Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored with 39.8 seconds left in overtime to lift the Edmonton Oilers to a 3-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes Tuesday night at Rogers Place.
The Oilers win back-to-back games for just the second time all season and improve to 10-13-2.
“You can’t establish a winning streak without winning game number two,” Oilers head coach Todd McLellan said after the game. “Like any day, we will look at the game and be critical with our team in certain areas and be happy in others, but at the end of the day, it’s a win.
“It gives us a chance to come out on Thursday and try and extend a winning streak. We’ve only had one other chance this season to do that.”
“It’s nice for our confidence right now,” Nugent-Hopkins added. “Both games we came back from goals and we are showing a lot more fight and resilience right now, and it should go a long way for our team.”
The Oilers allowed the first goal for their seventh straight game when Christian Fischer flipped in a loose puck during a goal-mouth scramble 6:22 into the game. Despite being outplayed in the first, the Oilers escaped in a 1-1 tie thanks to Zack Kassian converting a breakaway with 3:30 left. It was Kassian’s first of the season.
The Coyotes went up 2-1 with 48.1 seconds left in the second. Oliver Ekman-Larsson ripped a point shot past Cam Talbot for his sixth of the season, extending his point streak to six games.
Matt Benning evened it up with 5:35 to go in the third when his long wrister found the top corner.
“I’d like to say we found some legs because I didn’t think we had legs early in the game,” McLellan said. “We were outskated in a number of areas but that happens sometimes when you come home from a long road trip.”
“We needed a desperate effort tonight,” Talbot added. “Benny got us a big goal at the end of the third there and any time we go to 3-on-3, I like our chances there, so it’s just a matter of giving our guys a chance to get there.”
The Coyotes had the majority of the chances in overtime. Brendan Perlini nearly ended it just eight seconds into the extra period, but Talbot denied him from in tight. Talbot made a couple of other clutch saves and the Coyotes hit two goal posts. In the final minute, Nugent-Hopkins stripped the puck from Ekman-Larsson and broke in alone. He snapped a shot past Scott Wedgewood’s blocker for the winner.
“Nothing, just eyes on the puck, trying to make a stop,” explained Wedgewood on what he was thinking as Nugent-Hopkins came in. “They made a nice play. It’s a solid shot for a lefty pulling it and pushing it over my right ankle. It’s two breakaway goals, blocker side. It’s kind of unfortunate.”
Talbot made 29 saves for the win. The Oilers host Toronto on Thursday.
-With files from 630 CHED’s Brenden Ullrich and Scott Johnston