One game as a National Hockey League head coach, one win for new Edmonton Oilers bench boss Kris Knoblauch.

The Oilers made it two wins in a row for the first time this season after defeating the New York Islanders 4-1 on Monday night, and they earned the 45-year-old Canadian a victory in his head coaching debut.

The former Alberta Golden Bear explained the feeling of being behind an NHL bench again — this time as a head coach — after the convincing win.

“It feels amazing to get that first win, being a head coach was a highlight, just being here and obviously it gets much better when you win,” he mused. “I liked how our team played, it wasn't a perfect game, certainly we weren't the better team in the first half of the game. I liked how we stayed patient, we stayed the course and we didn't do any unnecessary risks.”

Connor McDavid, who has been coached by Knoblauch before, was thrilled to get the win for his new boss.

“It's obviously exciting for him. First win in the NHL, it's been a long road for him. It is well-deserved,” the Oilers captain explained after scoring a goal and adding an assist in the win, per Associated Press. “He came in and was his calm self and didn't give us too much. It was kind of like ‘guys go out and play.'”

And that's exactly what Edmonton did, getting back to their high-flying offensive ways by peppering Ilya Sorokin with 31 shots at Rogers Place in Alberta. It was New York's fifth loss in a row — including four straight in regulation — dropping them to 5-6-3 on the year.

The Knoblauch, McDavid connection

Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

Knoblauch coached McDavid with the Ontario Hockey League's Erie Otters nearly a decade ago, losing in the final with the junior superstar in 2014-15, and winning the league championship two seasons later. By that time, McDavid was a member of the Oilers.

It was Edmonton's first home victory of the 2023-24 campaign, and just their fourth win in 14 tries. Still, it looks like better days might be on the horizon for a team that still has Stanley Cup aspirations this season.

Jay Woodcroft was fired on Sunday following the team's 3-9-1 start, with Knoblauch announced to be taking over shortly after. So far, so good for the NHL's newest coach.