkp8iUCZ0kJRe9lJ">starmechanical.ca</a> to schedule an appointment and let them help keep your home running smoothly.</p>


The Edmonton Oilers head into the Christmas break on a high note, with the club absolutely on fire, winning eight of ten games so far in December, going 3-1 in four games last week, and improving to 21-11-2 overall on the season. That said, Oilers fans can feel good heading into the break, knowing their team is on a solid streak, even if you're feeling a bit guilty about re-gifting that coffee mug from last year’s Christmas gift exchange.

The Oilers have earned a well-deserved few days off, with plenty of positives to take into their Christmas break. With that in mind, we highlight the Oilers' Three Stars of the Week below, along with an honourable mention to a steady defender who came up clutch last week and sports a beard so good it could almost rival that of jolly old St. Nick.
<h2>Oilers’ 3rd Star: Leon Draisaitl</h2>
<strong>Last Week’s Stats – 4 GP – 2 G – 5 A – 7 Pts</strong>
<strong>Season Stats – 34 GP – 24 G – 28 A – 52 Pts</strong>

Oilers’ forward Leon Draisaitl had another highly productive week, tallying seven points in four games, earning the Oilers’ third Star of the Week honour.

On Dec. 16, against the Florida Panthers, Draisaitl scored a goal from his office to beat Sergei Bobrovsky and also picked up an assist in the rematch of last season's Stanley Cup Final. Additionally, he continued to build on his dominating season, assisting on all three goals the next game against the Boston Bruins while skating mostly on a loaded-up line with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman.

https://twitter.com/NationNMedia/status/1868855485333737930

Two of the Oilers' goals came from his hard work along the boards, winning battles and freeing up the puck. The third tally came at the tail end of his shift in overtime, where he got a shot off, and the puck eventually found its way to Mattias Ekholm, who buried the game-winner.

Draisaitl notched point #900 on Ekholm's goal, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/leon-draisaitl-becomes-fifth-fastest-european-nhl-player-to-hit-900-point-milestone">becoming the fifth-fastest European player</a> to reach that milestone, trailing only Peter Stastny, Jari Kurri, Jaromir Jagr, and Nikita Kucherov. We often talk about how we shouldn’t take McDavid’s greatness for granted, but we shouldn't take Draisaitl's greatness for granted, either. As casual as he makes it look when dominating the game, it's important to remember that we're still witnessing one of the top-tier players to ever lace up the skates.

https://twitter.com/NationNMedia/status/1870614385238192331

Against the San Jose Sharks, Draisaitl was back to centering the second line and had plenty of scoring chances with his linemates, Vasily Podkolzin and Kasperi Kapanen. While he failed to convert on a couple of glorious opportunities in the third period, he flipped the switch to clutch mode <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/mattias-ekholm-to-the-rescue-yaroslav-askarov-almost-stole-it-and-oilers-get-another-three-points-from-connor-mcdavid">and buried a McDavid pass for the OT winner</a>. A day later, in a back-to-back against the Ottawa Senators, he earned an assist on Hyman’s power-play goal, led all forwards in ice time (22:40), and won 60% of his faceoffs.

Draisaitl is heading into the Christmas break on a major high note, and while I’m not sure if he’s an eggnog guy or not, he definitely deserves as many glasses as he so chooses. He enters the break second in points (52), first in goals (24), and also leads in even-strength goals (19), game-winning goals (8), and OT goals (4). Additionally,<a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/leon-draisaitl-for-the-hart-trophy-viktor-arvidssons-limited-return-and-the-oilers-overcome-a-tough-start"> as Baggedmilk mentioned</a>, the former league MVP is starting to establish himself as a front-runner for the Hart Trophy this season.
<h2>Oilers’ 2nd Star: Zach Hyman</h2>
<strong>Last Week’s Stats – 4 GP – 5 G – 1 A – 6 Pts
Season Stats – 29 GP – 13 G – 6 A – 19 Pts</strong>

Zach Hyman had a heckuva week, tallying five goals and one assist in four games, and he earned the number two spot on the Oilers’ Three Stars of the Week list. On Dec. 16 against the Panthers, he proved just how hard-nosed (pun intended) hockey players can be.

The Oilers’ forward scored twice against the Panthers, including a near replica of his tally from Game 6 of last year’s Stanley Cup Final—breaking in on Bobrovsky and beating him with a backhander. Later in the second period, Hyman took a ‘Bouch Bomb’ to the face, quickly left the ice, and we <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/oilers-notes-zach-hyman-has-a-broken-nose-connor-mcdavid-and-darnell-nurse-collide-at-practice-and-more">later learned he had broken his nose</a> on the play. But he returned, wearing a full face shield and proudly sported his battle wounds, with a blood stain on his jersey near the Oilers logo.

https://twitter.com/zjlaing/status/1868865549499089145

When the camera zoomed in on the bloodstain, it reminded me of the saying, "he bleeds orange and blue." Of course, he doesn’t literally, but the camera shot of his blood near the Oilers logo served as a powerful reminder of Hyman's relentless effort night in and night out, that he does whatever it takes to help his team win, and Oilers fans are fortunate to have a heart and soul player like him on the team.

Against the Bruins, Hyman played a pivotal role in the Oilers’ comeback win. Fresh off taking a puck to the face and sporting some bumps and bruises—looking like Stan’s dad from South Park in the ‘I didn’t hear no bell’ meme—<a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/the-day-after-32-0-oilers-remind-rest-of-the-league-how-dominant-they-are">he got the Oilers on the board</a> with a half-clapper that trickled past Jeremy Swayman. Hyman was just as crucial on the tying goal, scooping up a loose puck on the backcheck, evading a poke check from the towering Nikita Zadorov, and sliding it over to McDavid, who buried it to set the stage <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/oilers-erase-2-0-first-period-hole-and-beat-bruins-in-overtime">for a 3-2 OT victory</a>.

Against the Sharks, Hyman continued to show that he’s a perfect fit with McDavid, on this Oilers team, or any team for that matter (*cough Team Canada *cough). In the first period, as McDavid danced around the Sharks’ zone, Hyman casually found open space, received the captain’s pass, and fired a wrister past Jaroslav Askarov.

https://twitter.com/NationNMedia/status/1871020283592892695

A day later, against the Sens, the 32-year-old extended his goal-scoring streak, netting his 13th of the season—the eventual game-winner. It was also his <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/viktor-arvidsson-cashes-in-on-his-opportunity-zach-hyman-stays-hot-and-the-oilers-take-over-2nd-in-pacific-division">10th goal in his last nine games</a>, and in the process, he joined elite company—<a href="https://x.com/SNstats/status/1871021313621663889">Wayne Gretzky</a>, Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson and McDavid—becoming the fifth player in Oilers history to record multiple six-game goal streaks.

Nevertheless, with how hot Hyman's been lately, heading into the holidays, Hockey Canada is probably hoping Santa delivers a time machine so they can go back and pencil in ‘Zachary Martin Hyman’ on the Team Canada roster before it's too late.
<h2>Oilers’ 1st Star: Connor McDavid</h2>
<strong>Last Week’s Stats – 4 GP – 1 G – 7 A – 8 Pts</strong>
<strong>Season Stats – 31 GP – 15 G – 34 A – 49 Pts</strong>

Connor McDavid once again takes the number one spot on the Oilers' Three Stars of the Week after a one-goal, seven-assist performance, averaging two points per game last week, and has now crept into the top five in league scoring.

The week kicked off against the Panthers, and despite the Oilers’ loss, it was an entertaining affair, packed with goals, a fight, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/emotions-rise-in-stanley-cup-final-rematch-youre-not-doing-yourself-any-favours-yelling-at-the-referee">and plenty of controversial calls—and no-calls</a>, but overall, the Oilers’ captain came to play. By the end of the night, he had three assists, including setting up the red-hot Hyman for two goals and assisting on Draisaitl’s goal—marking the 200th time he’d assisted on a Draisaitl goal.

Against Boston, the Oilers had a relatively quiet night, McDavid included. But when it mattered most, the three-time Hart Trophy winner stepped up, driving to the net and tying the game 2-2 with just over two minutes left.

https://twitter.com/NationNMedia/status/1869963802588131376

Two days later, against the San Jose Sharks, the captain was in control all game. To put it into context, according to <em>Natural Stat Trick,</em> he had a 20-5 edge in scoring chances, including 11-2 in high-danger chances, while registering three assists.

https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1870614712745873868

His biggest play came when he gingerly danced around San Jose’s young gun Macklin Celebrini and assisted on Draisaitl’s game-winner in OT. Against the Senators, McDavid found Viktor Arvidsson in front, who buried his third goal of the season and became <a href="https://x.com/SNstats/status/1871008316643819627">the 58th player</a> to score a goal off a McDavid pass in the 3-1 victory.

Overall, it’s no surprise that the Oilers' captain has crept into the top five in league points. With both him and his team absolutely on fire, he might want to ask Santa for a fire extinguisher to contain all the heat he’s brought over the last stretch.
<h2>Honourable Mention: Mattias Ekholm</h2>
<strong>Last Week’s Stats – 4 GP – 2 G – 1 A – 3 Pts
Season Stats – 34 GP – 5 G – 10 A – 15 Pts</strong>

Mattias Ekholm earns the Oilers’ honourable mention of the week. While he didn’t put up as many points as the players listed above, the big, rugged Swede, who consistently plays well, came up big last week with two timely goals that earned the Oilers crucial points.

In OT, Darnell Nurse is usually deployed as the lone defender after Evan Bouchard in 3v3 play; however, an incredible hunch by Kris Knoblauch against the Bruins saw Ekholm sent out just over a minute into the extra session. The Swede made a smart exit out of the zone, followed up the play, snuck in all alone in the slot, and made no mistake, burying the Ryan Nugent-Hopkins pass to secure the OT win and bank two points.

https://twitter.com/zjlaing/status/1869965825576448120

Two days later, against the Sharks, the Oilers dominated play, but Askarov was putting on a clinic in net. With time winding down and it looking like the story would be all about Askarov stealing a win, Ekholm had other plans. For the second game in a row, he snuck into the slot <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/mattias-ekholm-to-the-rescue-yaroslav-askarov-almost-stole-it-and-oilers-get-another-three-points-from-connor-mcdavid">and fired home a clutch shot</a>, tying it up 2-2 with just 17 seconds remaining. The Oilers sealed the deal with Draisaitl's OT goal, earning the two points.

https://twitter.com/zjlaing/status/1870613164251091093

Ekholm <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/the-oilers-have-traded-tyson-barrie-reid-schaefer-and-two-draft-picks-for-mattias-eklhom">arrived in Edmonton in February 2023</a>, and since then, he’s fit in ridiculously well with his steady veteran play, logging big minutes—like the 22:27 per game he averaged in four games last week. What I admire most is how, after a mishap, big play, or even after scoring a goal, he’s always talking to his teammates, encouraging them, or offering guidance, and he's been a huge reason why the Oilers have won 11 of their last 13 games.

With that said, with Christmas just around the corner, check out the latest <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/monday-mailbag-what-would-you-want-santa-to-bring-the-oilers-for-christmas">Monday Mailbag</a> to see what the crew thinks Santa should bring the Oilers for this Christmas. Happy holidays to you all!
<h2><strong>PRESENTED BY STAR MECHANICAL</strong></h2>
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-146181" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Article-2-SME.png" alt="" width="728" height="404" />

Star Mechanical is one of Edmonton’s biggest locally owned and operated plumbing and heating businesses. They have been working within the community for over 20 years, and many of the homes built in Edmonton over the last two decades have had their plumbing and heating systems installed by Star Mechanical.  Visit them at <a href="http://starmechanical.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://starmechanical.ca&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1707492487512000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2mVs3WUkp8iUCZ0kJRe9lJ">starmechanical.ca</a> to schedule an appointment and let them help keep your home running smoothly.

Oilers’ 3 Stars of the Week: A broken nose doesn’t stop Hyman from bringing the heat

‘The worst 20 minutes I’ve ever seen the Oilers play’: Fans react to meltdown loss in Game 1

Dallas Stars celebrate goal over Edmonton Oilers

Oilers penalty kill disaster, another Stuart Skinner conversation, and the third period from hell

The Day After +12.0: Oilers penalty kill fails them in Game 1 loss to the Stars

Instant Reaction +12.0: Stars score five unanswered goals in comeback victory over Oilers in Game 1

Better Lait Than Never - Edmonton Oilers vs. Dallas Stars in Western Conference Final

Recent articles from Sean Panganiban

Breaking News