McDavid's goal gives Oilers 2-1 victory over Wild

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Rookie sensation Connor McDavid scored the go-ahead goal with 7:29 left, giving the Edmonton Oilers a 2-1 victory Thursday over the Minnesota Wild.

With Wild defenceman Jared Spurgeon trying to slow his rush, the 19-year-old McDavid reached out and snapped the puck underneath goalie Darcy Kuemper's arm to give the Oilers the lead. McDavid has four goals in the last six games.

Lauri Korpikoski scored in the first period and Cam Talbot made 29 saves for the Oilers, who won for the fifth time in their last seven games and stuck the Wild with a costly loss in their competition with the Colorado Avalanche for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Zach Parise's second goal in his last 19 games forged a tie in the second period for the Wild, who trail the Avalanche by two points in the standings. The Wild have played one fewer game, but the Avalanche have two more wins in regulation.

Talbot is 5-1 in his last six starts, with just seven goals allowed.

The Oilers reunited McDavid on a line with fellow former first overall draft pick Taylor Hall, with Zack Kassian tagging along. The slick-skating centre missed 37 games because of a broken collarbone earlier in the season, the biggest of many setbacks the Oilers have endured in 2015-16.

The Oilers were even more depleted along the blue line than they've been lately, with defenceman Darnell Nurse starting a three-game suspension for initiating a fight Tuesday with San Jose Sharks defenceman Roman Polak, whom the league deemed an unwilling combatant in the scuffle.

The Wild failed to take advantage. They went 0 for 4 on the power play and left the ice to a few boos, a sound they've heard more than once at home during this disappointing season that prompted a change in coaches from Mike Yeo to John Torchetti.

Right wing Jason Pominville had his streak of 231 straight games played, tied for the second-longest in franchise history, stopped because of a lower-body injury.

Kuemper played in place of Devan Dubnyk, who has been sick, and AHL goaltender Steve Michalek was recalled from the Iowa Wild before the game as the emergency backup. Kuemper stopped 23 shots.

The Wild were 21-3-1 in their last 25 home games against the Oilers. Minnesota's 47 wins all time against Edmonton are the most against any opponent.

NOTES: Parise, who leads the Wild in shots on goal despite missing 12 games, scored at home for the first time since Jan. 10 against New Jersey. ... McDavid has seven points in his last seven games. ... The Wild announced this week that their season ticket prices will increase by an average of 4 per cent. Last season, they had a 97 per cent renewal rate, the second-highest in franchise history. Their sellout streak reached 99 straight regular-season games, dating to Dec. 5, 2013.