ELMONT, N.Y. — On Halloween day, the Edmonton Oilers came dressed as the 1995 New Jersey Devils.
The Oilers simply smothered a tired New York Islanders team Saturday on Long Island, constricting New York in a 4-0 win — their second straight one as Edmonton strings together six consecutive periods of perfect defensive hockey.
At 10-2-2 thus far in the 2026-27 season, Edmonton continues to win games with their defensive play, a trait that has been mostly foreign to the McDavid era in Edmonton.
“That was a good team to test that against because they throw everything to the slot,” said defenceman Ryan Shea, who quietly played 22:35 Saturday. “They had nine shots (on goal) through the first two periods and we were doing our jobs. That's what we’ve got to be day in, day out.
“If we bring that every night, we'll be in a good spot.”
Speaking of a good spot, how’s the view from the goal crease? Surely, it’s seldom been better, considering the last time an Edmonton goalie recorded back-to-back shutouts was Mike Smith in April of 2022, and before that Cam Talbot way back in 2017.
That’s three times in the McDavid era.
“Guys are just committed,” said Tristan Jarry, who faced 24 shots in that 4-0 win over Calgary and just 18 more against the Isles. “They've really bought in from the start of training camp. Obviously, there's a learning curve to a new system and what we're doing. But every day the guys have been working at it, whether it's practice or video. They've really taken to the challenge, and they've done a great job.”
Two women came dressed as nuns for Halloween, with “Church of McJesus” written across their bandeaus (head bands). But the real sermon was being sung by an Oilers team that is now 6-0 on the road this season — the only NHL team without a regulation road loss.
It was the Oilers’ first shutout on Long Island since that legendary 1-0 win in Game 1 of the 1984 Stanley Cup Final, when Kevin McLelland beat Billy Smith for the game’s only goal. That’s heady stuff, a rare comparison between a team that would go on to win five Stanley Cups and today’s club, still in search of its first in the modern Oilers era.
The 10-2-2 start is Edmonton’s best since 2021-22 (10-3), and on a night when the power play wasn’t much help at 1-for-6, the Oilers still ground out a comfortable win on two goals by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and singles from Vasily Podkolzin and Jason Dickinson.
“We're trying to create a plan that works all year long, and then at playoff time,” began head coach Mike Babcock. “We're going to get way heavier and way better offensively, but our priority right now is to be better without the puck, try not to give up as much and learn to play that way every night.
“You're going to have (tough) shifts — everyone understands that. But play that way every night, and you'll have success.”
Edmonton has been a goalie graveyard for years, mostly because of the lack of structure and defensive accountability. So far this season, the Oilers have rolled out a game that a goalie can find a groove behind, and right now that goalie is the resurgent Jarry.
“Anytime you can have a stretch like that, you're obviously feeling pretty good,” Jarry said. “The guys are doing a great job keeping pucks to the outside. I don't think they had many inner slot chances — maybe one or two — but they weren't great by any means.
“With Dev (Devon Levi) hurt, I knew I'd get a little bit more work. So just being able to take care of that opportunity and kind of just run with it… It’s been fun, to say the least.”
It should be noted, Kasperi Kapanen is playing perhaps the best hockey of his life. He was a force again Saturday.
“Just a dog on a bone,” said Nugent-Hopkins, who opened the scoring on a play forged by Kapanen. “He chips it by, and there's two guys he's got to battle with and he just finds a way to win it and lay it perfectly for me. Just had to kind of smack it home.”
It was a rare one-point night for McDavid, who assisted on Nugent-Hopkins’ power-play goal. That leaves him with 35 points in 14 games as the calendar turns to November — only the great Mario Lemieux has had a better October, with 38 and 36 points.
SPEC’S CHECKS — Babcock said the Ike Howard injury might not be as bad as it first looked. He took a knee-on-knee from Emil Heineman, who was given five and a game. “We're hoping for a recovery day (Sunday), and then if he doesn't (feel better), we'll get on with the medical part of looking into it. But they think it's favourable.” … Sherwood Park native Matt Tomkins gets the starts Sunday night against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden … Nugent-Hopkins’ 90th career power-play goal passes Mark Messier for seventh most in Oilers franchise history. With 294 career goals, he is just two goals shy of tying Ryan Smyth (296) for the seventh most in franchise history, and two games away from passing Kevin Lowe for most games played as an Oiler (1,038).
