NHL NEWS DEC 22 – OILERS SOLVE COYOTES FOR THIRD STRAIGHT WIN

The Oilers opened a 3-0 lead early in the second period to win their third straight game overall and defeat the Coyotes in regulation for the first time since Jan. 25, 2011, halting Arizona’s point streak in the head-to-head series at 25 games (21-0-4).

With Edmonton’s regulation win, the longest active head-to-head point streak in the NHL is now the Bruins’ 16-game run against the Oilers (13-0-3 dating to Nov. 6, 2001). The two teams face off twice this season: Jan. 5 at BOS and March 16 at EDM.

Mark Letestu (1-2—3) posted his second three-point performance in 11 games this month (also Dec. 1 at WPG: 2-1—3) after compiling two such outings in his first 421 career NHL games.
NHL NEWS AND MUSINGS

• Teammates Lars Eller and Andre Burakovsky each posted 1-1—2, while Coyotes teammates Oliver Ekman-Larsson (1-1—2) and Radim Vrbata (0-2—2) and Oilers linemates Matt Hendricks (1-1—2) and Zack Kassian (0-2—2) also collected two points apiece
• Jack Eichel and the Sabres released their rendition of “All I Want For Christmas Is You”
• The Flyers treated Vice President of the United States Joe Biden to an ice cream during their game against the Capitals
• A group of seventh- and eighth-grade students with the NHL/NHLPA Future Goals-Hockey Scholar program received tickets to the 2017 Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic during a tour of Exhibition Stadium.
• Click here for a time-lapse of the rink build in Toronto and here for a look at the progress at Busch Stadium in St. Louis for the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.

WEDNESDAY’S NHL SCORES
Home Team in Caps
PHILADELPHIA 3, Washington 2 (SO)
Edmonton 3, ARIZONA 2

THURSDAY’S NHL ACTION
All Times Eastern
Carolina @ Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia @ New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh @ Columbus, 7 p.m.
Minnesota @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Anaheim @ Ottawa, 7:30 p.m.
St. Louis @ Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.
Boston @ Florida, 7:30 p.m.
Los Angeles @ Nashville, 8 p.m.
Toronto @ Colorado, 9 p.m.
Winnipeg @ Vancouver, 10 p.m.