Nurse scores in OT to lift Oilers over Red Wings for ninth win in a row

Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers have accomplished something Wayne Gretzky never did with the franchise.

McDavid scored a tying goal in the third period and Darnell Nurse scored 1:20 into overtime to give Edmonton a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings, matching a franchise record with their ninth straight victory Thursday night.

The Oilers, who also won nine in a row late last season and in 2001, can break the team mark Saturday night in Montreal.

“It's very surprising, considering how many good teams there were, especially in the '80s and Stanley Cup winners,” coach Kris Knoblauch said. “I'm shocked they didn't have a run longer than nine games.

“That we're a part of it feels good, but where we are in the standings is much more important than winning streaks. We just need to pile up the wins.”

Nearing the midway mark of the season, the Oilers are outside the top three in the Pacific Division and are a wild card in the Western Conference.

McDavid tied it midway through the third and Zach Hyman scored a go-ahead goal with six minutes left in regulation, but Calvin Pickard could not stop a shot from Olli Maatta from a sharp angle a couple of minutes later.

McDavid extended his point streak to nine games when he got to a loose puck along the boards as Detroit was changing lines. He created time and space with his speed, fooling goalie Alex Lyon with a move to his backhand before pulling the puck back to slip it into an open net for his 16th goal and 56th point this season.

It was also the center's 906th career point, pulling him into a fourth-place tie with Glenn Anderson in team history.

“He never ceases to amaze me,” Pickard said. “It was a huge goal at a big time.”

Hyman scored on a shot from the slot that Lyon never saw, looking to his left when the puck hit the back of the net.

Andrew Copp broke a scoreless tie early in the third for the Red Wings and Lyon stopped 44 shots, giving them a chance to beat one of the NHL's hottest teams.

“It's interesting to play a team like that because you can see where the bar is set,” Lyon said. “Obviously, we knew this was going to be a good test. It feels bad right now, but that's a huge point.”

Pickard, the Oilers' backup goaltender, made 16 saves and disputed Copp's goal. He also lamented that Maatta's shot got past him.

The Oilers challenged Copp's shot from the high slot 3:34 into the third period, hoping to have the goal negated because Detroit winger Christian Fischer made contact with Pickard's glove outside the crease, but the goal stood after a replay review.

“He kind of clipped my glove,” Pickard said. “The ref explained it to me that the guy was outside the blue.”

Edmonton dominated the first two periods statistically, other than the score. The Oilers were outshooting Detroit 27-11 and blocked almost twice as many shots, entering the third.

“That's a game where both teams probably deserved a point,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “They obviously had more shot volume and a few more chances, but we hit a lot of iron.”