EDMONTON, Alberta (Interstat) — The Edmonton Oilers scored three times in the first period and never looked back, shutting out the St. Louis Blues 5-0 in NHL action Sunday at Rexall Place. Zach Hyman led the way with two goals and an assist for the Oilers, who improved to 25-25. Connor McDavid added two assists. Andrew Mangiapane, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Vasily Podkolzin also scored for Edmonton, which chased Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington after the first period. St. Louis, which fell to 19-30, managed just 18 shots and failed to convert on four power-play opportunities. Brayden Schenn and Nick Bjugstad each recorded three hits for the Blues in the loss. The Oilers’ defense stifled St. Louis throughout, making the three-goal first period stand up. Edmonton has won two straight.

EDMONTON, Alberta (Interstat) — The Edmonton Oilers, led by a dominant first period and a two-goal performance from Zach Hyman, overwhelmed the St. Louis Blues 5-0 in National Hockey League action Sunday night at Rexall Place. A crowd of 18,347 watched the Oilers improve to 25-25, reaching the .500 mark for the first time in weeks, while the Blues fell to 19-30 with a listless offensive showing. Edmonton seized control early, scoring three times in the opening frame to chase Blues starting goaltender Jordan Binnington. The onslaught began at 11:52 of the first period when Andrew Mangiapane converted a Curtis Lazar feed for his sixth goal of the season. Just over five minutes later, with the Oilers on a power play, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins made it 2-0. Evan Bouchard and Jake Walman assisted on Nugent-Hopkins’ 12th goal. The Oilers then capitalized on another man-advantage before the period ended, with Hyman tipping in a point shot from Mattias Ekholm at 18:43. Vasily Podkolzin earned the secondary assist. Binnington was replaced by Joel Hofer to start the second period after stopping 10 of 13 shots. The change did little to stem the tide. Hyman struck again late in the middle frame, taking a pass from Connor McDavid and wiring a wrist shot past Hofer at 20:52 for his 19th goal of the season. Ekholm collected his second assist of the night on the play. Connor Ingram, facing his former team, was perfect in the Edmonton net, stopping all 27 shots he faced for his first shutout of the season and the win. At the other end, the Oilers’ defense and a committed backcheck limited high-danger chances, blocking 22 shots as a team. Podkolzin rounded out the scoring at 3:19 of the third period, finishing a passing sequence from McDavid and Hyman to make it 5-0. McDavid finished with two assists, while Hyman’s three-point night (two goals, one assist) earned him first-star honors. The Blues, coming off a 3-2 shootout win over Tampa Bay two nights prior, never found their footing. They failed to convert on four power-play opportunities and were outshot 32-27. Key forwards like Brayden Schenn, Pavel Buchnevich and Jordan Kyrou were held off the scoresheet. Edmonton’s physical game, led by Trent Frederic’s five hits, also set a tone, disrupting St. Louis’s transition through the neutral zone. The Oilers’ penalty kill was flawless, snuffing out all four St. Louis advantages. The victory extended Edmonton’s winning streak to two games following a 6-0 rout in Vancouver on Saturday. The Oilers have now won seven of their last ten outings. St. Louis has lost three of its last four. The pregame statistical projections, which favored Edmonton with a 62.3% win probability and a predicted 3-2 scoreline, underestimated the Oilers’ offensive explosion and the Blues’ struggles. The combined five goals landed under the betting over/under line of 6. Edmonton next hosts the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. St. Louis continues a road trip in Winnipeg against the Jets on Tuesday night.

Oilers Host Struggling Blues in Sunday Matchup EDMONTON, Alberta (Interstat) — The Edmonton Oilers look to rebound from a shutout loss when they host the St. Louis Blues at Rexall Place on Sunday. The Oilers (23-25-0) fell 1-0 to the New York Islanders on Thursday, managing just 18 shots on goal. Goaltender Connor Ingram was sharp in the loss, stopping 17 shots, and has been a key performer. In his last five appearances, Ingram is 2-2-1 with a .915 save percentage, including a 29-save win over Chicago on Jan. 12. Edmonton holds a four-point edge in the standings over the Blues (19-29-0), who are coming off a 3-2 shootout victory over Tampa Bay on Friday. That win snapped a three-game skid for St. Louis, which had been outscored 15-7 in those losses. A player to watch for the Blues is center Brayden Schenn. He has points in three of his last five games (1 goal, 2 assists) but also has accumulated 19 penalty minutes in his last seven contests, a trend St. Louis will hope to curb. The teams last met on Nov. 3 in St. Louis, where the Blues edged the Oilers 3-2. Edmonton will aim to leverage home ice, where they are 13-11-0 this season, while St. Louis is a league-worst 6-18-0 on the road. According to National Statistical’s game simulator, the projected final score is Edmonton 3, St. Louis 2. Following this contest, the Oilers begin a three-game homestand against Eastern Conference foes New Jersey, Pittsburgh and Washington. The Blues continue a road trip Tuesday in Winnipeg before a back-to-back set in Dallas and at home against Los Angeles next weekend.