GAME RECAP: Oilers 3, Blackhawks 2 (OT)

EDMONTON, AB – Evan Bouchard scored 2:43 into overtime, and Head Coach Kris Knoblauch earned his 100th career NHL victory on Saturday as the Edmonton Oilers came away with a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks to close out their three-game homestand at Rogers Place.

"We're finding ways to get points," Connor McDavid said. "It hasn't been very pretty, but it's October hockey. We've got to find a way to bring some emotion into the game, get ourselves going a little bit during some of those lulls, but we're finding ways to put points on the board, and that's what it's all about.

"Not off to the best start of our lives, but not the worst start either, so we're hanging in there right now."

Bouchard finished his own rebound off the feed from Leon Draisaitl in overtime to earn the extra point after forward Andre Burakovsky's tally 3:13 into the third period for the Blackhawks ultimately forced sudden death, where Bouchard finished it off to give Coach Knoblauch his 100th victory as head coach.

"When we play the way we want to play, you can see how dominant we are," Bouchard said. "It's about putting it all together for 60 minutes."

Leon Draisaitl and Jack Roslovic each scored goals in the second period for the Oilers on the power play, which went 2-for-4 against the Blackhawks and improved to 8-for-19 (50.0 percent) over its last six games and 12-for-36 (33.3 percent) this season, which ranks first in the League.

Bouchard and Draisaitl each registered a goal and an assist, while McDavid posted three helpers.

Edmonton's record improved to 6-4-3 as they head on the road for back-to-back games, starting on Monday against the St. Louis Blues.

FIRST PERIOD

Talk about holding your breath at both ends of the country.

With eyes on Game 7 of the World Series in Toronto, there were plenty of heart-stopping moments both at Rogers Centre and Rogers Place on Saturday night after Vasily Podkolzin couldn't convert on a penalty shot and Leon Draisaitl just missed on a near buzzer-beater in the final seconds of the frame.

It was quite clear that there were two teams Oilers fans were rooting for when tonight's game got underway, with the Blue Jays-Dodgers championship decider being shown on the scoreboard split-screen style with game action to make for a few moments during the first and second periods, where players and fans were distracted by what was unfolding across the country.

"It adds some excitement," Knoblauch said. "There were times where it looked like the Jays were going to win. There was cheering, and I thought they had won it, and then they kept on showing the game and I was wondering what had happened because I heard all the cheering and the excitement

"I think the Blue Jays have shared so much excitement throughout the country, and we saw it here in Edmonton, and I'm sure it was like that. The excitement in the building, I thought it was a good thing."

Eventually, it became all Oilers for the start of the third period, but they couldn't help but acknowledge what a special run it was for the Blue Jays while speaking from experience as a team that's been to Game 7 and Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final in back-to-back years.

McDavid found it an odd feeling looking up a few times and seeing the Jays on the scoreboard, along with the random cheers in the crowd at different times when play was underway, but he couldn't do anything but commend the Blue Jays post-game.

"It was bizarre," McDavid said. "I found myself watching the Jays game, sitting on the bench, listening to the crowd while I'm on the ice. It was very strange, but what historic moment and I couldn't be more gutted for those guys. Obviously, we know what that feels like. For it to go the way it happened, just completely gutted for those guys. It's been a fun run. They've given Canada a lot to cheer about and they should be very proud of themselves."

Podkolzin got through in the neutral zone 11 minutes into the first period and was tripped up on a breakaway by Connor Bedard, leading to the Russian being awarded a penalty shot where he stretched out netminder Spencer Knight on his forehand but couldn't get all of his effort to lift it into the back of the net.

Late in the opening frame, the Oilers were on their first power play with Wyatt Kaiser in the box for tripping Leon Draisaitl, where the German looked to have beaten the buzzer before it sounded with a snipe under the blocker of Knight, but a review showed that time had just expired before it crossed the goal line.

SECOND PERIOD

Just 55 seconds into the frame on Kaiser's carry-over penalty, the Oilers struck first with the man advantage.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins took a pass from Connor McDavid off a clean zone entry from the captain before putting it on a platter for Leon Draisaitl, who scored his ninth goal of the season from the top of the circle with a one-timer to make it 1-0 Oilers and extend his personal point streak to nine games (6G, 5A).

Draisaitl's 19th career goal against the Blackhawks moved his career point streak against Chicago to 19 games, which is his second-longest current active streak against one opponent (21GP vs. VAN).

After having his five-game point streak snapped on Thursday in a 4-3 OT loss to the Rangers, Nugent-Hopkins got back on the scoresheet with an assist on Saturday to give him 13 points (5G, 8A) in 13 games this season.

The Blackhawks made it 1-1 before the period's midway mark on their own power-play goal scored on a tap-in for Tyler Bertuzzi set up by Connor Bedard, but the man advantage continued to be a strong point for the Oilers on Saturday night and this season.

Halfway through a tripping penalty to Colton Dach in the final five minutes of the period, winger Jack Roslovic – summoned to the top power-play unit on Saturday in place of David Tomasek – opened up in the crease to accept a back-door feed from Connor McDavid, who drew the penalty and provided the assist to help give Edmonton the 2-1 advantage.

"He was great," McDavid said of Roslovic. "He's been great since he's been here. It's pretty impressive. He didn't really have a camp, jumped right in and has looked really dangerous every game."

With the go-ahead goal, Roslovic now has four points in his last four games (2G, 2A), while Bouchard recorded his 190th career helper and is 10 away from reaching the 200-assist mark.

THIRD PERIOD

There was still hope for one team that plays in blue.

With the Blue Jays falling in the 11th inning to the Dodgers at Rogers Centre to end an incredible run, the Oilers were looking to defend their one-goal lead in the final frame at Rogers Place, but the Blackhawks had plans of their own by making it 2-2 only 3:19 into the third period.

Centre Ryan Greene made a pass from below the goal line to defenceman Artyom Levshunov in the right circle, seeing his rebound be put away in the crease by Andre Burakovsky to tie the game up and get this contest to overtime.

OVERTIME

Evan Bouchard faced the music on Thursday, but in typical No. 2 fashion, he came up clutch when the Oilers needed him.

"Isn't that the most Bouch thing ever?" said McDavid, referencing Bouchard speaking about his turnovers on Thursday before scoring the winner tonight.

"Just stands in there like he does. You guys (the media) can say what you want about him. We love him in there. We know when he's at his best, he's among the very best. We've got his back no matter what's going on. His play can be better, everyone's play can be better, but I'm really happy for him to get that big goal and quiet some people a little bit."

Bouchard made sure the Oilers wouldn't suffer the same fate as the Jays, who failed to defend their lead late before losing it in extra innings, by notching the game-winner on a rebound off a terrific set-up by Leon Draisaitl at 2:17 of overtime.

"It was definitely different," Bouchard said of the crowd cheering on the Jays. "I think it was about focusing on the game. Hard to do when obviously there's a game on and the fans are cheering, but we managed to do that and got the win out of it."

McDavid carried the puck into Chicago's zone and temporarily lost his footing before collecting himself on one knee and pushing a pass to Leon Draisaitl to keep the sequence going as Mattias Ekholm changed to get Bouchard on the ice with the Dynamic Duo against some tired Blackhawks' skaters.

"You just want to keep it alive, obviously," McDavid said. "I thought it was two really good shifts by our guys in a row, and then we kind of got them hemmed there and you're just trying to keep it alive. Obviously, I'm taking on a forward and trying to make something happen, slip a little bit, but just kept it alive.

"Obviously, Leo and Bouch make a great play."

Bouchard tracked Draisaitl's movement as they crossed at the top of the circles before opening up on the left side to take a one-timer feed from the German, having his first attempt stopped beautifully by Knight before the blueliner flipped the rebound into the back of the net to secure the Oilers the extra point.

"It started with those guys a few shifts before changing and getting them tired," Bouchard said. "When you get a tired group with Connor and Leon out there, they're going to make a play. I just tried to get open, and Leon made a good pass. I'm glad it went in."