Avalanche Complete 6-5 OT Comeback Over Oilers

Comeback complete.
The Colorado Avalanche completed the comeback with an electric 6-5 overtime victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Colorado extended its point streak to tie games (4-0-1) and is now 31-19-5 on the season.

For the Avalanche,Mikko Rantanen scored the overtime winner, while J.T. Compher produced a four-point night (1G, 3A). Nathan MacKinnon (1G, 2A), Valeri Nichushkin and Logan O'Connor and Artturi Lehkonen also found the back of the net. Samuel Girard handed out two assists for the second-consecutive game. Alexandar Georgiev turned aside 35 of the 40 shots he faced. The Avalanche utilized a lineup of 12 forwards and six defensemen.
For the Oilers, Warren Foegele scored twice, while Leon Draisaitl and Mattias Janmark (1G, 1A) also found the back of the net. Cody Ceci handed out two assists. Between the pipes, Jack Campbell made 37 saves on 43 shots.

GAME SUMMARY:

Colorado completed an electric comeback win over a rested Edmonton squad, who the entered game on a three-game losing skid (0-1-2). The high-flying matinee matchup was reminiscent of the 2022 Western Conference Final between the two clubs as Colorado managed to overcome some sloppy errors and fatigue. Despite going 0-for-4 power play the Avalanche were well disciplined and only took one penalty and managed to hold off Edmonton's league-leading power play (31.5%).
In the winding seconds of a back-and-forth overtime, Rantanen picked up a pass from Toews on the far side beat out Kailer Yamamoto as he curled around the left faceoff circle and snapped a shot before Campbell could get across his crease to secure the two-point victory for the Avalanche at 4:38.

In regulation, despite having three power play opportunities - and a 15-11 shot advantage - the Avalanche went 0-for-3 in the first period and trailed the Oilers 1-0 heading into the first intermission.
After coming out with a dominant start and outshooting Colorado 5-1 through four minutes, Edmonton took back-to-back power plays early in the game, both of which were penalties from Foegele at 4:13 (interference on Nathan MacKinnon) and at 6:24 (for tripping on Bowen Byram).
The Avalanche's power play units were stifled - with Devon Toews firing off four shots - and instead, the Oilers drew the game's icebreaker late in the frame with a goal from Foegele. On a defensive zone breakdown and after winning a wall battle, Edmonton quickly countered sending the puck from Ryan McLeod at the half wall to the near-side netfront for Janmark. The winger took the puck, spun and split MacKinnon and Josh Manson to the backdoor for Foegele to tap it in past Georgiev at 15:08.
The Avalanche concluded the opening frame with a power play that was awarded at 18:00, but did not convert.
The second period unfolded with a riveting barn burner exchange as five goals were scored; three from the Oilers and two from the Avalanche.
Edmonton increased its lead 3-0 with two early goals from Foegele and Draisaitl. Just 1:14 into the middle frame, Ceci rimmed the puck around the boards and Darnell Nurse corralled it at the half wall before centering it to Foegele, who beat Georgiev in-tight with his second goal of the afternoon.
The Avalanche had the chance to capitalize with their fourth power play of the game as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was called for holding at 5:22, but Colorado couldn't convert.
Edmonton then upped its lead 3-0 at 7:37 on a quick passing sequence as Nugent-Hopkins' penalty expired, he joined his team regain possession as he exited the box, threaded a pass to Draisaitl at the lower right faceoff circle, where the German centerman beat Georgiev with a one-timer from the sharp angle.
Less than a minute later - 57 seconds - MacKinnon put some life into his team as he carried the puck around the net, curled up to between the circles and wired a wrist shot that grazed the a netfront screen by Compher - who was credited with the goal - and past Campbell to trim Colorado's deficit down 3-1 at 8:34.

The Avalanche then made it a one-goal game at 12:48. Georgiev had turned aside a shot from Connor McDavid and Colorado countered with an end-to-end play. MacKinnon led the charge up ice as he skated into the zone and dropped the puck to Nichushkin in the high slot. The Russian winger threaded a pass to split Edmonton's blueline to the backdoor for Matt Nieto, but the puck hit off the skate of Ceci and past Campbell for Colorado's second goal of the game.

The one-goal game was erased late in the frame as Barrie - who played for the Avalanche from 2011-2019 - blasted a high shot from the point past Georgiev at 17:42.
Despite losing the one-goal game late in the third period, the Avalanche wasted no time in restoring it to start the third period as MacKinnon buried his second goal of the game 25 seconds into the final frame. The centerman collected a stretch pass from Manson and jetted into the offensive zone. From atop the left faceoff circle, MacKinnon wired a sizzling wrist shot over Campbell's blocker for his 20th goal of the season.

Edmonton pulled its lead back to two goals (5-3) at 4:58 as Janmark grabbed a pass from McDavid in the high slot and squared up to unleash a booming shot past Georgiev's glove side.
The Avalanche drew within one goal midway through the third period on a strong zone shift. Compher centered the puck from the right faceoff circle for Byram on the backdoor, who tried to put the puck past Campbell on the fly. The Oilers netminder made the stop on the far post, but struggled to kick the puck out of the post in time as O'Connor curled around the net and jammed the puck past Campbell's pad to trim the score down 5-4 at 9:30.

For the first time in the game, the Avalanche equalized the score at 15:48. From distance, Compher fired a wrist shot on net and Lehkonen redirected the puck at the net front to tie the score up 5-5.

NOTEWORTHY:

• MacKinnon buried his 20th goal of the season and extended his point streak to five games where he totaled 12 points (6G, 6A) in that span.
• Compher (1G, 3A) scored his 11th goal of the season.
• Nichushkin tallied his 12th goal of the season and second goal in as many games.
• O'Connor recorded his seventh goal of the season and is now one-goal shy of matching his career-high.
• Lehkonen scored his 17th goal of the season and extended his point streak to four games where the Finnish winger has produced as many points (2G, 2A) in that stretch.
• After returning to the lineup against St. Louis (for the first time since Feb. 7 after being sidelined with an upper-body injury that he sustained against Pittsburgh) Cale Makar did not play against Edmonton as he was sidelined day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
• Manson returned to the lineup after missing the game against St. Louis on Saturday. The team announced the defenseman - who had previously been sidelined since Dec. 1 with a lower-body injury - will not play both games of back-to-back sets for now.
• Georgiev made his 39th start of the season, while his record improved to 23-12-4.
• Colorado finished the game 0-for-4 on the power play and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill.
• Makar, Pavel Francouz (lower body) and Darren Helm (lower body) were scratches for the Avalanche.

NEXT GAME:

The Avalanche have four days off before traveling to Winnipeg for the first half of another back-to-back on Friday night. The puck drops between the Avs and Jets on Friday at 6:00 p.m. MT.