Draisaitl explodes, power play red hot, and more: 3 reasons behind Edmonton Oilers' 7-1 blowout win over Minnesota Wild

The Edmonton Oilers pounded the Minnesota Wild 7-1 on Thursday night at the Xcel Energy Center. The Oilers led from start to finish, handing the Wild one of their worst defeats of the season.

Leon Draisaitl had four points (1G, 3A), while Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid had two assists apiece. Zach Hyman, Kasperi Kapanen, Connor Brown, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Troy Stecher and Dere Ryan had the other tallies for the Oilers. Frederick Gaudreau got the Wild on the board with a power play goal in the first period.

So, let’s take a look at the three key reasons why the Edmonton Oilers beat the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night:

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Three reasons why Edmonton Oilers pounded Minnesota Wild

#3 The Oilers' power play was on fire

The Edmonton Oilers' power play came through big time on Thursday night, going 2-for-4. Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins got the tallies. Hyman’s goal gave the Oilers the early lead before Nugent-Hopkin’s tally put the game out of reach at 4-1 in the second period.

The goals complemented a shorthanded marker by Connor Brown, making the Oilers’ special teams as lethal at they come. Nugent-Hopinks and Brown scored as part of a big second period that also saw Draisaitl get an even-strength goal.

#2 The Oilers rode a big second period

The Oilers entered the first intermission up 2-1. The opening frame was relatively close, with the shot count being dead-even at 13 shots apiece.

However, the Edmonton Oilers used a big second period to pull away, scoring three times to make it 5-1 after 40 minutes. The Oilers added two more in the third, capping off a strong offensive night.

It’s worth pointing out that the Oilers dominated the second period, outshooting the Wild 13-6. But beyond the shot count, the eye test showed that the Wild came out flat and paid the price for it. The Wild couldn't hold the Oilers’ offense back, which pressured from the opening whistle.

#1 Edmonton's top scorers, including Draisaitl, came up big

The Edmonton Oilers’ big guns fired on all cylinders against the Wild. Leon Draisaitl had four points with McDavid, Bouchard and Darnell Nurse registering two assists apiece. The offensive outburst is highly encouraging, as the Oilers have had trouble finding the back of the net in recent games.

In their last five games, the Oilers had a 1-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights and a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. While the Oilers scored four goals against the St. Louis Blues and the Colorado Avalanche, the Oilers had lacked a big offensive performance, except for a 6-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Realistically, no team scores six or seven goals every game. But it’s encouraging, nonetheless, to see Edmonton get fired up and put up more than a half-dozen goals.

The Oilers will be back in action on Saturday afternoon against the Vegas Golden Knights at the T-Mobile Arena.