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05/09 01:31 CDT Draisaitl scores in OT to give Oilers a 5-4 win over Golden
Knights and a 2-0 series lead
Draisaitl scores in OT to give Oilers a 5-4 win over Golden Knights and a 2-0
series lead
By MARK ANDERSON
AP Sports Writer
LAS VEGAS (AP) --- 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.
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
