Maroon stays hot, now leads Oilers in goals

Patrick Maroon leads the Edmonton Oilers in goal scoring.

We repeat, Patrick Maroon leads the Edmonton Oilers in goal scoring.

Normally, this alert would serve as a harbinger for another last-place finish. Because, with more than half of the season's schedule completed, it's rarely a good sign to have a player that's only hit double digits in goals once before taking rank on the spreadsheet.

But it's not as much of a concern with the Oilers still fighting for tops in the division, and Maroon appearing to be the right fit on the left wing for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the No. 1 line.

After scoring a hat trick Thursday in Boston, Maroon scored his 15th and 16th goals on the season 63 seconds apart in the second period on Sunday to bring the Oilers level with the Ottawa Senators.

Maroon now has 15 even-strength goals, which is, rather remarkably, just two shy of Auston Matthews for the NHL lead.

His second had the benefit of a deflection off a defender's skate, but his first was full value: