Draisaitl scores in OT to give Oilers a 5-4 win over Golden Knights and a 2-0 series lead

It’s not often that Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid don’t make it onto the scoresheet, but they were noticeably quiet for nearly the entire game Thursday night.

Nearly.

Draisaitl took a pass from McDavid and scored off the rush at 15:20 of overtime to give the Edmonton Oilers a 5-4 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night and a 2-0 lead in the second-round series.

After failing to capitalize on a five-minute power play when Vegas defenseman Nicolas Roy was assessed a major penalty for cross-checking 5:37 into overtime, the Oilers didn’t waste the opportunity later when the NHL’s most dynamic offensive duo combined for the winner.

Draisaitl said McDavid’s pass was so spectacular that “it’s tough to even celebrate my part of the goal.”

He said that tongue in cheek, but the game’s ending was no laughing matter to the Golden Knights, who were critical that a penalty wasn’t called on Viktor Arvidsson after defenseman Brayden McNabb went into the boards and then to the locker room. The Golden Knights went from a potential power play to watching Draisaitl and McDavid skate off in victory.

“(Referee) Gord’s (Dwyer) looking at it,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “He’s looking at it. I don’t know what else to say. It’s a can opener trip. It’s a dangerous play.”

Vasily Podkolzin, Jake Walman, Darnell Nurse and Evander Kane also scored for the Oilers, and Arvidsson and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had two assists. Calvin Pickard, who appeared to be shaken up when Vegas’ Tomas Hertl fell on his left leg in the third period, made 28 saves.

Victor Olofsson scored two power-play goals and had an assist for the Golden Knights, Alex Pietrangelo had a goal and an assist, and William Karlsson also scored. Jack Eichel had three assists, and Mark Stone two assists to extend their points streaks to five games apiece. Adin Hill stopped 33 shots.

Game 3 is Saturday night in Edmonton.

Kane’s goal 1:52 into the third period made it 4-2 before Olofsson answered less than three minutes later off a cross-ice pass from Eichel. Pietrangelo, who missed Game 1 because of an illness, tied it with 8:02 left with a shot from the right point.

The Golden Knights scored the only goal in the first period on Olofsson’s power-play shot from the right circle. Eichel set up the play by passing to Stone, who from below the goal found an open Olofsson for his first career playoff goal.

Edmonton rolled off three goals in a row in the second period — all from distance. The Golden Knights quickly responded with Karlsson’s redirect of Eichel’s shot with 1:50 left in the period cut it to to 3-2.

The Oilers, who trailed 1-0 after one period, have a record six consecutive comeback victories in a single postseason.

Vegas has never been swept in its eight-year history and even rallied from 2-0 down in 2021 to beat Colorado in six games, though that series began on the road. The Golden Knights also have been eliminated in five games just twice, including the 2018 Stanley Cup Final against Washington.

The Golden Knights’ 42-game playoff winning streak when scoring at least three goals ended. It was the second longest in NHL history to Montreal’s 52-game streak in 1945-57, according to Sportradar.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl