MCDAVID (WHO ELSE?) WINS IT

Habs make playoffs despite loss

Saturday night, it was all about Connor Mcdavid and his 100 points.

On Monday night, it was about different points of view. His Edmonton Oilers were trying to get two and stop the Montreal Canadiens from getting one to clinch an all-canadian playoff spot. Mission accomplished on the first one, but not the second.

One game was a milestone for the captain, the next the Oilers were trying to be a millstone around the opposing team's neck.

If Mcdavid easily handled the weight of his 100 pursuit last weekend, the Oilers were a heavy burden for the injury-riddled Canadiens. But Montreal's Artturi Lehkonen beat Mikko Koskinen late in the third on a stoppable shot to get the point the Canadiens needed to guarantee a playoff berth.

Of course, Mcdavid, quiet until then (an assist on Dominik Kahun's goal) won it in overtime off a long Leon Draisaitl feed.

Mcdavid was on the ice for three Montreal scores by their fourth-liners — Jake Evans, Paul Byron and Lehkonen — and didn't dodge his dodgy defensive work post-game. But he casually lifted the winner on a breakaway over Jake Allen for the 4-3 Oilers' OT decision.

The Oilers, with nothing to prove and locked into second spot, still managed to beat a hard-working but tired Habs club. The Canadiens, playing their 24th game since March 30 (five more than anybody else), breathed a sigh of relief when they got a point in regulation to reach the post-season — either fourth or third depending on the Winnipeg Jets' major crash.

“Definitely wasn't our prettiest win, They play a grind game. ... You don't like to give up that goal in the third, but those things happen. I don't think our line (Kahun and Jesse Puljujarvi) was overly good tonight,” said Mcdavid, who now has 102 points but didn't like his plus/minus, at all.

“You could definitely sense their desperation and it was good to play a team with their intensity level.”

Mcdavid's winner, his 11th of the season, was as scripted. Giveaway, then Draisaitl, who had assisted on Ryan Nugent-hopkins' 15th goal earlier, sends it 75 feet to Mcdavid, in behind everybody, and the game's over.

“Leo and I have obviously played a lot together and we know what each of us is thinking. Quick turnover, you get a couple of guys trapped. In overtime, you get guys trapped you want to get up there (in the clear) as fast as you can,” said Mcdavid.

Both Mcdavid and Draisaitl had quiet nights (if two points each is quiet). But James Neal, looking very much like he's solidifying a playoff spot role, got his fifth and Kahun his eighth. So, a much needed depth-charge from the support guys.

The Oilers did hit two milestones — Ryan Mcleod's first NHL point and Alex Chiasson's 100th assist and 200th point, both on Neal's first-period goal.

“All in all, a pretty solid road game,” said Oilers coach Dave Tippett.