Connor McDavid’s NHL-leading 39th goal broke a third-period tie and proved to be the game-winner as the host Edmonton Oilers earned their fifth straight victory, beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3 on Thursday night.
After a strong Edmonton forecheck to open the third, McDavid used his speed to swoop around Lightning defenseman Ian Cole on the right and shovel in the go-ahead goal 2:10 in the period.
Zach Hyman had two tallies — the second into an empty net for the final goal — while McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each had a goal and an assist for the Oilers. Ryan McLeod scored, and Edmonton goaltender Jack Campbell made 28 saves to win his fifth consecutive start.
Edmonton swept the two-game season series against the reigning Eastern Conference champions and improved to 8-3-1 in its past 12 games. The Oilers are 5-1-0 against Atlantic Division teams.
The Lightning received a goal and an assist from Brayden Point, and Brandon Hagel and Steven Stamkos scored. Victor Hedman posted two assists while Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 28 shots but lost for the first time in five games.
Tampa Bay had its five-game winning streak end and fell to 3-1-0 on its season-high, five-game road trip.
In the first period. McLeod tallied for the second consecutive game and the third time in four games when Vincent Desharnais’ long shot struck McLeod’s lower body and went in at 6:13 for his seventh goal. The primary assist marked Desharnais’ third career point in the rookie’s fifth game — all helpers.
Edmonton drew a power play at 16:31 of the first on Pat Maroon’s hooking penalty on McDavid, and the home club made it count. Just 12 seconds into the man advantage, the Oilers’ top-ranked power-play unit pushed the lead to 2-0 when Draisaitl one-timed a pass from McDavid for his 27th marker.
Early in the second, Tampa Bay’s Alex Killorn hit the post from in tight, but Hagel extended his point streak to six games by potting the rebound at 1:30, his 18th goal.
Hyman’s sharp-angle shot caromed off Vasilevskiy at 3:08 of the second for his 22nd tally to restore the two-goal margin.
A night after reaching 500 career goals and recording his 11th career hat trick in Vancouver, Stamkos blistered a one-timer for his 22nd goal at 7:51 of the middle period.
Point evened the game when he chipped in a pass from Hedman for his 27th goal at 12:03 of the second.
–Field Level Media