It took 15 games, but the Edmonton Oilers finally have a winning streak.
Leon Draisaitl scored with 16.3 seconds left in overtime, lifting the Oilers to a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils Thursday night. It’s the Oilers’ second-straight overtime win and their first set of back-to-back victories this season.
The Devils’ Brian Boyle opened the scoring 5:33 into the game when he tracked down his own rebound and flipped it over Cam Talbot’s pad.
Anton Slepyshev, back in the Oilers lineup after missing two games with an injury, tied it 6:50 into the second period. Slepyshev wired a shot over Cory Schneider’s right shoulder for his first of the year. Drew Stafford restored New Jersey’s lead late in the frame when he cut in front and slid the puck past Talbot.
Milan Lucic tied it on a two-on-one early in third when he fired a low shot five-hole on Schneider.
The Oilers controlled the play in overtime and finally won it when Connor McDavid cut in from the right wing. He suddenly stopped and flipped a pass across the goal mouth to Draisaitl, who ripped the winner into the open side of the net.
Talbot made 32 saves for the win in his 200th career game.
“We weren’t real sharp in the first 10 minutes, but once we found our legs and started moving on the ice surface, we were a little bit better,” head coach Todd McLellan said after the game. “I thought we checked well and got some pretty good goaltending.”
The Oilers improve to 6-8-1 on the season. They’ll visit the New York Rangers on Saturday.