Oilers Bury Avalanche In Thrilling Comeback Win

The Oilers just handed in their submission for game of the year.

Despite being down 3-0 after twelve minutes against the hottest goalie in the league on Thursday night, the Oilers never wavered. They chipped and pushed and forced their way back from the early deficit, eventually pulling out a thrilling 4-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche.

Things weren't looking so hot for the Oilers early on. Already down 1-0 after five, the Oilers were then set upon by the Nate Dogg. Nathan MacKinnon scored two goals in under two minutes, first beating Stuart Skinner with a softie before running right through an overmatched Evan Bouchard to give Colorado an early 3-0 lead.

Down 3-0 on just five shots and facing Mackenzie Blackwood and his .938 save percentage in Colorado, one could be forgiven for counting the Oilers out. But they sure didn't.

Viktor Arvidsson gave them their first bit of momentum late in the first, beating Blackwood with a funny-looking slapshot with under a minute left in the opening frame to make it 3-1.

The Oilers had a thing for funny-looking slapshots on Thursday night. Brett Kulak got in on the fun in the second, beating Blackwood from way downtown after forcing a turnover at the Avs' blueline. The goal, Kulak's sixth, was his first since the last time these two teams faced off on November 30th.

But the Oilers seemed stuck at 3-2, unable to beat Blackwood on a normal shot as they and the Avs traded chances. To no one's surprise, it was Connor McDavid who finally tied the game, firing home a Leon Draisaitl rebound for his 20th of the season and fourth in three games.

Even with all the momentum, the third period was a nail-biter. It seemed nobody could get anything going, as both teams clamped down into a hard-checking final frame and the Avs were all over Edmonton.

Then along came Evan Bouchard. With seven minutes remaining, Connor McDavid found Bouchard from behind the net with a ridiculous saucer pass, which Bouchard promptly wired into the top corner with his patented Bouch Bomb for the eventual game-winner.

The Avs weren't done, subjecting the Oilers to a full minute of 6-on-5 zone time as they searched for the tying goal, but Stuart Skinner held strong, stopping each of the final 20 shots he faced to close out an emphatic 4-3 Oilers win.

Simply put, this is one of the most impressive wins of the Oilers' season. They were down and out, absolutely cooked on the second night of a back-to-back against a star-studded roster that knows them well and a goalie playing the best hockey of his life. But they persevered, doing everything they needed to do to win and showing why they might just be the best team in the NHL.

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To that end, they've won eight of their past nine, tied with Detroit and Columbus for the league's best record over that span, and now sit tied for first in the Pacific Division with 61 points. No one is playing better hockey than the Oilers right now, and it's hard to see how anyone can for the rest of the year.

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