McDavid team milestone, Pickard's 31 saves, and more: 3 reasons why Edmonton Oilers won 5-3 over Minnesota Wild

The Edmonton Oilers got a big 5-3 win over the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday at the Xcel Energy Center. It was a big night for Connor McDavid as his three points helped him pass Jarri Kurri on the Oilers' all-time scoring list.

In addition to McDavid’s two tallies, Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Vasily Podkolzin also scored for the Edmonton Oilers. Meanwhile, the Wild managed two power-play goals, one from Matt Boldy and another from Marco Rossi, with Ryan Hartman scoring the third.

Let’s take a look at the three main reasons why the Oilers defeated Minnesota on Wednesday night.

3 reasons why Edmonton Oilers won over Minnesota Wild

#3 Solid power play as part of strong offensive performance

The Edmonton Oilers capitalized on their lone power-play opportunity, with Connor McDavid scoring his 18th of the season late in the first period to tie the game at two. The goal was crucial as it allowed the Oilers to head into the first intermission tied instead of trailing.

While the Wild would take the lead in the second, the Oilers stormed back for three unanswered goals to take the lead and the win. Notably, the Oilers received contributions from across the lineup, including depth players like Vasily Podkolzin.

#2 Calvin Pickard solid in start

Calvin Pickard got the start for Edmonton and did not disappoint. Pickard made 31 saves on the night, holding down the fort in the second half of the game to secure the Oilers win.

Of the three goals scored on Pickard, two came on the power play, so he can’t be entirely blamed for them. In particular, Boldy’s power play resulted from poor coverage, with Oilers’ defenders leaving him alone at the side of the net.

When Boldy received the cross-ice feed, he was able to bury the puck well before any defender could make a play on it. Despite getting over to attempt the save, Pickard had little chance. Nevertheless, Pickard's performance was strong enough to earn him the game's second star.

#1 McDavid scores twice, gets three points

Connor McDavid did what he does best. He scored twice and got an assist on the night to lead the Oilers’ rally past the Wild. His first goal of the game allowed the Oilers to tie the game in the first. His second was the insurance goal the Oilers needed to ice the win.

McDavid also assisted on Zach Hyman’s goal at the 16:32 mark of the first. The Oilers stacked their top line, putting Leon Draisaitl and McDavid out with Hyman, and it worked. The trio got the Oilers on the board and didn’t look back.

The Oilers will face a tough challenge in the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday. The Avs are coming off a big overtime win on Tuesday night against the New York Rangers. The two sides will clash at Ball Arena in Denver.