Oilers 3, Rangers 1: McDavid’s opening streak reaches 19 games

Connor McDavid extended his season-opening point streak to 19 games as Edmonton beat the Rangers 3-1 on Monday. Leon Draisaitl scored twice, including a short-handed empty-net goal that settled the game with 1:13 remaining.

McDavid opened the scoring at 6:42 of the first period after Dylan Garand’s attempted pass behind his net struck the back of the cage. The loose puck gave McDavid the opening at the right post, as described in NHL.com’s game report.

Draisaitl made it 2-0 at 2:59 of the second. The Rangers challenged for goaltender interference, but the goal stood. New York’s response came while short-handed: Jaroslav Chmelar scored at 5:05 after Mika Zibanejad sent him ahead with a long pass.

A one-goal game until the empty net

The Rangers then had nearly 35 minutes to find a tying goal. They finished with a 29-20 advantage in shots, but Chmelar’s goal remained their only one. Volume kept them involved; it did not erase the early mistakes.

New York pulled Garand for an extra attacker during a late power play, creating a six-on-four opportunity. Draisaitl instead scored into the empty net at 18:47, ending the chance to turn that advantage into overtime.

The result ends the Rangers’ three-game winning streak and leaves them 10-8-1. Edmonton improves to 13-3-3. Garand stopped 17 shots; the final Edmonton goal came with him out of the net.

Nineteen games with a point

McDavid has 11 goals and 37 assists during the opening streak. NHL.com identifies him as the fourth different player with a point in each of his first 19 games of a season, joining Wayne Gretzky, Mats Sundin and Dany Heatley. Heatley’s 22-game start in 2005 was the most recent previous example.

For New York, the encouraging part was staying within one goal after falling behind 2-0. The missed opportunity was the finish: a shot advantage and late power play still produced no equalizer. Edmonton converted the opening error and the final empty net into the difference.