Evan Bouchard scored in overtime to help the Edmonton Oilers get back on track with a 3-2 victory over the visiting Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
Connor McDavid threaded a pass across to Bouchard, who found the back of the net with just seven seconds remaining in the extra frame, halting the Canadiens’ five-game winning streak.
McDavid finished with two assists, while Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl each piled up a goal and an assist. Stuart Skinner stopped 25 shots for the Oilers, who had lost six of seven.
Cole Caufield and Joel Armia scored for the Canadiens, and Sam Montembeault made 29 saves.
Corey Perry gave the Oilers the early advantage just under 10 minutes into the contest. Newly acquired Max Jones flipped a pass through two defenders before Perry picked up the loose puck and beat Montembeault.
Caufield broke loose just moments after the Canadiens killed off a five-on-three disadvantage. Despite being turned aside on his first attempt, he picked up his own rebound and extended his goal-scoring streak to four games with 4:46 remaining in the opening frame.
Draisaitl had a pair of opportunities with extra men on the ice but hit the post both times. The lethal sniper got his revenge though, as on the power play just over a minute into the middle frame his wrist shot snuck past a screened Montembeault.
Draisaitl’s league-leading 46th goal regained the lead for the Oilers.
The Canadiens knotted the game at 2-2 with 9:41 left in the second period as rookie defenseman Lane Hutson picked out an open Armia, who wired his slap shot past Skinner.
Less than two minutes into the third period, Caufield redirected a shot narrowly over the crossbar just before the Canadiens headed back to the man advantage.
Edmonton’s Mattias Janmark stormed down on a breakaway with the Oilers short a man on the ensuing power play, but he sent his attempt wide of the cage.
After a shifty pass from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid looked dead set on giving the Oilers the late lead with nearly five minutes left in regulation, but he rang his shot off the post.
–Field Level Media
