Josh Archibald's goal midway through the second period broke the deadlock and held up as the game-winner as the host Edmonton Oilers beat the Nashville Predators 4-2 Tuesday and moved back into a tie for second place in the Pacific Division.
Leon Draisaitl netted two goals and one assist while Connor McDavid collected three assists and goaltender Mike Smith made 30 saves for the Oilers, who sport a 5-1-1 mark in their past seven games. McDavid (74 points) and Draisaitl (73) sit first and second in the league's scoring race.
Archibald, skating on the top line because Zack Kassian served the first game of a suspension, was on a two-on-one rush with McDavid, and concluded it by burying the cross-ice feed for his fifth goal of the season.
Draisaitl iced the game with an empty-netter with 49 seconds remaining in regulation.
After a tepid start to the clash, Edmonton's Ryan Nugent-Hopkins opened the scoring with his fourth goal in three games at 9:01 of the opening frame. Draisaitl won an offensive-zone faceoff cleanly, pulling the puck to Nugent-Hopkins, who immediately ripped home a shot for his 13th goal of the season.
The visitors responded with a pair of goals, including Filip Forsberg's highlight-reel-worthy, lacrosse-style goal that tied the game about a minute and a half later. As he went behind the net with the puck, Forsberg scooped it on his blade and lifted it into the top corner for his 16th goal.
Then Colin Blackwell put the Predators ahead 2-1 with his second NHL goal, finishing a give-and-go with Nick Bonino off the rush at 15:41 of the opening period.
However, Draisaitl's power-play goal with 17.6 seconds remaining in the first period again tied the game. Draisaitl pounced on a second rebound attempt during the scramble for his 26th goal.
Predators goalie Pekka Rinne made 28 saves on a night his team's two-game winning streak was snapped.
--Field Level Media
Nashville | Edmonton | |
Colin Blackwell 1 | Points | Leon Draisaitl 3 |
Colin Blackwell 1 | Goals | Leon Draisaitl 2 |
Nick Bonino 1 | Assists | Connor McDavid 3 |
N/A | Power Play Goals | Leon Draisaitl 2 |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Pekka Rinne .903 | Save Percentage | Mike Smith .938 |
Pekka Rinne 28 | Saves | Mike Smith 30 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Nashville | 32 | 2 | 0-3 | 2-4 | 8 | 37 |
Edmonton | 32 | 4 | 2-4 | 3-3 | 6 | 25 |