McDavid scores hat-trick, Oilers down Avalanche
DENVER: Connor McDavid had his third hat-trick of the season and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 on Sunday to snap a six-game losing streak.
McDavid has 11 goals in the last nine games and two hat-tricks. His first two goals tied it, and the third was into an empty net with 1:26 left. He has five goals in two games against Colorado this season.
Ryan Strome also scored, and Cam Talbot had 24 saves to help the Oilers snap Colorado’s 10-game home winning streak. Tyson Jost and Alexander Kerfoot scored for the Avalanche.
In Columbus, Riley Sheahan scored two goals in the first period and rookie Tristan Jarry made 35 saves in Pittsburgh’s victory over Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2.
Jake Guentzel had a goal and two assists, and Brian Dumoulin and Zach Aston-Reese also scored for the Penguins. They have won five straight and 10 of their last 12. The win in front of a sellout crowd at Nationwide Arena moved them past Washington into first place in the Metropolitan Division.
In Detroit, Auston Matthews scored with 30.2 seconds left to push Toronto past Detroit 3-2.
Matthews took William Nylander’s pass and snapped a high shot into the roof of the net from a sharp angle for his 27th goal of the season, but just his fourth winner.
James van Riemsdyk and Mitch Marner also scored for Toronto, and Curtis McElhinney made 27 saves. Anthony Mantha and Henrik Zetterberg scored for Detroit.
In New York, Travis Konecny broke a tie late in the second period and Alex Lyon made 25 saves in relief to help Philadelphia beat New York 7-4.
Claude Giroux and Jori Lehtera scored in the third to finish off the win, Lyon’s first in the NHL. Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist allowed all seven goals.
Andrew MacDonald, Scott Laughton, Brandon Manning and Nolan Patrick also scored for the Philadelphia. The Flyers have six of seven and are 22-8-3 since Dec 4. They have won five in a row in the road.
In San Jose, Mikkel Boedker scored twice in San Jose’s four-goal first period and the Sharks beat Dallas 5-2 for their fourth victory in five games.
Joe Pavelski, Melker Karlsson and Justin Braun also scored and Martin Jones made 26 saves.
Gemel Smith and Tyler Pitlick scored for Dallas.
Ben Bishop was chased after allowing four goals on five shots, and Kari Lehtonen made 22 saves in relief. The Stars had won six of their previous seven.