Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall dominate again as Edmonton Oilers sink Phoenix Coyotes 3-2 -NHL
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall, both former 2010, 2011 top draft picks by Edmonton, continued their dominating regime by leading Oilers to another National Hockey League (NHL) preseason victory as they beat Phoenix Coyotes, 3-2, at the Rexall Place
in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on Tuesday, September 27.
Losing twice after their big season opening win against Chicago Blackhawks, to Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton’s took the leash off of their young duo, enabling them to win the next three straight.
The once weak Oilers thrashed Calgary Flames back-to-back, 2-1 at home and a clean 3-0 shutout in the next on rival turf.
Having a good time performing on the ice, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, feels confident for the upcoming days.
“I definitely felt pretty good out there with those two guys”, said Nugent-Hopkins. “The biggest thing is getting Taylor the puck when he’s open and when he’s going. When he gets the puck and he’s going, he’s gone”.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins opened up the scoring with 2:10 remaining on the clock during the matchup’s first power play opportunity as Phoenix’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson was booked with a minor penalty for holding.
Taylor Hall widened the gap with two consecutive goals, both assisted by Nugent-Hopkins to create the feeling of the NHL’s next big duo, with less than seven minutes remaining in the second period.
Ray Whitney finally put Phoenix Coyotes on the scoreboard at 18:13, sending both teams into a close third period.
Phoenix captain, Shane Doan, lessened the gap with his second of the preseason on a power play goal of their own, with 5:29 remaining to tie it up, but failed to either win or force an overtime extension.
“It was a lot of fun, we got it going right off the bat and we had chances right away”, said Hall. “It’s fun to play with playmakers like that, with guys like Ryan and Jordan, who can find you wherever. I was trying to get my speed going and get the puck
and make things happen”.
Edmonton has two games remaining on the preseason schedule with Minnesota Wild next on the agenda on Friday, September 30. Phoenix Coyotes will travel south of the province to face-off against Calgary Flames on Thursday.
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