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Draisaitl scores first NHL goal in Oilers’ third straight win

Vancouver Canucks v Edmonton Oilers

EDMONTON, AB - OCTOBER 17: Leon Draisaitl #29 of the Edmonton Oilers signs autographs for a fan prior to a game against the Vancouver Canucks on October 17, 2014 at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

NHLI via Getty Images

A week ago, the Edmonton Oilers looked worse weaker than they really might be. It’s fitting, then, that a couple late goals made their third consecutive win look a little misleading tonight.

The Oilers beat the lowly Carolina Hurricanes, who were coming off of a 5-0 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday, by a slightly inflated score of 6-3 on Friday.

Matt Hendricks scored an empty-netter, for example. Also, there’s this thought to at least consider:

The box score reads like a series of “ah ha!” moments (especially if you ignore comparable shots on goal totals), as a number of struggling Edmonton players got on the board. Jordan Eberle didn’t just score his first goal of 2014-15; he scored two goals and added an assist. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins seems like he’s healthy with a goal in three straight games.

Maybe most promisingly, 2014 first-rounder Leon Draisaitl’s first NHL goal happened to be the game-winner:

That’s not exactly the kind of beauty that will drive management to burn an entry-level year off of a rookie’s contract or not, but it must have been a relief for the third pick of the 2014 NHL Draft.

The Oilers are now 3-4-1 and get the weekend off before they close out October with home games against two formidable opponents in the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators. If they can win those contests, then the excitement could really build in Edmonton.

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins