Connor McDavid hat trick powers Edmonton Oilers past Colorado Avalanche

Connor McDavid recorded his third hat trick of the season to lift the Edmonton Oilers past the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 Sunday afternoon in Denver. The Oilers snap a six-game losing streak.

As usual, the Oilers surrendered the first goal of the game. Tyson Jost beat Cam Talbot over his right shoulder 4:04 into the first period. The Oilers have allowed the first goal 38 times in 58 games.

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McDavid ended the Oilers scoreless drought at 99 minutes 16 seconds when he slid in a rebound with 8:03 left in the second period. However, the game was only tied for just over a minute. Alexander Kerfoot had a point shot deflect in off his body to put the Avalanche up 2-1.

McDavid struck again 8:59 into the third, wiring a wrist shot past a screened Semyon Varlamov. The Oilers grabbed their first lead of the afternoon four minutes later when Ryan Strome ended a 21-game goalless drought. He converted a centring pass from Mike Cammalleri for his eighth of the season.

Head coach Todd McLellan said it was good to see Strome get the monkey off his back.

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“I thought he could have had three tonight,” McLellan said. “That’s the way it’s been going for a few guys like Cammalleri. There’s a little levity on the bench. When they pulled the goalie for the second time you look back and they said ‘Hey coach there’s a bunch of us here who haven’t scored in 20 games,’ and I told them I couldn’t put eight guys on the ice, it would be too many men. So it’s nice to have that moment to relax a little bit and enjoy the game a little bit more.”

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The Avalanche failed to convert on a power play with 5:55 to go, then Nathan MacKinnon drilled a shot off the post with 3:27 left.

McDavid scored into an empty net with 1:26 left.

“It can be frustrating when we’re not scoring goals but we stuck with it,” McDavid said. “I thought even the first period today we should have had a handful but the goalie was good, and we found a way to break them at the end.”

MacKinnon returned to the Avs lineup after missing the previous eight games with an upper body injury.

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Talbot made 24 saves for his 20th win of the season.

The Oilers, 24-30-4, will host Boston on Tuesday.