Tomas Hertl scored with 2:20 left in overtime to give the San Jose Sharks a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night at Rogers Place.
The Oilers had three separate leads throughout the game but couldn’t find a way to pull away from the Sharks.
“We turned a few pucks over that allowed them to get back into it,” said Oilers head coach Todd McLellan.
“Just a few individuals with some tough nights that created some turnovers. When our backup goaltender gives us a performance like that, then we should be able to find a way to close it off. I thought we got a little bit tired at the end.
“Some guys have played a lot of hockey over the past few days and it showed a bit.”
Listen: Todd McLellan on 630 CHED
“I thought we played well last night and we came in with the mentality that this was going to be a big game for us,” said goaltender Al Montoya, who got the start for Cam Talbot after he played the previous night in Calgary.
“I thought we handled the game pretty well, controlled it and they’re a good team. They’re in the hunt, they battled back and got the extra bounce in the end.”
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Drake Caggiula opened the scoring 2:39 into the game. Zack Kassian was behind the net and spun a backdoor pass to Caggiula, who shot it past Martin Jones for his ninth of the season. San Jose capitalized on an Oilers turnover less than six minutes later. Logan Couture broke away with Hertl on a two-on-one. Hertl knifed home the pass to tie it 1-1. Leon Draisaitl was the culprit on the turnover when he attempted a cross ice pass in the offensive zone.
“He probably would be the first one to tell you that he had a tough night,” said McLellan on Draisaitl. “Definitely a tough night for him and his line mates but in an 82 game season that’s going to happen at some point. He’s been able to pull us out of trouble but we couldn’t pull him out of trouble tonight.”
The Oilers had a half-dozen good scoring chances, but Jones was solid in the Sharks’ net, making 12 saves before the first period was through.
Oscar Klefbom, likely playing his final home game of the season, slapped a point shot just inside the post 7:44 into the second. The Sharks challenged for goalie interference. While crossing in front of the net, Pontus Aberg brushed aside Jones’ stick with his leg. However, the goal counted for Klefbom’s fifth of the season. Logan Couture tied it on the power play less than three minutes later.
Listen: Oscar Klefbom on 630 CHED
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tipped in a Klefbom point shot early in the third. The Sharks came back again, with Brenden Dillon tying it with 10:55 to go.
In overtime, Jones robbed Ryan Strome on a two-on-one to keep the game alive. Hertl ended it when he rifled in a pass from Couture.
“We had some chances we didn’t cash in on, they got a stick on a couple of tips and we had the goalie interference go against us and lost a couple of guys to injuries at different points,” explained Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer on his team prevailing in the end.
“But we kept battling and found a way and that’s kind of been the story of our group all year.”
Montoya made 36 saves while Jones stopped 35 pucks.
The Oilers (30-35-5) will play at Florida on Saturday.
— With files from Brenden Ullrich and Scott Johnston, 630 CHED
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