Oilers Overcome Canadiens in Thrilling 6-5 Comeback

In a gripping match on Thursday, Vasily Podkolzin's backhand goal with just 1:09 remaining secured a dramatic 6-5 victory for the Edmonton Oilers over the Montreal Canadiens. This marked Podkolzin's inaugural goal of the season, accompanied by an assist.

Connor McDavid's three assists were pivotal in the Oilers' comeback from a 5-3 deficit. Additionally, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins contributed a goal and an assist, while other scorers included David Tomasek, Adam Henrique, Andrew Mangiapane, and Leon Draisaitl. Defensemen Darnell Nurse and Jake Walman each registered two assists, while Calvin Pickard made 22 saves in net.

The Canadiens were spearheaded by Cole Caufield and Alex Newhook, who each netted two goals, with Josh Anderson adding another. Lane Hutson and Oliver Kapanen provided two assists each. Despite Sam Montembeault making 23 saves, the Canadiens could not clinch the win following a hard-fought doubleheader after their previous night’s 2-1 overtime victory in Calgary.

Montreal opened the scoring at 7:28 of the first period through Newhook, who capitalized on a rebound from a Hutson shot. The Oilers retaliated towards the end of the period, with Tomasek scoring his first NHL goal – a slap shot deflected off Newhook into the far-right post.

Edmonton surged ahead to a 3-1 lead in the second period thanks to goals from Henrique and Mangiapane, both assisted by Walman and Nurse. However, in a swift 1:52 turnaround, Montreal scored three goals to take a 4-3 lead, including two by Caufield and one from Anderson.

Newhook then extended his team’s lead early in the third with another goal, bringing the score to 5-3. The Oilers retaliated with back-to-back power-play goals from Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins, both set up by McDavid within a minute, drawing the game level just before Podkolzin's decisive goal.

This thrilling encounter showcased impressive performances from both teams, featuring McDavid’s playmaking brilliance, Podkolzin’s timely finish, and the scoring prowess of Caufield and Newhook. Edmonton secured its second consecutive win, while Montreal faced only its second defeat in eight matches.