Connor McDavid scored twice as the Edmonton Oilers downed the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 Saturday night at Rogers Place.
Mikko Koskinen made 31 saves for his 21st win of the season.
“I thought tonight it was a total team win. We got contributions up and down the lineup and it was nice to come out on top,” Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft said.
McDavid opened the scoring halfway through the first, blazing in down the right wing, swooping around Victor Hedman and tucking a forehand behind goaltender Brian Elliott. The Oilers had a two-man advantage for 31 seconds later in the period but were up just 1-0 after one.
McDavid extended the lead in the final minute of the second. He ripped a wrister over Elliott’s right shoulder for his 32nd of the season.
“Our power play could’ve been sharper, but we did score a big goal to make it 2-0 at the end of the second,” Draisaitl said. “You’ve got to find the right times to score sometimes too, and we did that.”
Josh Archibald, playing in his first game of the season, had a glorious chance in the third on the rebound from a Brad Malone shot, but his shot rattled off the outside of the post.
Zach Bogosian put the Lightning on the board with 10:18 left. As the Bolts celebrated, Brad Malone bumped Mikhail Sergachev, setting off a scrum in front of the Oilers bench. Sergachev wound up fighting Archibald.
“I liked his speed, I thought he had good energy. He’s a great teammate on the bench, cheering his teammates on, and you know that Josh Archibald was in the game tonight,” Woodcroft said.
Malone was slapped with a minor for unsportsmanlike conduct. Cody Ceci then took a penalty, giving the Lightning a five-on-three for 1:23. The Oilers penalty kill came through and preserved the one-goal lead.
“Obviously our penalty kill stepped up. That 5-on-3 was serious,” McDavid said.
“We played a really mature third period. It didn’t go exactly according to script. There were some high-drama moments, but we found a way to get the win,” Woodcroft said after the game.
Leon Draisaitl pounced on a Lightning turnover inside the Edmonton end with just over seven minutes left. He went backhand on the breakaway and beat Elliott between the legs. Kailer Yamamoto added an empty netter.
The Oilers outshot the Lightning 49-31. They were 1/7 on the power play while Tampa Bay was 0/4.
Tyson Barrie had two assists.
The Oilers, 32-23-4, will host Detroit on Tuesday.
With files from Brenden Escott, 630 CHED
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