Brandon Saad netted the winning goal just over two minutes into overtime, leading the St. Louis Blues to a 3-2 victory against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night.
Brayden Schenn scored twice, and Jordan Binnington made 36 saves, helping the Blues continue their strong form with an 8-2-1 record in their last 11 games. St. Louis is now three points behind Los Angeles in the race for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.
“We’re keeping an eye on it,” said Binnington about the wild card standings. “But if we don’t do our part, it doesn’t matter. That’s where our focus is right now.”
Mattias Ekholm and Leon Draisaitl scored for the Oilers, with Stuart Skinner stopping 26 shots. Despite the loss, Edmonton had won their previous three games.
Saad’s decisive goal came off an unexpected bounce. “It was a fortunate break,” Saad said. “I was back-checking, hit their defenseman’s stick, and got a good opportunity.”
Draisaitl tied the game at 2-2 late in the third period with his 39th goal, extending his points streak to eight games alongside Connor McDavid.
Schenn broke the deadlock early in the third period, scoring his second goal of the game to give the Blues a 2-1 lead. “Offensively, it’s been a bit inconsistent this year,” Schenn said. “So, it feels good to contribute and support the team. Everyone played well tonight.”
Ekholm had opened the scoring for the Oilers with a slapshot in the first period. Despite some close calls for Edmonton, including a disallowed goal due to goaltender interference, the Blues managed to claw their way back into the game and eventually secure the win.
