McDavid scores in OT to lead Oilers over Isles
Connor McDavid scored 38 seconds into overtime Tuesday night as the visiting Edmonton Oilers edged the New York Islanders 2-1 at Barclays Center.
The Islanders dominated the third period, during which they outshot the Oilers 13-2, but could not break the tie. New York had the first chance in overtime, but John Tavares and Mathew Barzal could not connect in front of the Edmonton net.
McDavid picked up the loose puck, raced down the ice and passed to Leon Draisaitl, who eventually dished back a no-look pass. McDavid went to one knee and fired a shot past Thomas Greiss.
Draisaitl scored in the second period for the Oilers (5-8-1), who entered Tuesday with the second-fewest points in the NHL. Edmonton goalie Cam Talbot made 36 saves.
Jordan Eberle scored in the second period for the Islanders (8-5-2). Greiss recorded 23 saves.
Eberle's goal came in his first game against his original NHL team, which traded him to the Islanders in exchange for Ryan Strome on June 22. Strome received a brief video tribute in the first period.
After a scoreless first period -- which snapped a streak of 17 straight periods in which the Islanders scored at least one goal, their longest streak since 1992 -- the teams swapped goals in the opening minutes of the second.
A near-miss by the Islanders helped set up Draisaitl's breakaway goal 1:59 into the period. New York initially retained possession after Brock Nelson's shot rang off the post, but Edmonton's Milan Lucic poked the puck free from Jason Chimera at the blue line. Draisaitl skated ahead of the pack and, as soon as he reached the puck, fired a shot that trickled through Greiss' legs.
Eberle tied the score against his former teammates just 2:44 later. Eberle and Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hawkins battled for the puck near center ice before New York rookie Mathew Barzal swooped in and grabbed it. Barzal skated up the right side of the ice before dishing a backward pass to Eberle, whose shot sailed over Talbot's glove hand.
NOTES: The Islanders scratched D Adam Pelech (upper body), who missed his third straight game, as well as C Alan Quine and D Dennis Seidenberg. ... The Oilers scratched LW Anton Slepyshev (lower body), who missed his second consecutive game, as well as D Yohann Auvitu and LW Jujhar Khaira. ... The game featured the last four rookies to collect five assists in a game -- Oilers C Connor McDavid, Oilers C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Islanders C John Tavares and Islanders C Mathew Barzal, the latter of whom became the latest to achieve the feat on Sunday night.