Oilers, Draisaitl make winner of Hitchcock in coaching debut
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Leon Draisaitl scored 51 seconds into overtime and Connor McDavid had his 100th career goal to give the Edmonton Oilers a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks in Ken Hitchcock’s first game as coach Tuesday night.
The Oilers began the day by firing Todd McLellan and replacing him with Hitchcock, and ended it by overcoming three deficits to earn just their second win in eight games.
McDavid set up Drake Caggiula’s tying goal early in the third period and then the game-winner in overtime when his pass hit off Draisaitl and trickled past goalie Martin Jones for the winner.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins added a shorthanded goal and Mikko Koskinen made 22 saves for the Oilers.
Joe Thornton assisted on Marcus Sorensen’s goal in the first period to tie Mario Lemieux for 11th place all-time with his 1,033rd helper. Joonas Donskoi and Logan Couture also scored for San Jose.
The Sharks took a 3-2 lead in the final minute of the second period when Couture deked around Adam Larsson on the rush and beat Koskinen for his first goal in 11 games.
But the Oilers responded early in the third when McDavid set up Caggiula on an odd-man rush for the equalizer less than four minutes into the period.
The Hitchcock era got off to a rough start for the Oilers, who allowed a goal in the opening minute when Donskoi was left alone in front of the net after a faceoff win by San Jose. Brent Burns’ shot from the point was stopped by Koskinen, but Donskoi was able to backhand the rebound in.
McDavid got the equalizer midway through the period when he beat Burns down the slot to take a feed from Draisaitl and knocked it in for his milestone goal. McDavid reached the mark in his 230th game. Only Wayne Gretzky (145 games), Glenn Anderson (183) and Jari Kurri (214) got there faster for the Oilers.
Thornton then reached his milestone later in the period when he fed Sorensen from behind the goal line for a one-timer that beat Koskinen.
Edmonton tied the game at 2-2 early in the second when Nugent-Hopkins converted a 2-on-1 off a feed from Kyle Brodziak after the Sharks turned the puck over in the offensive zone on the power play.
NOTES: Thornton needs seven more assists to tie Marcel Dionne for 10th place . . . . Sharks F Tomas Hertl returned after missing two games with a lower-body injury . . . . The Oilers continue their California road trip at Anaheim on Friday.