Connor McDavid wrote his name into NHL history on Wednesday night, and Evan Bouchard made sure the night ended in a win. McDavid picked up an assist to stretch his season-opening point streak to 20 games, becoming only the fourth player in league history to record a point in each of his team’s first 20 games of a season, as the Edmonton Oilers beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in overtime at Rogers Place.
Bouchard scored the winner 47 seconds into the extra period, taking a cross-crease pass from Leon Draisaitl and beating Dan Vladar short side, off the right post and in. It was Bouchard’s 11th goal of the season, the most among NHL defencemen at the time, and his second overtime winner of the campaign.
Hyman’s two goals set the stage
Zach Hyman scored both Edmonton goals in the second period. He opened the scoring at 4:13 of the middle frame, then made it 2-0 on the power play at 14:03, forcing a rebound through Vladar’s legs after McDavid had set him up in front of the net. McDavid’s assist on that goal was the one that pushed his streak to 20 games.
Philadelphia refused to go away. Tyson Foerster and Travis Sanheim scored in the third period to erase the 2-0 deficit, with Sanheim tying the game at 11:42 after driving down the boards and squeezing a shot past Tristan Jarry from near the goal line. Jarry finished with 30 saves for Edmonton, while Vladar stopped 21 for the Flyers.
A record start for Edmonton
The win was Edmonton’s third in a row and lifted the Oilers to 14-3-3, matching the second-best start in franchise history through 20 games. McDavid left the night with 50 points on 11 goals and 39 assists, leading the league scoring race by 14 points over Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov.
Remarkably, McDavid entered the game with 48 points — more than the Flyers’ entire team total of 45 goals this season. The Oilers have now earned points in 11 of their past 13 games, and with McDavid producing at a historic pace, Edmonton looks every bit the contender its record suggests.
Canadian teams have delivered plenty of drama this week — from the Jets’ emotional 4-2 win over the Devils to the Capitals’ overtime win over the Senators — and the Oilers’ latest comeback win keeps the run going.
Bhudev Bhagaliya is an experienced and senior journalist who has carved a distinct niche for himself in the world of Hindi journalism through his profound understanding and precise writing style. With over two decades of experience in the field of journalism, he has held key responsibilities at Dainik Hindustan for 12 years and at Amar Ujala for one year. Currently, he serves as the Content Editor for the Jagrook Youth News newspaper and portal, where he plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and credibility of the news content. Bhudev Bhagaliya consistently writes about issues that help raise awareness within society and among the younger generation.