LAS VEGAS — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and the surging Edmonton Oilers made the Pacific Division race even tighter Tuesday night.
With a little more than two weeks left in the season, Nugent-Hopkins matched a career high with five points — a goal and four assists — as the Oilers ripped the Golden Knights before 18,391 at T-Mobile Arena.
The Oilers scored three times on the power play to reach 95 points, three back of the first-place Knights in the Pacific Division. Second-place Los Angeles, which has 96 points, lost 2-1 to Calgary on Tuesday. Edmonton hosts the Kings on Thursday
“Obviously, we know who we’re playing,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “We know where they’re at in the standings. We know where we’re at, and we’re still pushing for home ice, and I think that does make a difference come playoff time.”
With the NHL’s two leading scorers (Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl) and an eight-game point streak, the Oilers are playing like a team no one wants to face in the playoffs.
“I don’t think we’re anywhere near our potential just yet,” coach Jay Woodcroft said. “I think we’re working towards that. … We’re building towards peaking at the right time, which is in about three weeks.”
Knights coach Bruce Cassidy, when asked about the reason for his team’s defensive breakdowns, said: “Them, for one. They were skating well. We allowed the to skate well.”
Edmonton cooled off a Golden Knights team that had won four games in a row and eight of nine. The Oilers also prevented the Knights from from clinching a playoff spot at home.
Nugent-Hopkins helped make sure of it. His only other five-point game was Nov. 19, 2011, when he set up five goals against against Chicago.
He is four points from 100 this season; his previous career high was 69 in 2018-19.
“He doesn’t get nearly enough recognition that he deserves,” Draisaitl said of the first pick in the 2011 draft. “The things he does are so subtle, and most people don’t realize what he does out there. Just a phenomenal hockey player.”
Nugent-Hopkins was one of three Oilers with multiple points. McDavid had three assists and Draisaitl a goal and an assist. McDavid leads the NHL with 143 points, including 83 assists.
The Oilers also got goals from Evan Bouchard, Darnell Nurse, Evander Kane, Zach Hyman and Brett Kulak. Edmonton’s power play went 3-for-3 in just 2:55 of total time, and Stuart Skinner made 19 saves.
Jonathan Marchessault had two goals for the Knights. William Karlsson and Michael Amadio each scored once. Alex Pietrangelo added two assists.
In the first 10 minutes, the teams combined for five goals. Nugent-Hopkins had three points and a friendly fire puck to the face, the Oilers scored on both power-play opportunities and the Knights netted a short-handed goal.
Edmonton broke open a 3-all game in the second with three goals in the final 13:59, dominating the ice with 34 shots on goal through the first two periods compared to 12 for the Knights.
Laurent Brossoit replaced Jonathan Quick in the Knights’ net to open the third period.
“We allowed their high-end players to make plays in front of him,” Cassidy said. “I’m not putting it on Jonathan. This was more about, ‘It’s not your night and we’re not playing well in front of you.’ “
Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore did not play in the third period because of an undisclosed injury.
