The Edmonton Oilers walked out of Minnesota searching for answers after a 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.
Speaking to the media after the game, head coach Kris Knoblauch said missed chances and one late goal changed the flow of the game. Edmonton rallied from an early two-goal deficit to tie it. However, a goal against in the final seconds of the first period swung the momentum.
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“Fought back after being down two nothing, and were able to tie it up,” Knoblauch said. “Unfortunately, that’s a big goal at the end of the first period. One that shouldn’t happen. It really hurt us, but I thought we kept our composure, and I thought we had a good push after that.
“We had many opportunities to tie it up in the third. You know, Nuge [Ryan Nugent-Hopkins] had a glorious chance. Leon had the one-timer, and then they were able to score, and then two goals late in the game. That’s pretty tough to come back again.”
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That goal was scored by Ryan Hartman at 19:52 in the first. This goal widened the gap and made another comeback unlikely.
The Oilers finished their road trip with a 3-2 record. Knoblauch said the overall effort across five games met his expectations.
“The five games, I thought we played pretty good hockey, four of them…,” Knoblauch said. “After you lose any games, you’re always disappointed, but I like the guys’ effort.”
Minnesota continued its surge with a seventh straight win. Matt Boldy scored twice and extended his strong stretch. Filip Gustavsson stopped 28 shots and remained sharp. The Wild allowed only two goals again and stayed tight defensively. Their home points streak reached 14 games.
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Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) celebrates his goal against the Minnesota Wild during the first period at Grand Casino Arena.Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
For Edmonton, Connor McDavid and Andrew Mangiapane scored in the opening period. Leon Draisaitl added two assists to reach 50 points for the 11th straight season.
Now, the Oilers sit third in the Pacific Division at 17-13-6. Offense and special teams continue to drive results, but defensive lapses remain costly.
Next, Edmonton returns home to host the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night.
Related: Oilers Announce Tristan Jarry Injury Update Before Wild Game
Related: Oilers Coach’s Take About Connor McDavid Should Scare the NHL
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.