Edmonton Oilers fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Last Saturday, the Oilers ended their five-game losing streak with a big 3-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.
The negatives were glaring throughout their slump, but there are some positives they can build on, like only allowing a goal or less for the first time since Jan. 13, thanks to a big 35-save effort from Calvin Pickard. Adam Henrique scored his first goal in 11 games, and Evan Bouchard scored his first power-play goal of the season—surprising, considering the bomb of a shot he has.
That said, three Oilers in particular brought their A-game last week, and we dive into their performances below for the Oilers’ 3 Stars of the Week.

Oilers’ 3rd Star: Corey Perry

Last Week’s Stats – 3 GP – 1 G – 0 A – 1 Pts
Season Stats – 59 GP – 13 G – 8 A – 21 Pts
The league’s fourth-oldest player, Corey Perry, gets the nod as the Oilers’ third Star of the Week. Like most of the team, he had a quiet game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Feb. 25. But two nights later against the Florida Panthers, the 39-year-old did what he could to ensure his team didn’t come out slow—dropping the gloves with the 6-foot-2, 209-pound A.J. Greer just three minutes into the game to spark some energy.
Despite hockeyfights.com voters giving Greer the win, Perry landed some solid shots and he capped off the night with a +2 rating. Just touching on his scrap with Greer—I love that Perry has been willing to drop the gloves with anyone since joining the Oilers. But it’s getting to the point where I wish someone else would step up. He’s doing the heavy lifting, but it’s not a job he should have to handle alone, but perhaps that’s something GM Stan Bowman will address at the trade deadline by adding another physical player who won’t be afraid to mix things up when needed.
That said, Perry’s biggest contribution of the week came on March 1 against the Hurricanes, and despite playing a team-low 8:04, he was very noticeable every time he was on the ice.
With the line blender in full swing, head coach Kris Knoblauch paired Perry with Leon Draisaitl for a shift in the second period, and Perry drifted into open space in front of the net, where he tapped in his 13th goal of the season, which stood as the game-winner. Overall, the Oilers are getting exceptional value from the Peterborough, ON native’s $1.4 million contract this season, and as per Jack Michaels, his latest goal has moved him into the top 50 all-time for game-winning goals (77).

Oilers’ 2nd Star: Brett Kulak

Last Week’s Stats – 3 GP – 1 G – 1 A – 2 Pts
Season Stats – 60 GP – 7 G – 14 A – 21 Pts
Brett Kulak played a team-high 23:16 minutes in the 4-1 loss to the Lightning and, against the Panthers, he played over 20 minutes once again with Darnell Nurse out of the lineup and was the Oilers’ best D-man that night. Additionally, despite the loss to Florida, he led all Oilers with eight blocked shots, five shots on net, and scored his seventh goal of the season with a quick wrister that beat Sergei Bobrovsky.
With Nurse out of the lineup for the second straight game, Kulak raised his battle level yet again against Carolina. He played the most minutes of any Oiler (25:46 TOI), and his hard work led to an assist on Perry’s goal.
Kulak was also solid defensively—he stopped a Hurricanes rush late in the third and prevented a goal with five minutes to go by tying up a stick and denying a Hurricane the chance to pounce on a rebound. To cap it off, he was in the perfect position in front of the net to break up another Carolina chance with a minute and a half remaining, resulting in Mikko Rantanen crosschecking him into Pickard, putting the Oilers on the power play to close out the game.
While other Oilers have struggled since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off break, Kulak has been the pulse of the blue line and the team’s best D-man over the last few games. He’s having the best offensive season of his career, already setting a new high with seven goals, and it’d be great to see the Stony Plain, AB native hit double digits by season’s end.

Oilers’ 1st Star: Leon Draisaitl

Last Week’s Stats – 3 GP – 2 G – 2 A – 4 Pts
Season Stats – 60 GP – 44 G – 46 A – 90 Pts
With a two-goal, two-assist performance last week, Leon Draisaitl stood out most as the player who gave it his all, earning the Oilers’ First Star of the Week.
Against the Lightning, he drew a penalty, scored on the ensuing PP, and led the team with five shots on goal. He followed that up with an incredible goal against the Panthers, powering his way to the net in true power forward style. Also, it wasn’t just a third-pairing defender draped all over him on that goal—no, he had to fend off a premier defensive player in Gustav Forsling—before roofing it over Bobrovsky, extending his goal-scoring streak to seven games.
Draisaitl’s scoring streak ended against the Hurricanes, but he was once again the Oilers’ best forward. He drew an early penalty, earned a primary assist with a slick backhand feed to Perry, picked up another assist on Bouchard’s empty-netter, and won 53% of his faceoffs. On top of that, he was solid defensively, breaking up a 3-on-1 chance in the first period.
The Oilers finally snapped their five-game losing streak, and it’s concerning to think just how much worse it could’ve gotten without Draisaitl stepping up. Lately, we’ve seen that ‘Pissy’ version of him—slamming the gate in frustration after a game, having a spirited discussion with assistant coach Glen Gulutzan on the bench, and even high-sticking Sebastian Aho in a heated battle. However, in a time when the Oilers have been ‘fragile,’ I love seeing Draisaitl so fired up. He’s stepping up as a leader, taking charge, and hopefully, the rest of the team follows suit.
That said, the Hart Trophy goes to the player deemed most valuable to their team, and if you ask me, that’s exactly what Draisaitl is and has been for Edmonton—especially during their losing streak, when he played with more heart than any other Oiler.

Oilers’ Play of the Week: Calvin Pickard With the Game-Saving Stop vs. The Hurricanes

With the Oilers on the power play, leading 2-1 against the Hurricanes, and less than a minute left on the clock with Connor McDavid controlling the puck in the offensive zone, you’d think the game was in the bag, right? Not quite..
I’m by no means in a position to criticize any of McDavid’s moves, but considering the team was riding a five-game losing streak, maybe trying a spin move at the blue line with a minute left wasn’t the safest choice—because it led to an intercepted puck and a breakaway for Sebastian Aho.
Oilers fans held their breath as the dangerous Finn went in all alone on Calvin Pickard and fired a low blocker shot—but the Oilers’ netminder made a spectacular game-saving stop—which was without a doubt, the team’s best play of the week.
That was about as close to a season-altering stop as it gets—if Carolina had scored and won in OT, the Oilers would’ve been heading home with their spirits even more crushed, hoping to avoid a loss to the lowly Anaheim Ducks in the next game, while gripping their sticks tightly. Instead, they probably hopped on the plane with a bit of momentum back, a bit more focused and ready to hit the reset button. Hats off to you, Calvin Pickard.
Now that the Oilers have snapped their losing streak, how are you feeling heading into this week’s games?