The Edmonton Oilers staged a thrilling comeback to defeat the Boston Bruins 3-2 in overtime on Thursday night, thanks to Mattias Ekholm’s decisive goal just 1:04 into OT. Ekholm, trailing on the rush, received a pass from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who capitalized on a rebound off Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman’s pads. This victory marked the Oilers’ sixth win in seven games, fueled by Zach Hyman’s goal and assist and Connor McDavid’s late third-period equalizer. Leon Draisaitl also contributed three assists, extending his and McDavid’s point streaks to seven games.
The Bruins initially controlled the game, jumping to a 2-0 lead in the first period. Elias Lindholm scored just over a minute into the game, and Mark Kastelic doubled the advantage before intermission. However, the Oilers chipped away at the deficit with Hyman’s second-period goal, ultimately setting the stage for the dramatic finish. Boston concluded their Western Conference road trip with a 2-2-1 record, despite Swayman’s 23 saves.
Elsewhere in the NHL, the Colorado Avalanche mounted a third-period rally to defeat the San Jose Sharks 4-2. Joel Kiviranta scored twice in the final frame, with Valeri Nichushkin and Mikko Rantanen adding goals to secure the comeback. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar provided two assists each, while goalie Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 32 shots. San Jose’s Carl Grundstrom and William Eklund scored in the second period, but the Sharks ultimately fell short, continuing their struggles with six losses in their past seven games.
In a high-scoring overtime matchup, the Pittsburgh Penguins edged the Nashville Predators 5-4. Bryan Rust capped a four-point night with his second goal in OT, giving Pittsburgh their eighth win in 11 games. Sidney Crosby also shone with a goal and three assists, while Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson chipped in with a goal and an assist each. Despite strong performances from Nashville’s Brady Skjei and Filip Forsberg, the Predators remain inconsistent following an earlier slump.
The Tampa Bay Lightning extended their winning streak to four games by defeating the St. Louis Blues 3-1. Nikita Kucherov continued his hot streak with two assists, tallying 20 points over his nine-game run. Gage Goncalves scored his first NHL goal, with Anthony Cirelli and Nick Perbix adding insurance. St. Louis’ Pavel Buchnevich recorded his tenth point in 11 games, but the Blues struggled as starting goalie Jordan Binnington was replaced after allowing three goals on 11 shots.
Finally, the Ottawa Senators achieved their fifth consecutive win with a 3-2 OT victory over the Calgary Flames. Brady Tkachuk netted the winner just 55 seconds into overtime, converting on a rebound after a dynamic end-to-end sequence. Linus Ullmark played a key role with 29 saves and his first assist of the season. Calgary’s Blake Coleman and Jonathan Huberdeau managed to keep the Flames competitive, but their recent slump continued as they fell to 1-2-2 in their last four games.
