FIRST PERIOD
The shots slightly favoured the Oilers 7-6 at the end of a scoreless first period that featured Matt Savoie in a top-line role and Max Jones making his return to the lineup after receiving a late call-up on Friday afternoon from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was announced pre-game as a scratch by the Oilers to attend to a personal matter, necessitating Jones’ recall from the Condors while giving Savoie the chance to fill No. 93’s place on the top line next to Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid.
Savoie was set up twice for scoring chances by McDavid and challenged netminder Joel Hofer once to make a right-pad save, with the St. Albert product chasing his first goal in eight games after last scoring on Feb. 25 in a defeat to the Anaheim Ducks.
Edmonton’s best chance came late in the frame from Jack Roslovic, who cut towards goal from the left side and tried to go high on Hofer before the rebound nearly went in off the body of a Blues’ defenceman.
Connor Ingram was back between the pipes for the first time since his scary collision with Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon back on Tuesday that took him out of Edmonton’s 4-3 victory due to concussion protocol, and the netminder was up to the task on both big chances for the Blues from forwards Dylan Holloway and Otto Stenberg to keep it 0-0.
