The Edmonton Oilers bounced back with a 6-3 victory over the red-hot Utah Mammoth. Connor McDavid and company overcame a losing hex with a strong showing against one of the best teams in the NHL. After the game, forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins delivered a sincere message to the rest of the team.
Edmonton had lost in consecutive games prior to hosting Utah in the 2025-26 NHL season. In big need for a win, McDavid came through with a brace—his first of the campaign—as the Oilers snapped the Mammoth’s seven-win streak in commanding fashion.
After the game, Nugent-Hopkins voiced a powerful message to McDavid and the rest of the team, as the Oilers look to put together strong performances and build momentum this NHL season. The former first overall pick in 2011 highlighted Edmonton’s resilience, which will come in handy all year.
“Obviously, you don’t want to put yourselves in these situations too often. This league is so good, every team can make you pay for that. But the way that we can respond is a great sign and is something we have excelled at the past few years,” Nugent-Hopkins said, via NHL.com.”It’s much more comfortable to start well and kind of roll from there, but to be able to show up after a poor first period like that is a lot of good signs for our team.”
Connor McDavid in action vs the Utah Mammoth
It’s not about the start
The Oilers got off to a rough start during their game with the Mammoth. Utah entered Rogers Place riding a wave of momentum, which served the Mammoth just right as they ended the first period up 2-0 in the scoreboard. However, coaches usually say that is the most dangerous lead, and the franchise in Salt Lake City learned just that.
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Edmonton rallied back to tie the game at two-apiece. Still, the Mammoth took a 3-2 lead, but the Oilers battled and escaped with a 6-3 triumph. Though a pivotal win, McDavid and company must stay on track. This victory is just what the Oilers needed, but they can’t take their foot off the pedal.
Closing out
Up next, the Oilers will close out their three-game homestand with matchups against the New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks. McDavid will be put to the test with consecutive showdowns with former first overall picks in the NHL (Alexis Lafreniere in New York and Connor Bedard in Chicago).
