Islanders doomed by woeful third period as Oilers win in Kris Knoblauch’s debut

Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid scored power-play goals within a two-minute span in the third period Monday night for the host Edmonton Oilers, who beat the New York Islanders 4-1 in Kris Knoblauch’s NHL debut as head coach. 

Leon Draisaitl scored in the first for the Oilers, who won their second straight to improve to 4-9-1.

Edmonton beat the Seattle Kraken 4-1 on Saturday before firing head coach Jay Woodcroft and assistant coach Dave Manson on Sunday. 

Evander Kane added an empty-netter late in the third for the Oilers.

Goalie Stuart Skinner made 32 saves. 

Mathew Barzal scored 40 seconds into the first for the Islanders, who have lost five straight (0-4-1) and six of seven (1-4-2).

Goalie Ilya Sorokin recorded 28 saves. 

The Islanders peppered Skinner with four shots before Barzal, stationed in the slot, took a pass from Bo Horvat, went to one knee and fired a shot over Skinner’s glove. 

The Oilers tied the score with 5:43 left. Darnell Nurse picked off a clearing pass by Pierre Engvall in the neutral zone and passed to Draisaitl, who skated around Islanders defenseman Sebastian Aho and sent a shot beyond Sorokin’s stick. 

After a scoreless second, the Oilers took control during consecutive power plays shortly before the midway point of the third.

Islanders right winger Simon Holmstrom was whistled for tripping nine seconds before McDavid collected a carom of Draisaitl’s shot off the far boards and dished it to Hyman, who beat Sorokin from point-blank range at the 7:35 mark. 

With Ryan Pulock in the box after being called for delay of game at 8:36, the Oilers added an insurance goal when Draisaitl’s pass through the neutral zone hit a streaking McDavid in stride.

McDavid, two steps ahead of Islanders right winger Cal Clutterbuck, got past defenseman Noah Dobson and put a shot on net that Sorokin slowed but could not stop from trickling behind him into the net with 10:27 left. 

The goal was the third of the season and the first since Oct. 17 for McDavid, who led the NHL with 64 goals last season. 

The Islanders pulled Sorokin while on a power play with under three minutes to go, but Kane scored the empty netter with 2:27 remaining.