Skinner’s 27 saves, depth scoring and more: 3 reasons why Edmonton Oilers won 4-1 over Colorado Avalanche

The Edmonton Oilers pulled out a strong 4-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night at Ball Arena. The Oilers used a strong third period to get past a hardworking Avalanche team.

Nikolai Kovalenko opened the scoring for Colorado, notching a power play at 7:02. Kasperi Kapanen got his first goal with Edmonton, tying the game at 11:48 of the first. Vasily Podkilzin, Brett Kulak and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (EN) got the other tallies for the Oilers.

Here’s a look at the three key reasons why the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Colorado Avalanche.

3 reasons why Edmonton Oilers won over Colorado Avalanche

#3 The Oilers played a better overall game

While Colorado had strong moments, especially in the early going, the Oilers controlled much of the game’s pace. Edmonton won nearly 70% of the draws while outshooting the Avalanche 32-28.

The Oilers also blocked 15 shots, while killing off four penalties. The only blemish on Edmonton's performance was the power play goal given up in the first period. Beyond that, the Oilers played a solid game, especially down the stretch in the third period.

#2 Depth scoring was crucial

Depth scoring was a crucial factor in the Oilers' win. Kapanen, Podkolzin and Kulak picked up the slack for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. McDavid registered one assist, while Draisaitl failed to get on the scoresheet.

Getting goals from other sources in the lineup made a huge difference on the night as the Avalanche did a good job of keeping the Oilers’ top scorers in check. Moving forward, the Edmonton Oilers hope to get other players to score more as McDavid and Draisaitl won’t always record three or four points in each game so getting consistent depth scoring will be crucial to the Oilers’ success.

#1 Stuart Skinner had a strong game

Stuart Skinner stopped 27 shots, giving up the Avalanche’s lone goal in the first period. From there, he shut the door. Skinner made several key saves, particularly on Nathan MacKinnon, who had several scoring opportunities.

Saturday night’s performance was Skinner's second strong start in a row. In his last outing, he gave up two goals on 34 shots against the New York Rangers. The back-to-back solid starts have allowed him to move past the five goals surrendered to the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 21.

The Oilers will get a day off before taking on the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.