Connor McDavid scored the winning goal in the third period to run his point-scoring streak to 16 games and lead the visiting Edmonton Oilers to an entertaining 2-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.
Tyson Barrie also scored for the Oilers, who received a sparkling 46-save performance from goaltender Stuart Skinner. Twenty-four of those saves came in the third period.
Mikael Backlund tallied for the Flames. Jacob Markstrom stopped 20 shots in a top-rate goaltending battle.
McDavid’s power-play goal at the 7:28 mark of the third proved to be the difference. McDavid worked with the puck to the high slot and ripped a shot off the post and into the net for his league-best 31st goal of the season.
The Edmonton captain has collected 15 goals and 32 points in his point-scoring spree, which is one short of the longest streak of his career. He became the first player to notch 16-game point streaks in consecutive seasons since Dany Heatley did so for the Ottawa Senators in 2005-06 and 2006-07.
McDavid has netted 29 goals and 52 points in 37 regular-season games against the Flames.
The Oilers vaulted the Flames into the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, one point ahead of their provincial rivals.
The game also finishes the season series, with the Oilers taking two of the three Battle of Alberta clashes this season.
Both goalies stood tall for much of the game. Skinner made a couple of key stops while the score was 1-1, one against Nazem Kadri during a late second-period Calgary power play and then one on Milan Lucic’s redirect early in the third period. He was also very fortunate with Backlund hitting the post in the dying seconds.
For his part, Markstrom made a few huge saves on Leon Draisaitl, two of them during a second-period Edmonton power play, to give his team a chance.
After a scoreless opening period, the clubs traded tallies early in the second. Backlund opened the scoring 72 seconds into the period when he finished a dominating shift for his line with a rebound goal for his seventh of the season.
Barrie drew the Oilers even at 4:58 when he unloaded a rocket of a point shot that beat the screened Markstrom for his fifth of the season and 100th of his career at 4:58.
–Field Level Media