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The Edmonton Oilers extended their outstanding start to the 2026 NHL season on Tuesday, defeating the Minnesota Wild 4-3 in overtime at home. Defenceman Evan Bouchard fired the hockey puck into the net with 1:28 remaining in overtime. He capitalized on a Wild too-many-men penalty to secure the victory. As a result, Edmonton improved its record to 7-1-1, continuing one of the league’s strongest early-season runs.
Bouchard Delivers on His Birthday
Bouchard scored his seventh goal of the season with a powerful shot from the blue line. The overtime winner came on his 27th birthday, adding a personal milestone to an already memorable night. He also added an assist, giving him points in eight of his nine games this season.
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The Oilers defenceman now leads all NHL blueliners with seven goals and 11 assists. He also sits tied for second overall in league scoring alongside Toronto’s Auston Matthews. Only teammate Connor McDavid ranks ahead of him.
“You take what they give you,” Bouchard said after the game. “At that point in time, it was that shot. They pressed hard. They’re a good hockey team and they weren’t going to quit. There are definitely some things to clean up, but in the end we battled and got the win we needed. Good teams find a way to win, and we did that tonight against a very good opposition.”
Leon Draisaitl, who scored twice to earn his 75th career multi-point game, praised his defenceman’s shooting ability. “Any type of shot that he gets off is extremely dangerous,” Draisaitl said. “Accurate, hard, whatever it is — he’s got it. He’s pretty elite.”
McDavid Reaches Historic Milestone
McDavid recorded three assists on the night, bringing his season total to 26 points in just nine games. That output made him only the sixth player in NHL history to reach 25 points before his team’s 10th game of a season. The others to achieve the feat include Mario Lemieux, who did it three times with a best of 33, Wayne Gretzky twice with a best of 27, Mike Bossy with 28, Brent Sutter with 25, and Marcel Dionne with 25.
McDavid also became the fastest player in NHL history to record 20 assists. He extended his season-opening points streak to all nine games and is already on pace for his 10th career 100-point season. The game also served as a marquee matchup between McDavid, the league’s top point producer, and Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov, the NHL’s leading goal scorer.
Levi Thrives in New Role
Goaltender Devon Levi made 27 saves to earn the win and improved his record to 5-1-0 this season. Edmonton acquired the 24-year-old from Dollard-Des Ormeaux, Quebec, from the Buffalo Sabres for a third-round pick during the summer. Levi had appeared in 39 games across four seasons in Buffalo before spending all of last season in the AHL.
Head coach Mike Babcock spoke highly of Levi’s attitude and work ethic. “He’s ultra-competitive,” Babcock said. “Every day I walk in here, he’s got a smile on his face. He’s always working. He’s competitive as can be and he feels good about himself. Five and one — not a bad record. Good for him.”
Levi said he approached his opportunity with Edmonton in a relaxed and confident mindset. “I know what I’m capable of,” he said. “I didn’t really come in here trying to prove anything. I just wanted to come in, have fun, and play with the best players in the world. It’s such a pleasure to be here. Not putting that extreme stress of trying to win the Cup on day one, but just enjoy it and have fun being a pro hockey player in a historic franchise.”
Wild Fall Short Despite Strong Comeback
Minnesota entered the game with two straight wins and a solid 6-2-2 record. The Wild trailed 3-1 after two periods but battled back to tie the game before Bouchard’s overtime winner ended their comeback bid. Kaprizov scored his league-leading 11th goal of the season, while Joel Eriksson Ek and Ryan Hartman also found the net for Minnesota.
Mathieu Joseph also scored for Edmonton in regulation. The Oilers have now won seven of their last eight games. Meanwhile, the loss ended Minnesota’s winning streak at two games. For Edmonton, the result further reinforced their status as one of the NHL’s elite teams in the early weeks of the season.
