Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist in regulation and also scored the only goal in the shootout in his season debut for the Oilers (8-1-1), who have won three in a row and eight of their past nine games. Devon Levi made 22 saves.
Seth Jarvis scored in his season debut, Sebastian Aho had a goal and an assist, and Shayne Gostisbehere and Jordan Martinook each had two assists for the Hurricanes (8-2-2), who are 2-1-1 on a five-game road trip that will conclude at the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. Brandon Bussi made 16 saves.
McDavid got the Oilers to within 4-3 just 26 seconds into the third period. He took a pass from Draisaitl inside the left circle and beat Bussi’s blocker with a one-timer.
Draisaitl tied it 4-4 on a power play at 2:51, one-timing a pass from Nugent-Hopkins in the low slot.
Juuso Valimaki gave the Hurricanes the lead again with 2:40 left in regulation, scoring blocker side from the high slot to make it 5-4.
It was his first goal since Dec. 10, 2024, with the Utah Mammoth (then the Utah Hockey Club).
Zach Hyman appeared to tie it with 1:36 left when he knocked in a loose puck at the right post, but the goal was waived off because of a high stick.
However, McDavid did end up tying it 5-5 just eight seconds later. His saucer pass that was intended for Draisaitl deflected five-hole on Bussi off the skate of Hurricanes forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
Draisaitl put Edmonton ahead 1-0 three seconds into a power play at 8:07 of the first period. He won an offensive-zone face-off to McDavid, who passed it over to Evan Bouchard for a wrist shot from the point that Draisaitl deflected up over Bussi’s glove.
Jackson Blake tied it 1-1 just six seconds into a power play at 10:30, snapping in the rebound of Gostisbehere's shot past a prone Levi.
Aho put Carolina ahead 30 seconds into the second period. He outraced Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm for a loose puck and slid a backhand through the legs of Levi on a breakaway to make it 2-1.
Nugent-Hopkins tied it 2-2 on a power play at 4:20, taking a cross-slot pass from McDavid and beating Bussi’s glove with a wrist shot.
He missed the first nine games of the season because of a lower-body injury he sustained during practice on Sept. 28.
Jarvis put the Hurricanes back ahead 3-2 at 12:59. He spun around Bouchard in the right circle and deked Levi to his forehand before tucking the puck past the goalie's left pad at the right post.
Jarvis was making his season debut after recovering from offseason surgery he had to repair a torn labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder.
Logan Stankoven pushed it to 4-2 at 17:53, scoring on a one-timer off backhand pass from Nikolaj Ehlers, who stole the puck from Oilers defenseman Jake Walman below the goal line.
Ekholm had to be helped off the ice in the opening minute of the third period after his head hit the ice following a check into the boards from Hurricanes forward William Carrier.
