Connor McDavid’s OT winner sends Oilers past Capitals 4-3

By Shane Jones in Edmonton

It was one that just about received away for the Edmonton Oilers.

Connor McDavid scored the time beyond regulation winner and added an help because the Oilers emerged with a 4–3 victory over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday after permitting their opponents to tie the sport with lower than two seconds remaining.

McDavid elected to shoot on a two-on-one and notched his thirtieth of the season 3:27 into time beyond regulation.

“It’s clearly at all times disappointing giving up a tying purpose late within the recreation, particularly that late within the recreation. We have to discover a approach to shut that out, however it didn’t damage us, which was good,” McDavid mentioned. “These are massive factors, and so they all are from right here on out. We have to begin piling them up.”

Latest AHL call-up Brad Malone had a purpose and an help and Kailer Yamamoto and Cody Ceci additionally scored for the Oilers (31-23-4) who snapped a three-game dropping skid.

Malone’s help on the second purpose was his first NHL level since Feb. 28, 2016 and it was his first purpose since Dec. 3, 2015.

“It feels fairly superior, to be trustworthy,” mentioned the 32-year-old, who final performed within the NHL for Carolina. “I used to be simply actually comfortable that we received the 2 factors on the finish of the sport there. It’s robust to have a person recreation like that and be ok with your self whenever you don’t get the 2 factors.”

T.J. Oshie had two targets and an help and Nicklas Backstrom had a purpose and a helper for the Capitals (31-18-10) who noticed a three-game wining streak halted.

“It was a heck of an effort by the blokes,” mentioned Caps head coach Peter Laviolette. “That’s 4 video games in a row the place I believe we’ve performed some fairly good hockey and needed to battle again in a few of the video games and present a bit little bit of resiliency within that.”

With a regional inhabitants of almost 370,000 individuals of Ukrainian descent, it was not stunning to see dozens of followers in Edmonton adorned within the conventional blue and yellow of their homeland, a boisterous response to the Viter Ukrainian Choir and Folks Ensemble’s model of the Canadian anthem, and a pre-game 50/50 whole of greater than $1.3 million to lift funds for these affected by the invasion of Ukraine.

Russian star Alex Ovechkin was additionally booed every time he touched the puck.

There was no scoring within the first interval, with the Oilers pumping 20 pictures on Capitals goalie Ilya Samsonov and Washington directing 9 pictures on Edmonton starter Mikko Koskinen.

Washington broke the impasse on a fortunate break 2:17 into the second interval as a puck bounced off of defender Evan Bouchard and Backstrom despatched a spin-around backhand by way of Koskinen’s legs. It was the thirty ninth time within the final 49 video games that Edmonton has allowed the sport’s first purpose.

Edmonton pulled even on the ability play with eight minutes left within the center body as Yamamoto directed in a McDavid go from the facet of the online.

After a Capitals purpose was disallowed for being offside on a video assessment, the Oilers went up 2-1 with 1:46 remaining within the second interval when Ceci crashed the online on a scramble and chipped the puck over Samsonov.

Washington knotted it again up six minutes into the third as Oshie beat Koskinen glove-side on the ability play. Backstrom earned an help for his 1,000th NHL level.

“Clearly, it means so much. It’s an enormous milestone, so I’m very comfortable about it,” Backstrom mentioned.

Edmonton regained the lead halfway by way of the ultimate body as Zach Kassian despatched a go from behind the online to journeyman ahead Malone who scored his first of the season.

Washington pulled its goalie and received a miracle purpose with 1.8 seconds left as Oshie blasted a shot to the highest nook to ship the sport to additional time.

The Capitals end a three-game street journey in Vancouver on Friday, whereas the Oilers play the second recreation of a 5 recreation home-stand towards the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

Notes: It was the second and ultimate assembly between the 2 groups, with Edmonton successful the primary contest 5-3 in Washington in early February. … Kassian made his return after a prolonged absence as a result of a fractured jaw. Remaining out of the Edmonton lineup had been Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (higher physique), Kris Russell (undisclosed), Jesse Puljujarvi (decrease physique), Tyson Barrie (higher physique) and Mike Smith (sickness). … Lacking for the Capitalshad been Joe Snively (higher physique) and Carl Hagelin (eye).

This report by The Canadian Press was first printed March 9, 2022.