<p>The Edmonton Oilers salvaged their four-game road trip by winning the last two games against both New York teams, capping it off with a big 3-1 win over the New York Rangers.</p>
<p>They ended the trip on a high note, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins recording his first three-point night of the season, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/viktor-arvidssons-game-winner-leon-draisaitl-ryan-nugent-hopkins-factors-all-edmonton-oilers-goals">Viktor Arvidsson’s goal standing as the game-winner</a> in one of his best games as an Oiler, and Stuart Skinner making some big stops against the Rangers, as the Oilers&#8217; record improved to 39-24-4.</p>
<p>While the Oilers had their ups and downs on the four-game road trip, three players stood above the rest. We break down their performances in this week&#8217;s edition of Three Stars.</p>
<p></p>
<h2>Oilers’ 3rd Star: Evan Bouchard</h2>
<p><strong>Last Week’s Stats – 4 GP – 2 G – 1 A – 3 Pts</strong><br />
<strong>Season Stats – 67 GP – 13 G – 40 A – 53 Pts</strong></p>
<p>Evan Bouchard led all Oilers in ice time three times on the four-game road trip, recorded three points, and stepped up his defensive game, earning him the nod as the Oilers’ third star of the week.</p>
<p>He led all Oilers in ice time <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-slump-busters-buffalo-sabres-evan-bouchard-depth-scoring">against the Buffalo Sabres on March 10</a>, playing 26:31—his sixth-highest total of the season—and scored on a bomb of a one-timer. Three nights later, in the loss against the New Jersey Devils, he found the back of the net again—this time with more of a Bouch Trickler than a bomb, but hey, it counted.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Evan Bouchard scores! He puts the Oilers up by one!</p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | NHL<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsGoOilers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetsGoOilers</a> <a href="https://t.co/MmWFZrCDY5">pic.twitter.com/MmWFZrCDY5</a></p>
<p>— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/OilersNation/status/1900359835251859586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Also, credit where it&#8217;s due—Bouchard has taken some flack lately, but he’s really stepped it up defensively. Against the New York Islanders on March 14, he broke up a play with his stick and quickly transitioned the puck up ice on Draisaitl’s first goal, earning an assist. Two nights later, against the Rangers, his point streak came to an end, but the strong defensive efforts continued as he effectively used his stick to break up a 2-on-1 chance, which later prevented a Vincent Trocheck breakaway late in the third period.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Evan Bouchard put forth a great defensive effort on this play.</p>
<p>The final 10 minutes of this hockey game have been exhilarating.</p>
<p>📹: Sportsnet <a href="https://t.co/URTVxZSXwJ">pic.twitter.com/URTVxZSXwJ</a></p>
<p>— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/OilersNation/status/1901443616134066528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>All things considered, the 25-year-old had a solid week. With his usual partner, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-without-mattias-ekholm-john-klingberg-four-game-road-trip">Mattias Ekholm</a>, unable to play last week, it was great to see Bouchard step up by producing points and making strong defensive plays— all signs he&#8217;s dialling it up just in time for the stretch run.</p>
<h2>Oilers’ 2nd Star: Connor McDavid</h2>
<p><strong>Last Week’s Stats – 4 GP – 1 G – 4 A – 5 Pts</strong><br />
<strong>Season Stats – 61 GP – 25 G – 61 A – 86 Pts</strong></p>
<p>It’s safe to say that the Oilers&#8217; captain wasn&#8217;t exactly himself when he returned from the 4 Nations Face-Off, but Connor McDavid seems to be back in his rhythm now. He recorded five points in four games last week, and by the eye test, he’s looked more like his usual self, all while reaching two milestones.</p>
<p>Against the Sabres, he drew two penalties, led all forwards with 26 minutes of ice time, and picked up an assist. Three nights later against the Devils, McDavid tallied two assists and the last one earned him his 60th helper of the season, and with that, he joined Wayne Gretzky <a href="https://x.com/SportsCenter/status/1900377691875942696">as the only players in NHL history</a> with nine straight 60-assist seasons.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Connor McDavid continues to be great 🍎🔥 <a href="https://t.co/Zngk28CYUL">pic.twitter.com/Zngk28CYUL</a></p>
<p>— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1900377691875942696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The next night against the Islanders, McDavid once again led all forwards in ice time (24:58), and <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/calvin-pickard-pass-propels-edmonton-oilers-win-overtime-islanders">he set up the game-winning goal in OT</a> by feathering a pass to set up Draisaitl for a breakaway goal. Moreover, the Oilers&#8217; captain had his legs going two nights later against the New York Rangers, and late in the game, after feeding his linemates Grade-A chances throughout the night, he figured it was time to do it himself.</p>
<p>He fired a shot and beat Igor Shesterkin point-blank to give the Oilers the insurance marker, and in doing so, he became the fourth Oiler in franchise history <a href="https://media.nhl.com/public/live-updates">to record nine consecutive 25-goal seasons</a>, joining Jari Kurri, Draisaitl, and Gretzky, marking his second milestone of the week.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">MCDAVID! With a quick release gets the puck past Shesterkin, and the Oilers have a 3-1 lead.</p>
<p>📹: Sportsnet <a href="https://t.co/bLJVxR9L5s">pic.twitter.com/bLJVxR9L5s</a></p>
<p>— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/OilersNation/status/1901445505118552367?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Just like Bouchard, McDavid is stepping up his game at the right time, and after beating Shesterkin—one of the best goaltenders in the league—clean and with a quick release, here’s hoping that confidence carries over and he adopts more of a shooter&#8217;s mentality down the playoff stretch.</p>
<h2>Oilers’ 1st Star: Leon Draisaitl</h2>
<p><strong>Last Week’s Stats – 4 GP – 3 G – 3 A – 6 Pts<br />
Season Stats – 66 GP – 49 G – 52 A – 101 Pts</strong></p>
<p>With the way Oilers&#8217; centerman Leon Draisaitl has been dominating this season—and with McDavid getting <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/two-mcdonalds-restaurants-honour-connor-mcdavid-with-temporary-name-change">a fast-food chain named after him</a>—it might be time to slap Draisaitl’s name on something as well. Maybe a place like a bank, because the Oilers’ First Star of the Week has been pure money.</p>
<p>Draisaitl started the week by picking up a pair of assists against the Sabres, then sniped a goal against New Jersey, and if the bounces had gone his way, he could’ve added a couple more points, as <em>Natural Stat Trick</em> had him with a 10-2 edge in high-danger chances.</p>
<p>Additionally, the Islanders once had a dominant goal scorer in <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/who-is-the-greatest-goal-scorer-of-all-time">Mike Bossy</a>, who scored 573 goals for them, and on March 14, Draisaitl showed them he&#8217;s pretty good at goal scoring too, with a Boss-like two-goal effort. He scored both Oilers goals (#48 and #49) in the victory and reached the 100-point plateau for the sixth time in his career in style—scoring on a breakaway in OT to seal the 2-1 Oilers win. Additionally, he extended his point streak to 18 games with an assist against the Rangers on the last game of the road trip.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">18-GAME POINT STREAK‼️</p>
<p>Leon Draisaitl now owns the longest point streak of the season at 18 games!</p>
<p>📺: <a href="https://twitter.com/Sportsnet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sportsnet</a> or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF">https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF</a> <a href="https://t.co/6BA0Bfm8M3">pic.twitter.com/6BA0Bfm8M3</a></p>
<p>— NHL (@NHL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1901425127629181131?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Draisaitl&#8217;s 101 points place him just two behind Nathan MacKinnon in the NHL points race, and he leads the league with 49 goals. If he maintains that pace, it would be the largest goal-scoring lead since <a href="https://x.com/AdjustedHockey/status/1900918256895930411">Pavel Bure had a 14-goal advantage</a> over Owen Nolan during the 1999-2000 season. All in all, the centerman is putting together a season for the ages and <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/leon-draisaitl-should-win-selke-trophy-on-top-of-hart-trophy-this-year-says-oilers-head-coach">should be the frontrunner for MVP</a>, as he’s been the club&#8217;s pulse throughout all the highs and lows for the Oilers this season.</p>
<p>Additionally, the German superstar had another highlight this week when <a href="https://www.instagram.com/oilersnationdotcom/reel/DHPGkhtNjne/">he said after the game</a> against the Islanders, &#8216;I love being an Oiler, it means the world to me.&#8217; Leon Draisaitl, Oil Country loves that you&#8217;re an Oiler, too, and especially that you’ll be one for at least another eight seasons after this one.</p>
<h2>Oilers’ Play of the Week: Calvin Pickard’s Pass on the OT Winner vs. the Islanders</h2>
<p>Oilers&#8217; netminder <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/oilers-into-win-column-pickards-solid-goaltending-playmaking-draisaitl-hart-trophy">Calvin Pickard was having a heck of a game</a> against the Islanders on March 14, stopping 24 of 25 shots before making his clutch play in overtime.</p>
<p>With 1:15 left in the extra session, Pickard signalled to Bouchard to pass it up ice to Draisaitl, but the Islanders whacked the puck toward the Oilers&#8217; netminder. In a split second, he thought, &#8220;Heck, I&#8217;ll do it myself,&#8221; and launched a stretch pass from his net. McDavid intercepted it and feathered it onto Draisaitl&#8217;s stick, who buried it past Ilya Sorokin—hands down the Oilers&#8217; best play of the week.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mike Smith with an OT helper in 2022</p>
<p>Calvin Pickard with an OT helper in 2025</p>
<p>Same energy. <a href="https://t.co/AXMYVZRoC3">pic.twitter.com/AXMYVZRoC3</a></p>
<p>— seanpangs (@seanpangs) <a href="https://twitter.com/seanpangs/status/1900737033406214234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>After scoring, Draisaitl pointed back at his netminder, acknowledging that the play started because of him, and his teammates gave Pickard some well-deserved love in the post-game huddle. That play had all the emotion you could ask for—and it could turn out to be the catalyst the Oilers needed to regain their momentum.</p>
<p>With that in mind, now that the Oilers have won their last two games, how are you feeling about them? Have they turned the page?</p>

The Edmonton Oilers salvaged their four-game road trip by winning the last two games against both New York teams, capping it off with a big 3-1 win over the New York Rangers.

They ended the trip on a high note, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins recording his first three-point night of the season, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/viktor-arvidssons-game-winner-leon-draisaitl-ryan-nugent-hopkins-factors-all-edmonton-oilers-goals">Viktor Arvidsson’s goal standing as the game-winner</a> in one of his best games as an Oiler, and Stuart Skinner making some big stops against the Rangers, as the Oilers' record improved to 39-24-4.

While the Oilers had their ups and downs on the four-game road trip, three players stood above the rest. We break down their performances in this week's edition of Three Stars.


<h2>Oilers’ 3rd Star: Evan Bouchard</h2>
<strong>Last Week’s Stats – 4 GP – 2 G – 1 A – 3 Pts</strong>
<strong>Season Stats – 67 GP – 13 G – 40 A – 53 Pts</strong>

Evan Bouchard led all Oilers in ice time three times on the four-game road trip, recorded three points, and stepped up his defensive game, earning him the nod as the Oilers’ third star of the week.

He led all Oilers in ice time <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-slump-busters-buffalo-sabres-evan-bouchard-depth-scoring">against the Buffalo Sabres on March 10</a>, playing 26:31—his sixth-highest total of the season—and scored on a bomb of a one-timer. Three nights later, in the loss against the New Jersey Devils, he found the back of the net again—this time with more of a Bouch Trickler than a bomb, but hey, it counted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Evan Bouchard scores! He puts the Oilers up by one!</p>
🎥: Sportsnet | NHL<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsGoOilers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetsGoOilers</a> <a href="https://t.co/MmWFZrCDY5">pic.twitter.com/MmWFZrCDY5</a>

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/OilersNation/status/1900359835251859586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Also, credit where it's due—Bouchard has taken some flack lately, but he’s really stepped it up defensively. Against the New York Islanders on March 14, he broke up a play with his stick and quickly transitioned the puck up ice on Draisaitl’s first goal, earning an assist. Two nights later, against the Rangers, his point streak came to an end, but the strong defensive efforts continued as he effectively used his stick to break up a 2-on-1 chance, which later prevented a Vincent Trocheck breakaway late in the third period.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Evan Bouchard put forth a great defensive effort on this play.</p>
The final 10 minutes of this hockey game have been exhilarating.

📹: Sportsnet <a href="https://t.co/URTVxZSXwJ">pic.twitter.com/URTVxZSXwJ</a>

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/OilersNation/status/1901443616134066528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

All things considered, the 25-year-old had a solid week. With his usual partner, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-without-mattias-ekholm-john-klingberg-four-game-road-trip">Mattias Ekholm</a>, unable to play last week, it was great to see Bouchard step up by producing points and making strong defensive plays— all signs he's dialling it up just in time for the stretch run.
<h2>Oilers’ 2nd Star: Connor McDavid</h2>
<strong>Last Week’s Stats – 4 GP – 1 G – 4 A – 5 Pts</strong>
<strong>Season Stats – 61 GP – 25 G – 61 A – 86 Pts</strong>

It’s safe to say that the Oilers' captain wasn't exactly himself when he returned from the 4 Nations Face-Off, but Connor McDavid seems to be back in his rhythm now. He recorded five points in four games last week, and by the eye test, he’s looked more like his usual self, all while reaching two milestones.

Against the Sabres, he drew two penalties, led all forwards with 26 minutes of ice time, and picked up an assist. Three nights later against the Devils, McDavid tallied two assists and the last one earned him his 60th helper of the season, and with that, he joined Wayne Gretzky <a href="https://x.com/SportsCenter/status/1900377691875942696">as the only players in NHL history</a> with nine straight 60-assist seasons.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Connor McDavid continues to be great 🍎🔥 <a href="https://t.co/Zngk28CYUL">pic.twitter.com/Zngk28CYUL</a></p>
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1900377691875942696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The next night against the Islanders, McDavid once again led all forwards in ice time (24:58), and <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/calvin-pickard-pass-propels-edmonton-oilers-win-overtime-islanders">he set up the game-winning goal in OT</a> by feathering a pass to set up Draisaitl for a breakaway goal. Moreover, the Oilers' captain had his legs going two nights later against the New York Rangers, and late in the game, after feeding his linemates Grade-A chances throughout the night, he figured it was time to do it himself.

He fired a shot and beat Igor Shesterkin point-blank to give the Oilers the insurance marker, and in doing so, he became the fourth Oiler in franchise history <a href="https://media.nhl.com/public/live-updates">to record nine consecutive 25-goal seasons</a>, joining Jari Kurri, Draisaitl, and Gretzky, marking his second milestone of the week.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">MCDAVID! With a quick release gets the puck past Shesterkin, and the Oilers have a 3-1 lead.</p>
📹: Sportsnet <a href="https://t.co/bLJVxR9L5s">pic.twitter.com/bLJVxR9L5s</a>

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/OilersNation/status/1901445505118552367?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Just like Bouchard, McDavid is stepping up his game at the right time, and after beating Shesterkin—one of the best goaltenders in the league—clean and with a quick release, here’s hoping that confidence carries over and he adopts more of a shooter's mentality down the playoff stretch.
<h2>Oilers’ 1st Star: Leon Draisaitl</h2>
<strong>Last Week’s Stats – 4 GP – 3 G – 3 A – 6 Pts
Season Stats – 66 GP – 49 G – 52 A – 101 Pts</strong>

With the way Oilers' centerman Leon Draisaitl has been dominating this season—and with McDavid getting <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/two-mcdonalds-restaurants-honour-connor-mcdavid-with-temporary-name-change">a fast-food chain named after him</a>—it might be time to slap Draisaitl’s name on something as well. Maybe a place like a bank, because the Oilers’ First Star of the Week has been pure money.

Draisaitl started the week by picking up a pair of assists against the Sabres, then sniped a goal against New Jersey, and if the bounces had gone his way, he could’ve added a couple more points, as <em>Natural Stat Trick</em> had him with a 10-2 edge in high-danger chances.

Additionally, the Islanders once had a dominant goal scorer in <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/who-is-the-greatest-goal-scorer-of-all-time">Mike Bossy</a>, who scored 573 goals for them, and on March 14, Draisaitl showed them he's pretty good at goal scoring too, with a Boss-like two-goal effort. He scored both Oilers goals (#48 and #49) in the victory and reached the 100-point plateau for the sixth time in his career in style—scoring on a breakaway in OT to seal the 2-1 Oilers win. Additionally, he extended his point streak to 18 games with an assist against the Rangers on the last game of the road trip.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">18-GAME POINT STREAK‼️</p>
Leon Draisaitl now owns the longest point streak of the season at 18 games!

📺: <a href="https://twitter.com/Sportsnet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sportsnet</a> or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF">https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF</a> <a href="https://t.co/6BA0Bfm8M3">pic.twitter.com/6BA0Bfm8M3</a>

— NHL (@NHL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1901425127629181131?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Draisaitl's 101 points place him just two behind Nathan MacKinnon in the NHL points race, and he leads the league with 49 goals. If he maintains that pace, it would be the largest goal-scoring lead since <a href="https://x.com/AdjustedHockey/status/1900918256895930411">Pavel Bure had a 14-goal advantage</a> over Owen Nolan during the 1999-2000 season. All in all, the centerman is putting together a season for the ages and <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/leon-draisaitl-should-win-selke-trophy-on-top-of-hart-trophy-this-year-says-oilers-head-coach">should be the frontrunner for MVP</a>, as he’s been the club's pulse throughout all the highs and lows for the Oilers this season.

Additionally, the German superstar had another highlight this week when <a href="https://www.instagram.com/oilersnationdotcom/reel/DHPGkhtNjne/">he said after the game</a> against the Islanders, 'I love being an Oiler, it means the world to me.' Leon Draisaitl, Oil Country loves that you're an Oiler, too, and especially that you’ll be one for at least another eight seasons after this one.
<h2>Oilers’ Play of the Week: Calvin Pickard’s Pass on the OT Winner vs. the Islanders</h2>
Oilers' netminder <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/oilers-into-win-column-pickards-solid-goaltending-playmaking-draisaitl-hart-trophy">Calvin Pickard was having a heck of a game</a> against the Islanders on March 14, stopping 24 of 25 shots before making his clutch play in overtime.

With 1:15 left in the extra session, Pickard signalled to Bouchard to pass it up ice to Draisaitl, but the Islanders whacked the puck toward the Oilers' netminder. In a split second, he thought, "Heck, I'll do it myself," and launched a stretch pass from his net. McDavid intercepted it and feathered it onto Draisaitl's stick, who buried it past Ilya Sorokin—hands down the Oilers' best play of the week.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mike Smith with an OT helper in 2022</p>
Calvin Pickard with an OT helper in 2025

Same energy. <a href="https://t.co/AXMYVZRoC3">pic.twitter.com/AXMYVZRoC3</a>

— seanpangs (@seanpangs) <a href="https://twitter.com/seanpangs/status/1900737033406214234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

After scoring, Draisaitl pointed back at his netminder, acknowledging that the play started because of him, and his teammates gave Pickard some well-deserved love in the post-game huddle. That play had all the emotion you could ask for—and it could turn out to be the catalyst the Oilers needed to regain their momentum.

With that in mind, now that the Oilers have won their last two games, how are you feeling about them? Have they turned the page?

Oilers’ 3 Stars of the Week: McDavid hits multiple milestones and Draisaitl stays red hot

Better Lait Than Never - Edmonton Oilers win Game 1

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