Oilers Look to Continue Home Dominance Over Islanders

The Edmonton Oilers host the New York Islanders at Rogers Place with history firmly on their side. The Oilers have dominated the Islanders at home for nearly two decades, winning six consecutive games at Rogers Place and posting a remarkable 12-1-0 record against New York on home ice since the 2007-08 season.

During that stretch, Edmonton has outscored the Islanders 41-23 in home games. The last time New York managed a road victory in Edmonton was March 7, 2017, making Rogers Place a house of horrors for the visitors.

The Islanders enter Thursday sitting second in the Metropolitan Division with a 25-16-5 record. They're looking to bounce back from a 5-4 loss to Winnipeg on Tuesday that opened a five-game Western road trip. Matthew Schaefer scored for New York in that defeat alongside Emil Heineman, Anthony Duclair, and Kyle MacLean.

Connor McDavid's Historic Run

Connor McDavid continues his strike on the NHL record books. The Oilers captain has points in 20 consecutive games with 19 goals and 27 assists during the streak, the longest point streak by any player this season. He can become just the fifth player in the last 33 years to record a point streak of at least 21 games when he takes the ice against the Islanders.

McDavid is the third player in Oilers franchise history to reach 20 games, joining Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey in that exclusive club. He leads the NHL with 82 points and 52 assists while ranking second with 30 goals.

Draisaitl Nearing Milestone

Leon Draisaitl sits one assist shy of 600 for his career and has been particularly effective against the Islanders. He's riding a six-game point streak against New York with eight goals and four assists. His eight career goals against Ilya Sorokin rank third-most against the Islanders goaltender.

First-overall picks & @ErieOtters alumni Connor McDavid & Matthew Schaefer will face off as the #Oilers look to continue their success on home ice vs. the Islanders. We've got tonight's notes, presented by @DirtyLaundryVin 🍷📝 #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/BwnFwdGr0g
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) January 15, 2026

Draisaitl recorded a goal and two assists in the team's 4-3 overtime loss to Nashville, extending his current goal streak to three games and point streak to five games. His chemistry with linemates Vasily Podkolzin and Kasperi Kapanen continues to impress, with Kapanen collecting five points in five games since returning from injury.

Erie Otters Reunion

Thursday's game features a reunion of Erie Otters alumni as first-overall picks McDavid and Schaefer face off. Both players starred for the Ontario Hockey League franchise before reaching the NHL.

The Islanders won the first meeting 4-2 on October 16 at UBS Arena behind Bo Horvat's hat trick. Edmonton will look to even the season series while extending its home dominance over New York.

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