KAHUN COMES THROUGH IN OT
Oilers continue winning ways
Coach Dave Tippett summed up the second last game of the regular season perfectly.
“Sloppy, nobody got hurt and we got two points.”
On a day when the only thing that really mattered was the second part of his synopsis — staying healthy for the playoffs — the Edmonton Oilers went the extra mile and posted their second overtime victory over the Montreal Canadiens in as many games.
The 4-3 decision wasn't as sweet as what happened on Monday night, when letting the Canadiens get a single point officially eliminated the Calgary Flames from playoff contention, but a win is a win.
And it's better to be rolling this late in the season than to be trying to get your act together at the last minute.
Ask the Winnipeg Jets.
“I think as a group we've identified that, we've talked about using the last 12-14 games to build our game and feel good about ourselves,” said winger Alex Chiasson, who scored his ninth of the season in the win.
“You don't want to create any bad habits. There's nothing better than feeling good about your game going into Game 1 in the first round. I like where our team is at right now.”
For a game that didn't matter, neither side stopped swinging till the last shot of the game. When Montreal, playing a skeleton lineup because of injuries and resting players, went up 1-0 on the first shot of the game from Cole Caufield, Chiasson tied it for Edmonton at 8:35.
When Nick Suzuki put Montreal up 2-1 on a short-handed goal midway through the first period, Ryan Nugent-hopkins tied it again moments later.
When Leon Draisaitl gave Edmonton its first lead of the game in the second period, Suzuki tied it again in the third.
But there's no coming back in overtime. Dominik Kahun scored the winning goal on a breakaway at the 27-second mark. It was his first overtime winner.
“I tried to make my way there, Leon found me and I'm happy I scored,” said Kahun, who loved the way Edmonton battled through to win a game that didn't really mean much.
“That's the character of this group, we go hard. It would be a bad thing if we didn't, because we want to be ready for the best part of the season.”
The line of Chiasson, James Neal and rookie Ryan Mcleod turned in another solid night after being put together four games ago. This is exactly what the
Oilers were looking for down the stretch, chemistry in their depth.
“I feel like the last two years me and Nealer have always played well together,” said Chiasson. “We understand the game and we understand how each other play. We know where to go depending on where the puck is.
“And adding Mcleod in the middle, he's a young kid with a tremendous amount of talent.”
Oilers captain Connor Mcdavid, meanwhile, had a relatively quiet night by his standards. Just two assists to up his total to 104 points on the season and 12 multipoint games in his last 13 starts.
“He's had a heck of a year,” said Tippett. “There are some nights, to tell you the truth, where I look at how many chances he creates on the ice and you wonder why he doesn't get more points.”
While Tippett wasn't crazy about how the Oilers went about improving their record to 34-182, he understands the human element that comes with playing a meaningless second last game of the season on the road. Overall, he's giving it a passing grade.
LATE HITS: Tyson Barrie's two-assist night lifted him to the league lead in scoring among defencemen with 48 points. … The Oilers wrap up the regular season Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks.