GAME STORY: Oilers 3, Canucks 2 (SO)

VANCOUVER, BC - It's mid-January and the National Hockey League playoff standings are tight.
Now, so are the games.
The Oilers and Canucks played a close affair on Wednesday, with Alex Chiasson's wrister in the fifth round of the shootout giving his club two points and the win at Rogers Arena.
Jujhar Khaira and Connor McDavid both scored in regulation, while Mikko Koskinen made 20 saves to help improve the Oilers to 23-21-3 on the season and gain a point on the Canucks in the playoff race.
With 49 points, Edmonton sits outside the final Western Conference wild card position behind the Minnesota Wild, who have a game in hand on the Oilers.

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POST-GAME RAW | Khaira
POST-GAME RAW | McDavid
POST-GAME RAW | Chiasson
POST-GAME RAW | Oilers Head Coach Hitchcock

WHAT'S NEXT
The Oilers host the Calgary Flames on Saturday. The game can be seen on Sportsnet & CBC, and heard on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630 CHED. Puck drop is 8:08 p.m. MST.
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"It's going to be like this the rest of the year," said Head Coach Ken Hitchcock post-game. "You're going to be in a battle and there's going to be a lot of emotional times.
"To me, if you're a fan of hockey, you're going to love this."
Neither side could find the go-ahead tally when the game was deadlocked at 2-2 - thanks in part to a second-period coach's challenge by Hitchcock - causing back-and-forth play.
In the fourth period, chances were traded at both ends of the ice as Koskinen was tested by Bo Horvat after a crafty dangle and Jacob Markstrom thwarted Leon Draisaitl on a breakaway.
The biggest stop of the extra session came courtesy of Darnell Nurse, who kicked the puck away from the goal-line to keep the game going. It was the third time the Oilers got a goal-line stop on the night, as defender Kris Russell had two defensive efforts which prevented Vancouver markers.
"I thought we scored, for sure, twice and then the next thing I know, I couldn't believe they didn't score," Hitchcock said.
"Overtime was really exciting."
The Oilers opened the scoring shorthanded with none other than Surrey, BC, product Khaira orchestrating a highlight-reel play for his third of the season in the first period.
With McDavid in the box for high-sticking, Khaira took the puck up ice all alone, weaving in and out of traffic within the offensive zone then punctuating the play with a far side wrister to beat netminder Markstrom.
Khaira's individual effort marked the Oilers fourth shorthanded goal of the season. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins picked up the only assist on the play.
"For me, growing up, I came to a few games here," said Khaira. "Just to score in a building like this is pretty cool."
But Brandon Sutter of the Canucks used the time remaining on the power play to tie things up. The centre fired a shot from the half wall that fooled Koskinen, making it one-all.

When it seemed as though the opening 20 would end as a tie, McDavid made it 2-1 Edmonton in the final minute of play, scoring his 29th of the season on the man advantage.
The Oilers Captain entered the O-zone, stickhandled then wired the puck through Christopher Tanev's skates to snipe twine.
With all three goals in the opening period coming on the special teams, the second frame continued the trend, despite Markus Granlund's tying goal coming at even strength.
Edmonton was assessed consecutive minors after the goal and managed to kill them - with Hitchcock's coach's challenge reversing a strike.
Ben Hutton appeared to have scored glove side while Nurse was in the box for cross-checking but after video review, a Vancouver line change showed the club was offside. As a result, the Oilers escaped the period knotted up.

"It's a tough building to play in," said McDavid. "It's a huge break on that offside, at least we were able to take advantage and get the two points."
With nothing resulting from the overtime, Chiasson skated in with speed and beat Markstrom glove side after four rounds of a scoreless shootout.
"I was glad I wasn't going early because I was able to see how the goalie was moving," said Chiasson. "I actually thought that move worked perfect for me... I was obviously trying to go high."
Added Hitchcock of the battle for a playoff spot the rest of the season: "If you're looking for great hockey with people pouring everything into it, you're going to have a good time."