Montreal, QC (SportsNetwork.com) – Anton Lander scored the game-winning goal
1:47 into overtime as the Edmonton Oilers rallied to defeat the Montreal
Canadiens 4-3 on Thursday.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins finished with two goals, including the game-tying score
with 25 seconds left in regulation. Matt Hendricks also scored and Viktor
Fasth made 23 saves for the Oilers, who won their third straight game against
the Canadiens.
Christian Thomas notched his first NHL goal for the Canadiens. Alex Galchenyuk
and Max Pacioretty also lit the lamp, while Dustin Tokarski allowed all four
goals on 38 shots as Montreal’s three-game winning streak came to an end.
After Fasth was pulled in favor of an extra attacker with a minute to play,
Oscar Klefbom’s shot was blocked in front, but Nugent-Hopkins sent the game
into overtime on a turnaround wrister that tied it at 3-3.
In the extra session, Edmonton’s Nail Yakupov missed wide with a shot from the
right circle. Klefbom gathered the puck and sent it to Lander, who tapped it
into the net from the top of the crease past a downed Tokarski for the win.
Montreal struck first, as Thomas took a loose puck at the Edmonton blue line,
skated up to the left circle and beat Fasth over the shoulder on a quick
release with 3:35 left in the first period.
P.K. Subban navigated through the neutral zone and sent a cross-ice feed
across the slot to Galchenyuk, who one-timed a shot into the net for a 2-0
lead just 1:06 into the middle frame.
Just under three minutes later, the Oilers cut the deficit in half on
Hendricks’ deflection of Jeff Petry’s point shot.
Nugent-Hopkins crashed the net and knocked in Tokarski’s mishandled rebound to
make it 2-2 game with 5:51 left in the second.
In the third, Pacioretty raced into the offensive zone and snapped a shot past
Fasth’s glove from the right circle to give Montreal the lead 9:17 into the
final stanza.
Moments later, Ryan Hamilton almost tied the game when his shot off a 2-on-1
had Tokarski beat, but it rang off the post.
Game Notes
Edmonton is 7-2-2 in its last 11 games against Montreal … Canadiens forward
Jacob De La Rose registered his first career point with an assist on Thomas’
milestone marker … Subban and Klefbom each tallied two assists for their
respective teams … The Canadiens host the Maple Leafs on Saturday …
Edmonton travels to Ottawa on Saturday.
