Edmonton’s Matt Tomkins stars in Oilers win over Rangers

Edmonton-born goaltender Matt Tomkins stopped 27 of 28 shots in his seventh NHL start Sunday night as the Edmonton Oilers beat the New York Rangers 4-1 at Madison Square Garden.

Tomkins, 32, was named the game’s first star with a .964 save percentage. It was his first NHL game since the 2023-24 season, according to reports from ESPN and The Associated Press.

Google Trends Canada showed searches for Tomkins above 10,000 in the past day, as Oilers fans looked up the veteran journeyman who stepped in for the injured.

The Oilers turned to him because of injuries to goaltenders Devon Levi and Frederik Andersen, along with a back-to-back schedule, according to the reports. The win was Edmonton’s 11th in 15 games this season.

Connor McDavid scored early, and Colton Dach added two goals in the win. McDavid called Tomkins “awesome” after the game, the reports said. Our game recap has the full scoring summary and McDavid’s milestone.

Tomkins grew up in Edmonton, which made the night a homecoming for a goalie who has spent most of his career away from the NHL. Daily Hive reported that he described the result as his first NHL win in more than two seasons. Other outlets, including BVM Sports, counted it as the fifth win of his NHL career, so the numbers reflect wins across several short call-ups.

The reports did not give a return date for Levi or Andersen as of Monday morning.

Edmonton’s win also arrived as another Western Conference storyline moved. The Seattle Kraken traded forward Shane Wright to the Nashville Predators for Matthew Wood, a deal covered in our report on the trade.

Canada News Media will update this story if the Oilers name a starter for their next game or give an update on the injured goaltenders.

Sources: ESPN and The Associated Press, Nov. 1, 2026; Daily Hive; BVM Sports.

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