Noah Philp made the most of his minutes Thursday, with his wife and parents arriving on game day to watch No. 1.48’s NHL debut.

An assist on future Hall of Famer Corey Perry’s second of the season, three shots and a great faceoff night, all in 11:54 of ice time – an efficient stat line among the sum of Thursday’s victory.

Philp will play his second NHL game on Sunday, as his coach said we will likely see the same forward lines and defensive pairings, while Stuart Skinner will make his eighth start.

This also bodes well for Drake Caggiula, who played his first game with the Oilers since December 29, 2018, against the Predators.

“It’s amazing,” Draisaitl shared happily when asked if he was Caggiula’s teammate again. “I’ve seen him wear three different numbers on this team, which is crazy.” (36, 91 and 8 for memory)

“Another great story. I always liked him as a player. He brings a lot of energy. A really smart hockey player.

The return was not easy for Caggiula, who scored his first point in the NHL since November 16, 2021 on Perry’s goal. “I worked very hard over the last few years to get here,” Caggiula recalls. “(I) overcame serious injuries like neck surgery and I thought my NHL days might be over after that.”