WHAT'S NEXT
The Oilers continue a five-game homestand Saturday against the Ottawa Senators. The game can be seen on Sportsnet West and heard on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630 CHED. Puck drop is 2:08 p.m. MDT.
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"These are the biggest games of the year and all the excitement is here," said Koskinen post-game.
"As long as we have a chance, we're going to fight until the end."
It was a tight affair through the opening 20 minutes of play between the Oilers and Blue Jackets, with just six shots on goal put up on the shot clock combined.
Koskinen foiled the first high-grade chance of the match with a glove save on Pierre-Luc Dubois. The keeper found himself between Dubois and the net after a puck popped to the Columbus forward from the corner. Dubois stickhandled to his backhand but was thwarted by Koskinen's trapper.
Although it didn't register as a shot on goal, Edmonton's best opportunity of the first came off the rush when Draisaitl flicked a feed to Milan Lucic driving to the net, which the winger couldn't get a piece of.
"It was a pretty defensive effort from the start of the game on," said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. "Six shots total in the first period, you don't see that too often. Neither team gave up much defensively, so we stuck with it, had a good third period and came out with the win."
With the score deadlocked to open the second period, both teams stormed out with early chances in a North-South start to the middle frame.
Colby Cave dangled his way into Columbus' zone and dished an aerial pass for Kyle Brodziak, who directed the puck wide of the net. Matt Duchene corralled the biscuit and and wheeled up ice, getting stopped by Koskinen, only to have McDavid do the same the other way, losing the handle in the crease on his individual effort.
Despite Edmonton's push to open the scoring, it was Blue Jackets defenceman David Savard who lit the lamp first, making it 1-0 Columbus at 11:35 of the second period.
The rearguard jumped up in the rush and headed for the net once inside the Oilers zone, deflecting Markus Nutivaara's pass from the point to notch his sixth of the season.
But a pair of Bakersfield Condors call ups teamed up to help produce the equalizer, on a play that saw Joe Gambardella register his first career National Hockey League point with a primary assist.
Josh Currie and Gambardella battled along the boards within the offensive zone as Brodziak found open space. Gambardella made a deft pass through the feet of a Blue Jackets defender to get the puck over to Brodziak, who beat Joonas Korpisalo on the his glove side.
