The NHL returns from All-Star Weekend with the Edmonton Oilers looking to make history Tuesday night. Edmonton can tie the NHL record for most wins in a row with a victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in Las Vegas. The game will be exclusively on ESPN+ and Hulu at 10 p.m. ET.
The Knights are currently second in the Pacific Division (64 points), with the Oilers (59 points) in third just five points behind despite having played five less games. Edmonton hasn’t lost a game since Dec. 19 and has improved its record from 13-15-1 to 29-15-1 over that span.
Can the Oilers extend their streak and put themselves in the NHL record books? Here are some key things to watch with intel courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information:
Early coaching change: The Oilers began the season by losing 8-1 in their opener against the Canucks in Vancouver. They would go on to start 3-9-1 before firing coach Jay Woodcroft on Nov. 12. Kris Knoblauch was named Woodcroft’s replacement and has guided Edmonton to an NHL-best 26-6-0 record since his first game on Nov. 13.
The Oilers have averaged more than a goal more per game under Knoblauch (3.91 vs. 2.69) and are giving up more than 1.6 goals less (2.28 vs. 3.92).
Elite goaltending and defense: Since the 16-game win streak began Dec. 21, Edmonton’s goaltender duo of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have allowed a combined 1.50 goals per games. Skinner has a 1.41 GAA and a .950 save percentage in 12 games and Pickard has 1.74 GAA and a .931 save percentage in his four wins. Skinner’s 12 consecutive wins are the most by an Oilers goaltender in a season in franchise history, surpassing the previous record of 10 straight by Grant Fuhr in 1985-86.
The line of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman has been thriving since Knoblauch’s hire, scoring 26 goals together during their time on the ice during that span. That’s the most of any forward grouping in the NHL during Knoblauch’s tenure.
McDavid has been especially stellar since Knoblauch took over, posting 57 points over that span, including 26 during the current win streak. McDavid recorded his 20th goal Saturday to giving him his eighth consecutive 20-goal season, joining Leon Draisaitl, David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, and Auston Matthews as the only players who’ve had eight straight since 2016-17.
Hyman leads the Oilers with 30 goals this season. On Saturday, he became the third Oilers skater in the past 30 seasons with 30-plus goals in team’s first 45 games of a season, joining his teammates McDavid and Draisaitl. Hyman is on pace for 55 goals this season, which would shatter his career high of 36 last season. If he gets to 50, Hyman would become the seventh player in Oilers history to hit the mark, joining Wayne Gretzky (8 times), Jari Kurri (4), Draisaitl (3), Glenn Anderson (2), Mark Messier (1) and McDavid (1).
According to NHL Edge, Evan Bouchard has 71 shot attempts of at least 90 mph this season, 24 more than the next-closest player (Victor Hedman). Of Bouchard’s 11 goals this season, eight have come from long-range shots, the most in the NHL. His 10.4% shooting percentage on long-range shots is second among defensemen (Drew Doughty, 12.7%) and eighth among all skaters. He has already matched his career high with 43 points this season, averaging 0.96 points per game. The last Oilers defenseman to average a point per game for a season was Paul Coffey (1.14 in 1986-87).
The Oilers’ recent run has them as the betting favorites to win the Stanley Cup, according to odds by ESPN BET. The Oilers are +750, followed by the Bruins and Avalanche at +800. According to Stathletes, the Oilers have a 14.1% chance to win the Stanley Cup, ahead of the Panthers at 13.7%. No Canadian franchise has won the Stanley Cup since the Canadiens in 1993.
Vegas has 18 wins at T-Mobile Arena, tied with the Canucks for the second-most home wins behind the Avalanche with 20. The Golden Knights have a .760 points percentage at home this season, fourth in the league. Since the Golden Knights joined the NHL in 2017-18, they have the fourth-most home wins (161) and the seventh-highest points percentage (.673). The only Western Conference team better than Vegas in both categories is the Avalanche (163, .704).
Vegas has scored first in 28 games this season, tied for third in the NHL behind the Canucks (33) and Bruins (30). The Knights have scored first in 56% of their games, the eighth-highest rate in the league.
Jonathan Marchessault is on pace for 37 goals, which would be a career high and the second most in a season in Golden Knights history behind William Karlsson‘s 43 in 2017-18 (no Vegas player besides Karlsson has scored more than 33 goals in a season). Marchessault has scored 10 goals off the rush this season, tied for fourth most in the NHL. The only players in front of Marchessault are Travis Konecny (12), Joel Farabee (11) and William Nylander (11).
Mark Stone has a team-leading 49 points this season (15 G, 34 A), playing all 50 games. His next point will mark his eighth 50-point season, but his first since 2020-21, when he had 61.
Alex Pietrangelo leads the Golden Knights in time on ice per game at 24:00. This season, he’s one of three players to average at least 18 minutes at even strength, 2 minutes of power play time and 3 minutes of shorthanded time, alongside Cam Fowler and Devon Toews.
Adin Hill leads the NHL in GAA (1.94) and save percentage (.936).
Knight’s Choice has won the 2024 Melbourne Cup, defeating Warp Speed and Okita Soushi in a thrilling finish at Flemington on Tuesday afternoon.
The massive outsider saluted for Irish-born jockey Robbie Dolan, who claimed victory in what was his first ever ride in the “race that stops a nation”.
In what was a gripping 164th staging of Australia’s most-watched thoroughbred race, Knight’s Choice proved too strong in a sprint to the finish, pulling over the top of Okita Soushi and holding off Warp Speed by the barest of margins.
Trained by John Symons and Sheila Laxon on the Sunshine Coast, Knight’s Choice was well down the betting across all markets. It was Laxon’s second Melbourne Cup triumph after she trained Ethereal to victory 23 years ago.
“This is the pinnacle of all pinnacles, this is the Melbourne Cup,” Symons said.
Zardozi rounded out the first four.
As the field approached the final few hundred metres it appeared as though Jamie Kah, aboard Okita Soushi, would become just the second woman to ride the winner in the Melbourne Cup. But Okita Soushi was swallowed up as the winning post neared, with Knight’s Choice beating Warp Speed to the line after a peach of a ride from Dolan.
“We’ll be singing tonight after a few beers,” Dolan, who was a contestant on the 2022 edition of “The Voice”, told Channel 9.
“It is amazing and a lot of people doubted this little horse. Doubt me now.”
Laxon was more than happy with the ride, with Dolan threading his way through the field from near last on the bend.
“He started the race, and he knew how to ride him. We didn’t give him instructions, he knew what to do,” she said.
“I love it being down for the Australians. The Australian horse has done it, and Robbie is Australian now as well, so I’m thrilled to win the Cup, and it is the people’s Cup, and that’s what it is all about.”
Knight’s Choice is just the sixth Australian-bred horse to win since 1993, and the first since Vow and Declare back in 2019.
The five-year-old gelding carried only 51kg to victory and was making its first start over the 3200m trip. It had most recently come off a fifth-placed finish in the Bendigo Cup, but had showed sparing little form this preparation otherwise.
“I watched every Melbourne Cup for the last 40 years. I thought my best chance was to get him to stay the trip and, hopefully, he can run home and do the quick sectionals he can on a good track and he proved everybody wrong,” Dolan said.
The Atlanta Braves exercised designated hitter Marcell Ozuna‘s $16 million option for the 2025 season Monday but declined to pick up catcher Travis D’Arnaud‘s $8 million option, making him a free agent.
The Braves also declined their $7 million team option on right-hander Luke Jackson.
Ozuna, who turns 34 next week, was named a Silver Slugger finalist Monday after batting .302 with 39 home runs and 104 RBIs, while not missing a game this season.
A three-time All-Star, Ozuna is a career .272 hitter with 275 homers, 880 RBIs and 1,514 hits in 1,469 games with the Miami Marlins (2013-17), St. Louis Cardinals (2018-19) and Braves.
D’Arnaud, 35, batted .251 and slugged 60 home runs in his five years with the Braves. He earned his only All-Star nod with the Braves in 2022.
Jackson, 33, went 4-3 with a 5.09 ERA in 52 relief appearances this past season, 16 of those with the Braves after they acquired him from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline in the swap that also brought Jorge Soler to Atlanta. The Braves traded Soler to the Los Angeles Angels last week.
Ozuna’s option had a $1 million buyout; D’Arnaud’s had none. Jackson had a $2 million buyout.
SAN ANTONIO — Left-hander Wandy Peralta exercised his $4.25 million option to remain with the San Diego Padres on Monday.
Gold Glove infielder Ha-Seong Kim declined his $8 million mutual option to become a free agent and will receive a $2 million buyout.
Peralta was guaranteed $16.5 million under what could be a four-year deal. He had a $3.35 million salary this year, and the deal includes player options for $4.45 million in both 2026 and 2027.
The 33-year-old had a 3.99 ERA in 46 relief appearances this year. He was sidelined between July 9 and Sept. 4 by a left adductor strain.
Kim tore the labrum in his right shoulder on Aug. 18 and needed season-ending surgery. He hit .233 with 11 homers and 22 stolen bases in the final season of a $28 million, four-year contract.