Sidney Crosby scored on a backhand 2:12 into overtime to give the Pittsburgh Penguins a thrilling 6-5 win over the Edmonton Oilers Tuesday night at Rogers Place.
“He comes in hot tonight with a beautiful first goal,” Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist said of his captain. “Then he’s all over the puck the whole game and then he finished off like that. Sometimes you just have to tip your cap and that’s why he’s the best player in the world.”
It was a back-and-forth game that lived up to the billing of a showdown between Crosby and the Oilers Connor McDavid.
READ MORE: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid named NHL star of the week
The Oilers nearly opened the scoring in the first minute of the game. Kailer Yamamoto set up McDavid who had a look at an open net, but he couldn’t connect on the power play. The Penguins had the only goal of the first with Crosby redirecting a power play pass from Kris Letang.
The Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl beat Matt Murray blocker side early in the second.
Alex Chiasson scored his first goal as an Oiler 2:04 later. While falling, he was able to flip a shot top corner. The Penguins came back with two goals in 3:08 by Jamie Oleksiak and Patric Hornqvist.
Chiasson struck again to tie it 3-3, one-timing a pass from Toby Rieder.
Hornqvist put the Penguins ahead in the final minute of the second. The puck went off his right skate and in. The goal stood after video review.
Watch below: Some recent videos from Global News’ coverage of the Edmonton Oilers.
The Oilers applied pressure early in the third and went ahead on power play goals 1:31 apart by McDavid and Draisaitl.
Oleksiak came back with a hard slapper, and it was 5-5 with 13:09 to play.
Edmonton went on another power play late in the third when the Penguins were called for a rare faceoff violation, but they couldn’t cash in.
In overtime, Crosby walked out of the corner, deked Ryan Strome, worked the puck across the top of the crease and beat Cam Talbot with a backhand.
“It’s kind of funny. Sid’s changed his game a lot in the sense that he’s scored a lot more around the net and tips and stuff,” Oilers forward Milan Lucic said of Crosby after the game.
LISTEN: Forward Milan Lucic offers his thoughts after the Oilers defeat against Pittsburgh
“You almost forget he has great hands at times and it just goes to show why he’s as good as he is.”
The Oilers outshot the Penguins 46-31.
“I’m sure it was a fun game to watch — there was creative plays going on, there was chances both ways,” McDavid said after the game. “The fans got a good show tonight but obviously we wanted a different result.”
“Giving up six is far too many, but yet offensively there’s a lot of positives,” Oilers head coach Todd McLellan said. “So you’re torn between positive and negative.
LISTEN: Oilers coach Todd McLellan speaks following the Oilers loss to Pittsburgh
The Oilers (3-3-1) will try to get back in the win column against Washington on Thursday.
–With files from Brenden Escott