Oilers storm back to beat Jets in overtime, McDavid putting team on his back

WINNIPEG Todd McLennan made no apology for his bias toward Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid.

The coach only had to watch McDavid score twice and add two assists as the Oilers overcame a threegoal deficit to beat the Winnipeg Jets 54 Tuesday on Darnell Nurse’s goal 1:25 into overtime.

“He’s our captain, he’s our leader,” McLellan said of McDavid. “He’s, in my opinion, the best player on earth right now and he decided that he was going to will his team to a win.”

McDavid set an NHL record for being in on his team’s first nine goals to start a season, breaking Adam Oates’ record of seven he had with Detroit in 1986-87. McDavid has four goals and five assists in four games.

“You know what, it’s whatever. I’m not overly proud of it,” McDavid said of the record. “I don’t think it’s a stat we should be proud of either.

“It is what it is, but we found a way to get a goal there at the end so we don’t ever have to talk about it again.”

Ty Rattie ignited the comeback when he scored 18 seconds into the third. McDavid recorded his second power-play goal of the game at 2:28 to squeeze Winnipeg’s lead to 4-3.

Jesse Puljujarvi tied it up at 13:39 when a shot by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins hit the Finnish forward’s stick and went past goalie Connor Hellebuyck. Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl each had a pair of assists.

Jets forward Adam Lowry had a pair of goals in a three-minute span in the first period. Defenceman Ben Chiarot and centre Mark Scheifele also had a goal each.

DEVILS 3, STARS 0

NEWARK, N.J. — Kyle Palmieri scored his seventh goal in four games, Keith Kinkaid stopped 24 shots for his second shutout and the New Jersey Devils continued their perfect start, beating the Dallas Stars.

RANGERS 3, AVALANCHE 2, SO

NEW YORK — Kevin Shattenkirk scored the deciding goal in a shootout to lift the Rangers over the Avalanche.

CANUCKS 3, PENGUINS 2, OT

PITTSBURGH — Brock Boeser fired a wrist shot by Casey DeSmith’s stick and into the net 34 seconds into overtime to lift the Canucks to a victory over the Penguins.

FLYERS 6, PANTHERS 5, SO

PHILADELPHIA — Jordan Weal scored in the shootout to lift the Flyers over the Panthers.