EDMONTON, Alberta — Evan Bouchard clinched the win for the Edmonton Oilers with a goal set up by Connor McDavid’s skilled centering pass, as McDavid maneuvered around the Montreal zone near the end of overtime. This winning move led to a 3-2 triumph over the Canadiens on Thursday night.
Leon Draisaitl added to his impressive season by scoring his league-leading 46th goal and contributing an assist on Bouchard’s decisive shot. Corey Perry also found the net, and goaltender Stuart Skinner recorded 25 saves to solidify the win. Prior to this game, the Oilers were struggling with a stretch of six losses in seven matches, whereas the Canadiens were on a high, having secured victory in their last five games.
Montreal saw Cole Caufield score his 31st goal and Joel Armia also managed to beat Skinner. In the Canadiens’ net, Sam Montembeault made 29 saves, making significant stops throughout the game.
### Game Insights
**Canadiens:** Despite their loss, Montreal remains only a point behind the final wild-card slot in the Eastern Conference, maintaining hope for playoff contention.
**Oilers:** Draisaitl continues to impress, extending his point streak to an impressive 13 games, with 10 goals amassed over his recent 10 outings.
### Crucial Moment
As the game looked set to stretch further into the night after a scoreless third period, McDavid broke the deadlock with only 6.9 seconds left in overtime. His deft maneuvering around the zone set up Bouchard for the game-winning goal.
### Notable Stats
Draisaitl moved past Mark Messier, securing fourth place on the Oilers’ all-time goals list with 393 career goals. Legendary player Wayne Gretzky leads the list with 583 goals, followed by Jari Kurri with 474 and Glenn Anderson at 417.
### Looking Ahead:
Both teams will return to action on Saturday night; the Canadiens are set to face Calgary, and the Oilers will host Dallas.
