Oilers to face new Utah Hockey Club after long layoff

Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl (29) celebrates a goal against the Minnesota Wild during first period NHL action in Edmonton on Thursday, November 21, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

The Edmonton Oilers will try to make it back-to-back wins when they open a three-game road trip against the Utah Hockey Club on Friday in Salt Lake City.

The Oilers, who are 2-2-1 over their last five, have not played since a 6-2 win over the New York Rangers last Saturday.

Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Connor Brown, Evan Bouchard and Mattias Janmark all recorded multi-point performances in the win over the Rangers.

Draisaitl, who has goals in three straight games, has a team-leading 16 tallies and 30 points through 22 games this season. McDavid has 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in his last eight games.

“Our group played well in all aspects of the game,” said McDavid, who had two goals and an assist against the Rangers. “I thought the penalty kill was great, and they pitched in with a goal. Five on five, it seemed we were able to generate a lot, which is good.”

Despite the time off, Edmonton will be without the services of forwards Zach Hyman and Viktor Arvidsson when they face Utah. Both right wingers are out with undisclosed injuries.

Both are on the road with the team and could be available when Edmonton wraps up the trip against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday.

Goaltender Stuart Skinner, who is 7-6-2 with an .882 save percentage and a 3.23 goals-against average in 15 starts this season, is a perfect 3-0-0 with a 2.65 GAA and an .867 save percentage in three career appearances against the franchise formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes.

The Coyotes won two of three meetings against Edmonton last season before relocating to Utah in the offseason.

Utah has two wins over its last six games following a 3-2 overtime victory in Montreal on Tuesday.

Mikhail Sergachev scored with 27 seconds remaining in overtime, and Dylan Guenther and Jack McBain scored the other Utah goals. McBain has scored in three straight games.

“We don’t have to score six every time to win the game,” Sergachev said. “We can help out our goalies a little bit and give up two, maybe one, and still win the game. And we showed it (Tuesday). Now we’ve just got to keep it going. It’s not going to be pretty sometimes. You have to go to the net and take shots and get elbowed in the face, but you have to get through it, and I feel like our guys are doing that right now.”

Utah defenseman Robert Bortuzzo left Tuesday’s game with a lower-body injury and, despite practicing on Thursday, remains day-to-day, according to coach Andre Tourigny.

Utah enters Friday’s contest vying for its first back-to-back victories since opening the season on a three-game winning streak (Oct. 8-12).

Guenther leads all Utah scorers with 10 goals in 22 games this season, while Guenther and captain Clayton Keller share the team lead with 20 points.

Karel Vejmelka, who will get the start Friday, is 3-6-0 with a .922 save percentage and a 2.25 GAA in 11 games this season. In four career appearances against the Oilers, Vejmelka is 1-3-0 with an .875 save percentage and a 4.66 GAA.

Friday is the first of three meetings between the two clubs. Utah visits Edmonton on Dec. 31 and the teams conclude the season series on March 18 in Edmonton.