ESPN News Services3 minute read
EDMONTON, Alta. — Connor McDavid scored twice to reach the 50-goal mark for the first time in his career, but even the game’s best player couldn’t derail the league’s best team, as the Bruins Boston outlasted the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 on Monday night.
Pavel Zacha scored the tiebreaker late in the second period and the Bruins flexed their depth, skating to their seventh straight victory.
Nick Foligno and Tomas Nosek also scored for the Bruins, and Dmitry Orlov had two assists for his first points since acquiring Washington last week. Jeremy Swayman stopped 22 shots to earn his third straight start and eighth in his last 10.
“We have six or seven (defenders) who can really play hockey, and then we have four lines that can really play hockey,” Boston coach Jim Montgomery said in his postgame interview on NESN.
Despite all of McDavid’s exploits, Edmonton has now lost two straight games in regulation after a five-game point streak (2-0-3). Stuart Skinner made 25 saves in the loss.
“Disappointing, obviously,” McDavid said. “They are the best team in the league, and I think we played them hard and gave ourselves a chance to win.”
Zacha gave the Bruins their second lead of the night with 30 seconds left midway through the period. David Pastrnak fired a shot from the left slot that touched the skates of Oilers defenseman Cody Ceci and slowly headed for the left side of the net. As Skinner swooped in to fend off the puck, Zacha dove in and hit the puck for his 14th of the season to make it 3-2.
“We were skating fast and were proud of all three zones,” Swayman said in his postgame interview with NESN. “It made my job easier, so it’s really fun to be part of this win. It was definitely a special win.”
McDavid had tied it 2-2 with 7:40 left in the second with his 50th. Klim Kostin skated down the right side and chased a long dump behind the goal line, rounded the back of the net and sent a centered pass past McDavid. The Oilers captain pretended to take Swayman down, went to his left, and put him in.
“We had a few looks, and we didn’t capitalize…against a team that doesn’t give up a lot,” McDavid said.
McDavid, whose previous career high was 44 goals last season, put the Oilers on the scoreboard first, 2:17 into the game, as he skated to the left circle and beat Swayman five holes out.
Nosek tied the game just 13 seconds later as he got a pass past Garnet Hathaway – who came from the Capitals with Orlov last Thursday – and sent the puck to the top right corner for his fourth.
Foligno gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead with 4:54 left midway through the period as he got the return pass from Charlie Coyle on a 2-on-1 run and beat Skinner in front of his blocker. left side. It was his 10th.
Orlov had secondary assists on each of the Bruins’ first two goals.
Before the game, Montgomery told reporters that forward Taylor Hall had a lower-body injury and would not continue the team’s road trip.
“Just as a precaution,” said the coach. “I don’t think it’s serious. But with back-to-back games we didn’t see him play, so we sent him away.”
Boston will continue its journey out west on Tuesday when it takes on the Calgary Flames.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.