Edmonton Oilers players celebrate a goal by teammate Evan Bouchard against the Montreal Canadiens during overtime period NHL hockey action in Montreal, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
MONTREAL – An Evan Bouchard power-play rocket from the point at 2:01 of overtime extended the Edmonton Oilers’ win streak to a franchise-record 10 games, as the visitors edged the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 on Saturday night.
Leon Draisaitl also scored for Edmonton (23-15-1), while Cole Caufield was the lone goal scorer for the Canadiens (17-19-6) who have won just two of their last nine games.
Montreal was first to find the back of the net less than two minutes into the game while on the power play. As they have done several times this season, Nick Suzuki spotted Caufield with a cross-seam pass, setting up a wide-open net and ending a five-game goal drought on the man advantage.
After gaining the lead, Montreal settled into a more defensive rhythm, allowing perimeter shots from Edmonton and looking to hit back on the counter.
The second period began in similar fashion, but Edmonton would find more chances off the rush. Bouchard has the Oilers’ first significant chance of the game, sending a point shot off the post three minutes into the second period.
After that chance, Montreal once again shut the door, turning away wave after wave of Edmonton attacks and minimizing any scoring opportunities. After two periods, neither team had seen any sustained pressure develop as the Canadiens held on to their 1-0 lead.
The third period would be the opposite as the Oilers came out firing immediately. It would only take the 38 seconds to find an equalizer as Draisaitl smacked a rebound past Samuel Montembeault.
Smelling blood in the water, Edmonton kept pushing the tempo as Warren Foegele would hit the post during a two-on-one rush and Brown would force a breakaway stop from Montembeault to keep the game tied.
Montreal would have several chances of their own but failed to beat Stuart Skinner who made a number of crucial saves.
With nothing separating the two teams, an extra frame would be needed, setting the stage for Bouchard’s heroics.
UP NEXT
Canadiens: Host the Colorado Avalanche on Monday.
Oilers: Return home to host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 13, 2024.
