Canadiens 4, Oilers 1: Power Plays Weren't Enough
The Edmonton Oilers saw a five-game point streak come to an end Sunday night with a 4–1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. On paper, there were chances early to tilt the game Edmonton’s way, but by the end of the night, it felt like one of those games where the Oilers were always chasing traction and never quite finding it.
The opening period offered an early warning sign. Edmonton was handed a lengthy 5-on-3 power play less than seven minutes in, the kind of moment that usually bends a game in their favour. Instead, Jakub Dobes stood tall, turning aside everything, including a point-blank chance from Zach Hyman. The Oilers didn’t score, the building woke up, and the night quietly shifted.
From there, the game settled into a frustrating rhythm for Edmonton. They weren’t awful, but they were rarely dangerous at five-on-five. Montreal scored first, played with the lead, and forced the Oilers into a one-and-done offensive pattern that never really changed.
Key Point One: The Oilers Had Early Moments, But Missed on Them
That first-period 5-on-3 felt like the hinge point. Edmonton had a chance to grab control early, but instead watched Montreal gain confidence. When elite teams miss those moments, the margin for error shrinks fast, and it did here.
Key Point Two: Edmonton’s Five-on-Five Also Stalled Out
Mattias Ekholm said it plainly afterward: there was no sustained offence at even strength. Connor McDavid had flashes and later picked up an assist, but the Oilers struggled to generate second chances or extended pressure. Montreal was comfortable defending with a lead, and Edmonton never forced them out of it.
Key Point Three: The Oilers Made Costly Mistakes at the Wrong Time
Joe Veleno’s second-period goal came off a Connor McDavid turnover behind the net, and those are the moments that sting. Against a team protecting a lead, mistakes like that don’t just hurt the scoreboard — they drain momentum.
Final Thoughts from the Oilers’ Perspective
Zach Hyman eventually got Edmonton on the board with a power-play goal in the third, and Connor McDavid extended his point streak to six games, but the comeback never truly threatened. Alexandre Texier’s late goal sealed it before Edmonton could build any push.
Calvin Pickard was solid with 23 saves, but this game wasn’t about goaltending. It was the early flow, execution, and missed chances that set the tone for the rest of the night.
For an Oilers team coming off an emotional win in Toronto, this was a reminder that momentum doesn’t travel unless the details do. The power play can’t be the only answer, and five-on-five urgency still has to drive the game.
Some nights, the lesson comes quietly. This one did.