39-year-old Oilers vet Corey Perry impresses coach Kris Knoblauch by nearing 20-goal mark

Corey Perry is close to scoring 20 goals this season. The 39-year-old forward has impressed Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch. Perry last came close to scoring 20 goals in the 2021-22 NHL season, and he last touched the 20-goal mark in the 2015-16 NHL season for the Anaheim Ducks.

Perry has 18 goals and 11 assists in 79 games this season. He scored a goal and added an assist in Sunday's win over the Winnipeg Jets. Perry also had three hits, blocked two shots and finished with a plus-2 rating. He now has four points in his last four games, and role has increased recently due to injuries on the team.

Talking to the media after the win over the Jets, Knoblauch said that Corey Perry’s production without much power-play time is remarkable.

"That would be great if he could hit that mark," Knoblauch said. "For the year he’s had, it’s been tremendous to have that scoring from — typically — a fourth liner on our team. He’s been playing mostly 10 to 13 minutes. Lately, with injuries, his role has gone up and he’s played more minutes.

"For somebody in that situation to get to 20 goals and not be on the first-unit power play very much this year — that’s a remarkable year."

Corey Perry is playing his second season with the Oilers. This is Perry’s most productive season in the last three years. He continues to help the Oilers with steady performances. He has scored four game-winning goals this season, and his plus-11 rating shows his positive impact on the ice.

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Corey Perry's goal gave the Oilers the lead in win over Jets

In Sunday's game, Connor Brown scored first for the Oilers early in the second period during a breakaway after McDavid had stolen the puck. The Jets tied it 1-1 with a power-play goal by Alex Iafallo.

Adam Henrique made it 2-1 for Edmonton later in the second. Corey Perry made it 3-1 in the third period on a rush after Derek Ryan stole the puck. Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch liked the team’s performance.

"Tonight, everyone played a really solid game, whether it was the first or fourth line, all six defense," Knoblauch said (via NHL.com). "[Skinner] had a solid game. So, it was nice to see. Some key goals. [Adam] Henrique putting up a lot of points lately, Perry has just been scoring at a great rate through the entire season ... it was a good team effort."

Viktor Arvidsson scored into an empty net to make it 4-1. Stuart Skinner made 17 saves on his return after missing eight games with a head injury.