Red-hot Nugent-Hopkins notches 5 points to lift Oilers over Golden Knights
Edmonton centre has 18 points across 9-game point streak
The surging Edmonton Oilers got a career night from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and made the Pacific Division race even tighter with just over two weeks left in the regular season.
The Oilers have 95 points and are three behind first-place Vegas. Los Angeles lost 2-1 to Calgary and remains in second place with 96 points. Edmonton hosts the Kings on Thursday.
"Obviously, we know who we're playing," Nugent-Hopkins said. "We know where they're at in the standings. We know where we're at and we're still pushing for home ice, and I think that does make a difference come playoff time."
With the NHL's two leading scorers (Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl) and an eight-game point streak, the Oilers are playing like a team no one wants to face in the playoffs.
WATCH | Nugent-Hopkins ties career-high with 5 points:
"I don't think we're anywhere near our potential just yet," coach Jay Woodcroft said. "I think we're working towards that... We're building towards peaking at the right time, which is in about three weeks."
Edmonton cooled off a Golden Knights team that had won four games in a row and eight of nine. The Oilers also prevented Vegas from clinching a playoff spot.
'He doesn't get nearly enough recognition'
Nugent-Hopkins helped make sure of it with a goal and four assists, bringing his point total across a nine-game point streak to 18. His only other five-point game occurred Nov. 19, 2011, when he had five assists against Chicago.
"He doesn't get nearly enough recognition that he deserves," Draisaitl said. "The things he does are so subtle, and most people don't realize what he does out there. Just a phenomenal hockey player."
The Oilers also got goals from Evan Bouchard, Darnell Nurse, Zach Hyman, Brett Kulak, and Evander Kane, whose goal was the 300th of his career. Edmonton's power play went 3-for-3 in just 2:55 of total time, and Stuart Skinner made 19 saves.
WATCH | Kane nets goal No. 300:
Jonathan Marchessault had two goals for the Knights, and William Karlsson and Michael Amadio each scored once. Alex Pietrangelo added two assists.
In the first 10 minutes, the teams combined for five goals. Nugent-Hopkins had three points and a friendly fire puck to the face, the Oilers scored on both power play opportunities and the Knights netted a short-handed goal.
Laurent Brossoit replaced Jonathan Quick in the Knights' net to open the third period.
"We allowed their high-end players to make plays in front of him," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "I'm not putting it on Jonathan. This was more about, `It's not your night and we're not playing well in front of you."'
Golden Knights defenceman Shea Theodore did not play in the third period because of an undisclosed injury.
With files from CBC Sports
