Oilers 2 Islanders 1 (SO)
EDMONTON — Connor McDavid tied the game late in the third period, and then added the shootout winner as the Edmonton Oilers skated away with a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday.
The Oilers (29-34-4) have won two in a row.
Thomas Hickey opened the scoring for the Islanders (29-29-10), who have lost eight straight — their longest skid in more than four seasons.
There was no scoring in the first period, with the Islanders putting nine shots on Oilers goalie Cam Talbot and Edmonton sending seven on New York’s Christopher Gibson, who made just his second start of the season and was playing in the sixth game of his NHL career.
The game remained scoreless through 40 minutes, with Edmonton taking a 22-17 edge on the shot clock.
The Islanders broke the scoreless deadlock 1:54 into the third period after the Oilers got sloppy in their own zone, allowing Hickey to get in tight and score, picking the top corner with a backhand shot for his fourth of the season.
Edmonton ended Gibson’s shutout bid with just 1:50 to play in the third period when McDavid banked a shot off of New York defender Brandon Davidson and into the net for his career-high 31st goal of the season.
McDavid was hooked on a breakaway three minutes into overtime and was awarded a penalty shot, but hit the post on the attempt.
New York’s Jordan Eberle also came close in the overtime session, but Talbot came across to make a huge pad save. The game marked the return to Edmonton for Eberle, who was dealt by the Oilers for forward Ryan Strome on June 22, 2017.
The Oilers finish off a five-game homestand on Saturday against the Minnesota Wild. The Islanders close out a four-game trip in Calgary on Sunday.
Notes: It was the second and final meeting between the two teams this season. Edmonton won the first contest 2-1 win in overtime in November… The Islanders were missing several players, including Nikolay Kulemin (upper body), Shane Prince (upper body), Calvin de Haan (upper body) and Thomas Greiss (lower body)… Edmonton defenceman Adam Larsson returned to the lineup after missing three games while attending his father’s funeral in Sweden.