Alex DeBrincat scored a power-play goal in overtime to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers Thursday night.
The Oilers finished their five-game road trip with a record of 2-2-1.
“I didn’t love our board work today,” Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft said after the game. “Specifically plays we made along the wall. I thought that either directly or indirectly led to a lot of chances against and a few goals against early in the game.”
The Blackhawks took an early lead when Sam Lafferty found himself alone in front and slid the puck under Edmonton goaltender Mikko Koskinen.
The Oilers tied it after the Blackhawks took their second too-many-men penalty of the period. Oilers captain Connor McDavid set up Leon Draisaitl for a sharp angle one-timer, his 38th of the season.
Patrick Kane restored the Chicago lead, but Oilers forward Evander Kane replied in the final minute of the first to make it 2-2 after one.
The Hawks outshot the Oilers 12-5 in the second period but Koskinen came up with several big saves.
Early in the third, Koskinen played the puck behind the net but turned it over to Dominik Kubalik, who ripped a shot into the vacated cage. The Oilers pulled Koskinen for an extra attacker in the final two minutes. Evander Kane’s pass attempt ticked in off a defender’s stick to even it 3-3 with 49.3 seconds to go.
“I think we got off to a bit of a sloppy start, but found a way to come out of it tied,” Evander Kane said. “I think we need a little bit more drive in our game and that will pay off for us down the road here.”
Draisaitl took a penalty for tripping Caleb Jones in overtime. DeBrincat slapped home a one-timer on the subsequent power play to end it.
It was Duncan Keith’s first game back in Chicago since being traded to the Oilers in the off-season. He played 16 seasons with the Blackhawks and won three Stanley Cups.
Koskinen finished with 28 saves.
“He played his butt off again tonight and held us in it at points in the game when they could have went up one or two, and he made some huge saves, so he had a great night tonight again,” Darnell Nurse said.
Oilers defenceman Tyson Barrie didn’t play after the first period.
Woodcroft said after the game that he was not able to provide an update on Barrie.
The Oilers (30-21-4) will host Montreal on Saturday. You can listen to the game on 630 CHED beginning with the Faceoff Show at 3:30 p.m. The game is at 5 p.m.
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