Edmonton Oilers' Adam Henrique (19), Evan Bouchard (2), Zach Hyman (18) and Connor McDavid (97) celebrate a goal as Henry Thrun (3) skates past during first period NHL action in Edmonton on Friday, April 11, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Amber Bracken
Connor McDavid assisted on all four goals as the Edmonton Oilers officially clinched a playoff berth with a 4-2 victory over the last-place San Jose Sharks on Friday.
Evan Bouchard, Ty Emberson, Corey Perry and Connor Brown scored for the Oilers (46-28-5), who have won two straight since McDavid returned to the lineup.
Defenceman Mattias Ekholm made his return after missing seven games with an undisclosed injury. He took two wobbly shifts, fell down twice, and looked like anything but the veteran Viking defender that he is before walking down the tunnel at Rogers Place.
Later Zach Hyman left the game, for an Oilers team that was already missing league-leading goal scorer Leon Draisaitl, forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and defenceman Jake Walman.
Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard made 22 stops for the win.
Edmonton has qualified for the playoffs for the sixth straight season, its second-longest stretch of consecutive post-season appearances since qualifying 13 years in a row upon entering the NHL in 1979-80.
Comments