After a disastrous finish against the Rangers on Thursday night, the Edmonton Oilers were looking to rebound (again) against the visiting Chicago Blackhawks. The Oilers cleaned up against Chicago in 2024-25, but the Blackhawks are having a much stronger start to the season, and it was going to take a clean effort if our boys were going to avoid their fourth loss in the last five games. And while no one would say it was perfect, the Oilers found a way to grind out a 3-2 OT win despite letting the Blackhawks back in the fight on more than one occasion.

It’s been a long road since Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was selected first overall at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. My man Andy Dufresne’d his way through years of shit before finally ending up on lineups with true Stanley Cup aspirations, and it’s amazing to think that we haven’t heard anything close to a complaint out of him the whole time. He’s been here through the ups and the downs, and last night’s game was a dose of perspective about how deeply he’s woven into the fabric of this team. When the puck dropped, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had officially suited up for his 972nd career game as an Edmonton Oiler, which moved him past Ryan Smyth (971) for the second-most in franchise history. More games as an Oiler than Smytty? There’s no way. It’s crazy to think about.

And on a night when he passed a local legend, what stood out against Chicago was how typical that kind of night has become for him. He was quietly effective, played soundly at both ends of the rink, and wound up on the scoresheet again. Playing 19:55, Nuge picked up an assist on Draisaitl’s power-play goal and kept his point-per-game pace alive at 13 points in 13 games (5G, 8A) for his best start in years. Now only 66 games away from passing Kevin Lowe for the most games played in franchise history, it’s wild to think how deep his roots run in Edmonton. Whether it’s breaking up plays on the penalty kill, threading passes on the power play, or making every coach he’s ever had fall in love with him, RNH is always in the mix. It wasn’t a highlight-reel performance, but it was another reminder of his dependability, versatility, and how he’s quietly building one of the longest, most respected careers any Oiler has ever had.

If there’s one thing you can count on when the Oilers play the Chicago Blackhawks, it’s that Leon Draisaitl is most likely going to ruin their night. The guy straight up owns them. With a goal and an assist in his 22:22 of ice time, Draisaitl extended his point streak to eight games (6G, 6A for 12PTS) and looked dangerous nearly every shift he played. He had three shots on goal, drove possession, and is starting to fill the back of the net like he really wants another Rocket Richard Trophy in his case. When he’s dialled in like this, it feels like he’s always one pass or shot away from breaking the game, and he handled his business for us again against the Blackhawks.

What’s even crazier is how long his dominance over the Blackhawks has lasted. With the two points he picked up on Saturday, Draisaitl’s point streak against Chicago is now up to 19 games, during which he’s racked up an unreal 15 goals and 22 assists for 37 points. Every time he lines up against the Blackhawks, it’s like he’s playing with the cheat codes turned on. Whether it’s power-play goals like the one he scored, an assist on the game-winner, or just outmuscling defenders down low, Drai finds ways to carve Chicago apart every single time. There aren’t many sure things in the NHL, but Draisaitl torching the Blackhawks is getting to be as close to a guarantee as you can get.

Jack Roslovic is starting to make it clear that he deserves to stick around even when some injured guys start getting healthy. Against the Blackhawks, he played 22:52, scored his first power-play goal of the season late in the second period, and added two shots on goal that easily could have been more if the Hockey Gords had been kind. He was moving well all night, handling the puck with confidence, and consistently creating chances at 5v5 even when it looked like there wasn’t much going on. That kind of effort has started to become the norm for him, and with four points in his last four games (2G, 2A), he looks more and more like a guy who’s going to steal someone’s job.

With Zach Hyman set to return in the next handful of days and both Kasperi Kapanen and Mattias Janmark still out, the lineup squeeze is coming, but it definitely won’t be Hyman who loses his spot, and it probably won’t be Roslovic either. It wouldn’t make any sense to take out one of the few secondary scorers who’s been trending up lately. Not to mention, Roslovic is starting to build real chemistry with Leon Draisaitl and Vasily Podkolzin on that second line, and it would do a world of good for this team if that trio can make it work. Over the last few games, they’ve produced a lot of offensive chances, and Jack Roslovic has been a huge part of it. If he keeps playing with this kind of pace and determination, he won’t just be earning more minutes, he’ll probably end up forcing a good player off the roster. Time will tell.

Wake up with Ryder and Lisa on The Sauce! Your new chaotic morning show streaming live from 8-10AM MST every weekday on Oilersnation YouTube starting Monday November 3rd. It’s unpredictable, unfiltered, and totally them. Like, follow and subscribe to never miss an episode!