McDavid, Kane help Oilers beat Avalanche 6-2 to clinch playoff berth

By The Associated Press on April 5, 2024.

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) – Connor McDavid and Evander Kane each scored two goals, and the Edmonton Oilers bet the Colorado Avalanche 6-2 Friday night to clinch a playoff spot.

Corey Perry and Mattias Ekholm also scored for the Oilers, who ended a two-game losing streak and improved to 9-0-1 in their last 10 games at home. Stuart Skinner stopped 21 shots.

Jonathan Drouin and Ross Colton had goals for the Avalanche, who have lost four of their last six. Alexandar Georgiev finished with 41 saves.

Edmonton got off to a fast start with a goal just 1:52 into the game when Perry tipped Darnell Nurse’s shot past Georgiev for his 11th of the season.

The Avalanche tied it with 8:02 left in the first period as Nathan MacKinnon spotted Drouin in the slot and he beat Skinner glove side for his 18th.

Colorado surged in front four minutes later as a hard-skating Colton was able to squeeze past Ekholm on the boards and cut in front before scoring his 16th of the season stick-side past Skinner. Cale Makar’s assist gave him 83 points and moved him past Steve Duchesne for the second-most by a defenseman in franchise history.

The Oilers tied it 2-2 with 2:42 to play in the first as a shot caromed to McDavid behind the net and he was able to bank it off the skate of Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews and into the net for his 30th. It’s the eighth consecutive season he has hit the milestone.

Leon Draisaitl picked up an assist to hit the 100-point mark for the fifth time in his career.

The Avalanche had some cause for concern early in the second period as Ekholm hit Mikko Rantanen hard along the boards. The Colorado forward, who has 102 points this season, left the game looking wobbly and did not return.

Edmonton moved back in front at 8:55 when Ekholm put a puck on net and the rebound hit a defender and went in for his 10th. The play survived a video review for goaltender interference.

Edmonton scored with 2 seconds to play in the period as Ryan McLeod’s shot dropped out of Georgiev’s glove and hit Kane and went in. Kane’s 22nd of the season snapped a 21-game scoreless drought.

The Oilers padded their lead 4:05 into the third as Evan Bouchard made a deft pass back to McDavid and he directed it in for his second of the night.

Kane picked up his second goal of the game with 8:01 remaining, banking it in off traffic in front.

The Avalanche got two players back as Valeri Nichushkin (lower body) returned after missing the last four games and Yakov Trenin (undisclosed) rejoined the lineup after missing two games.

UP NEXT

Avalanche: Host Dallas on Sunday to begin a three-game homestand.

Oilers: At Calgary on Saturday.

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AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

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