Oilers Rally Late to Win Shootout Thriller as McDavid Makes History

The Edmonton Oilers improved to 8-1-1 on the season with a dramatic 6-5 shootout victory, erasing a 4-2 third-period deficit in a game that will be remembered for Connor McDavid’s record-setting night.

This was a game that felt like anything but October hockey. Tight checking and no room to move, this was a contest where any mistake, no matter how small, felt like it could be detrimental. The Oilers did make mistakes early and the constant pressure was hard on the Oilers defensemen. "Our toughness on the puck wasn't even close." 

He then noted that the top guys brought their crowbars out in the third. 

Down two goals at the end of the second, Edmonton rallied and the third period was high-event and extremely entertaining. The overtime was excellent as well. This game, between the ups and downs, incredible pace, and pressure 200-foot hockey will be widely viewed as an early favorite for game of the year. 

McDavid finished with two goals and three assists, a five-point performance that pushed his season total to 31 points (8 goals, 23 assists) through 10 games. That surpasses Wayne Gretzky’s 1984-85 franchise record for points through the first 10 games of a season. It was also McDavid’s third five-point game of the young season, making him only the second player in NHL history to accomplish that in the first 10 games, joining Mario Lemieux, who did it in 1988-89 and 1992-93. At his current pace, McDavid is on track for roughly 260 points.

"It's not real. He's maybe the greatest player to ever play," said Leon Draisaitl after the game. 

Leon Draisaitl matched his linemate with a 2-3-5 night of his own, helping power the late comeback. The Oilers tied the game with 1:28 remaining in regulation before taking it to overtime and then the shootout. 

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins made an immediate impact in his season debut, finishing with a goal and an assist, the latter on a pass from McDavid. He also scored the only goal of the shootout to secure the win.

In net, Devon Levi was a steady presence all night. He made two key saves in the third period to force overtime, then stopped all three shooters in the shootout. Levi improved to 6-1 on the season.

The victory was not without concern. Defenceman Mattias Ekholm left the game after a collision along the boards with William Carrier, hitting the ice hard on his head and needing help to the dressing room. His status is relatively unknown, although head coach Mike Babcock did say the defenseman will be out at least one week. “Someone else will get a chance,” Babcock.

Any absence longer than that would be a significant blow to Edmonton’s blue line depth. The good news is that Ekholm looked good, high-fiving the players as they came off the ice after the win. 

Edmonton also got stuck playing their top guys more than they would have liked. “Our plan was to play more guys, but we didn’t have enough guys going as we normally do," said Babcock. "I liked how we battled back against a good team. We have to learn to be more resilient, when we bend we can’t break like that. I thought Nuge was a star in the second half for us."

They'll have a day off and will play the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. 

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