The New York Rangers came back from a 4-1 first period deficit to beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 in a shootout Friday night at Rogers Place.
The Rangers have won seven straight games.
“We had a clear understanding that the team that came in is one of the hottest in the league,” Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft said.
“They have a lot of skill on their team, and we knew they weren’t going to surrender.”
The Oilers took the lead eight minutes in on a power play goal by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Connor McDavid assisted on the play for his 100th point of the season.
“We did a lot of good things on the power play and capitalized on some chances. That’s a credit to us, but we have to find a way to close that one out,” McDavid said post-game.
Tyson Barrie and Derek Ryan scored 19 seconds apart to put the Oilers up 3-0.
The Rangers got on back on a power play tap in by Chris Kreider. Leon Draisaitl notched his 32nd on the power play off a feed from McDavid late in the first.
Kreider gave the Rangers some life with a shorthanded goal 6:26 into the second.
The Rangers outplayed the Oilers the rest of the period, but goalie Jack Campbell held the fort. He was down on his belly but made a helmet save on Filip Chytil.
“He played really well,” McDavid said of his goaltender. “It’s obviously disappointing.”
In the final minute of the frame, Jimmy Vesey thought he had a goal but Campbell shot out his glove for a remarkable stop.
“Jack competed his tail off tonight and gave us a chance to win the game,” Woodcroft said. “In the end, they scored two power play goals, a short-handed goal and a five-on-five goal.”
The Rangers kept coming with Alexis Lafreniere scoring 96 seconds into the third. Mika Zibanejad tied it with a wrister on a two-man advantage with 6:50 to go.
“It’s just about bearing down and playing the right way,” Ryan said. “They got a couple bounces there with the power play, but letting them get the goal early in the period isn’t ideal.”
The Rangers outshot the Oilers 10-2 in the third.
In overtime, Zibanejad was flagged for tripping McDavid in the neutral zone, however the Oilers couldn’t muster the game winner.
The shootout lasted six rounds with Lafreniere netting the deciding goal.
The Oilers, 30-19-7, will visit the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday afternoon (The 630 CHED Face-off Show begins at 11:30 a.m.; game at 1 p.m.)