Ryan Graves and Jesper Bratt scored the tying and go-ahead goals seven seconds apart late in the third period Thursday night to lift the red-hot New Jersey Devils over the host Edmonton Oilers, 4-3.
The Devils have won five straight — their longest winning streak since a five-game run from Dec. 15-27, 2017. The Oilers had their five-game winning streak snapped.
The Oilers carried a 3-1 lead into the third after scoring twice in an 86-second span shortly before the midway point of the second. Miles Wood then scored his second goal of the game 1:14 into the third for the Devils before they mounted the historic rally.
After taking a pass from Tomas Tatar, Graves was tripped by Oilers center Ryan McLeod and sent an off-balance shot that trickled under Stuart Skinner’s legs at 16:45 of the third after the goalie could not cover up the puck.
The Devils’ Nico Hischier won the subsequent faceoff against Leon Draisaitl and the puck bounced backwards to John Marino, whose pass through the neutral zone hit Bratt in stride. Bratt shuffled the puck for a handful of strides before his shot glanced off the far post and into the net.
The goal extended Bratt’s season-opening point streak to a franchise-record 11 games.
The seven-second span was the fastest in which the Devils have scored two goals. John Madden and Patrik Elias scored eight seconds apart for New Jersey against the Boston Bruins on April 6, 2001.
The Oilers pulled Skinner shortly after Bratt’s goal but could get just one shot against Vitek Vanecek, who earned the win after stopping 18 of 19 shots in relief. Starter Mackenzie Blackwood exited 8:41 into the second after he appeared to hurt himself kicking a puck out of the crease. Blackwood had 16 saves on 18 shots.
Connor McDavid scored 9:20 into the first for the Oilers to open the scoring, and Wood answered at the 12:22 mark. Edmonton’s Derek Ryan broke the tie exactly eight minutes into the second, and Draisaitl extended Edmonton’s lead to two goals by scoring on the power play 86 seconds later.
Skinner recorded 39 saves.
–Field Level Media
