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The Day After 7.0: A night of milestones lifts Oilers to much needed win over Senators
Photo credit: © Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
By Zach Laing
Oct 22, 2025, 11:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 25, 2025, 20:18 EDT
Regarding nights where everything goes right, the Edmonton Oilers sure needed one.
They were set to close out a five-game road trip with a visit to the nation’s capital to face the Ottawa Senators, and the team was reeling after four poor games and three straight losses. They needed a few bounces.
And on a night with more milestones than not — Isaac Howard scoring his first NHL goal, Stuart Skinner securing his 100th career win, and Adam Henrique playing in his 1000th NHL game — all three would play parts in the Oilers’ 3-2 overtime win.
Howard would rip home a shot from the slot 49 seconds into the second period, right after coming out of the box for his first career penalty. Skinner would shut the door, stopping 17 of 18 shots and making some big saves to keep the Oilers in the game. Henrique was stellar in the faceoff circle, winning five of seven draws, adding a pair of shots and a block.
All this, mind you, with Oilers captain Connor McDavid finally getting on the board with his first goal of the season.
“We got the two points and there were some milestones tonight,” said Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch. “One Henrique being in a thousand. (He) played a really strong game tonight, and Howard, very happy for him to get his first NHL goal. He’s had some opportunities in the slot, finally connected on one, and almost had a second one later that period.“And then Stuart Skinner — the reason why it was 2-0 for as long as it was was because of his play.”
For all the good, it almost went really bad. While McDavid and Howard had given the Oilers a 2-0 lead heading into the third period, it took just under two minutes for things to nearly unravel completely.
Entering the final frame on the penalty kill, Dylan Cozens would get the Senators on the board, only for a Thomas Chabot point shot to find its way home. It’s a moment that was undoubtedly deflating, but Knoblauch gave the team a chance to catch their breath with a timeout.
And from there, the Oilers got back into the game. They weren’t able to secure the win in regulation, but they turned on a tremendous third-period push, generating nearly a full expected goal in that period alone at five-on-five.
Then there was the chaotic overtime that it was, as despite the Oilers getting a power play, it felt like the two sides were trading chances. Scary stuff, to say the least.
But fear not — the return of Jake Walman to the lineup proved pivotal. Matt Savoie would win a key faceoff in the offensive zone that Mattias Ekholm would deflect back to the point, letting Walman tee up a shot that whistled past the head of Linus Ullmark.
“It was a long time sitting out, so… this one, a little relief,” said Walman of his game-winner. “I know the puck was a little on edge, but that was the faceoff play. It was supposed to be a shot, so I just let it go.”
Now, the Oilers get to feel good about their game heading back to Edmonton for some home-cooked meals.
It’ll be short-lived, though, as after hosting the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night, they’ll hit the road to visit Seattle and Vancouver for back-to-backs on Saturday and Sunday night.
Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the Daily Faceoff DFS Hockey Report. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.