EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers are surging at exactly the right time of year.
Rookie forward Matthew Savoie scored the decisive goal Thursday night as Edmonton downed the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1, stretching their winning streak to a season-high five games and vaulting into a tie atop the Pacific Division with the Anaheim Ducks at 87 points.
The victory puts the Oilers within reach of their first divisional title since 1987 — the longest such drought in NHL history — with the stretch run now firmly in sight.
Adam Henrique and Vasily Podkolzin also found the back of the net for Edmonton, which improved to 39-28-9 on the season. The Oilers have now won seven of their last nine contests and carry an impressive 29-5-5 record when they score first.
Savoie Stepping Up in a Big Way
Perhaps most remarkable about this run is that Edmonton is doing it without star forward Leon Draisaitl, who is sidelined for the remainder of the regular season with a lower-body injury.
Savoie has stepped into the void with confidence, earning a spot alongside captain Connor McDavid on the top line and the first power-play unit while also pulling penalty-kill duty. The youngster now has four goals in his last five games and has accumulated 14 points over his last 18 outings.
McDavid, meanwhile, saw his personal goal-scoring streak snap at five games but added an assist to push his point streak to six, totalling 11 points during that stretch. The Oilers' captain sits two points clear of Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov in the NHL scoring race.
Henrique Breaks a Long Drought
The opening goal Thursday came 5:32 into the second period when Jack Roslovic sprung Henrique on a clean breakaway. The veteran forward's first shot was turned aside, but he buried the rebound on the backhand — his third goal of the season and first since Oct. 23, a span of 50 games.
Tristan Jarry was steady between the pipes for Edmonton, stopping 17 of 18 shots to earn the win. At the other end, Spencer Knight made 31 saves for Chicago before briefly leaving the crease due to an equipment issue, with Arvid Soderblom stepping in to face four shots and surrender one goal.
Chicago's Playoff Drought Extends to Six Seasons
The loss officially eliminated the Blackhawks from playoff contention for the sixth consecutive season, capping a difficult night that also featured a fifth straight defeat. Chicago fell to 27-35-14.
One bright spot for the rebuilding franchise was the continued development of Anton Frondell, the third-overall pick from the 2025 NHL Draft. The Swedish forward — recently called up from the Swedish Hockey League — was held off the scoresheet for just the second time in his young career, having posted five points in his first six NHL games.
What's Next
The Oilers return home Saturday to host the Vegas Golden Knights, while the Blackhawks head to Seattle to face the Kraken.
With files from The Canadian Press and the Lethbridge Herald. This report was first published April 2, 2026.