OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Connor McDavid set up three goals by Leon Draisaitl and scored a spectacular game-winner with 6:06 to play as the Edmonton Oilers remained perfect this season against the Ottawa Senators with a 4-2 win on Wednesday.
Draisaitl and McDavid, the NHL's top two scorers, were reunited on the same line for the game and each finished with four points as Edmonton won for the sixth time in nine games (6-1-2) and improved to 8-0 against Ottawa.
“It’s probably a different game than when I’m playing center,” Draisaitl said. “We both just try to play our game, be effective and play both ways, be good in our own zone and turn that into quick transition up the ice. He obviously speeds the game up a lot, so it’s quick thinking. And I think he would probably tell you the same.”
Mikko Koskinen made 28 saves, including two in close late with the Senators' goal empty.
Josh Norris and Connor Brown scored for Ottawa, which has lost four of five. Marcus Hogberg made 31 saves in his first start since Feb. 18.
“We played well,” Senators coach DJ Smith said. “Their goalie made some really great saves down the stretch. Chabby (defenseman Thomas Chabot) had a really good look. Should we have got a point? I don’t know. But I would have really liked to see us hold them to two (goals) there.”
McDavid had given Edmonton a 3-2 lead by swooping in from the right wing and beating Hogberg with a flip into the top of the net for his 23rd goal. It came after the Senators were caught in their own end for more than two minutes.
Draisaitl finished off his hat trick with an empty-netter with :01 to play for his 22nd goal. McDavid and Draisaitl have combined for 41 points against Ottawa this season.
The teams will finish their nine-game season series here on Thursday night.
Despite the teams trending in different directions, Oilers coach Dave Tippett said he expects a strong response from the Senators in the finale.
“Ottawa works,” Tippett said. “If you’re not willing to work, then you’re going to be behind. They drag you into the game.”
While Edmonton won the first seven games by a 34-15 margin, this one was tightly contested with the Senators twice rallying to tie the score.
Brown tied the game 2-all 1:02 into the third period by extended his goal-scoring streak to five games with a shot from inside the top of the left circle.
Draisaitl had given the Oilers a 2-1 lead late in the second period off his second feed from McDavid. Taking the pass in the right corner with his skates behind the goal line, he squeezed a shot between Hogberg and the post.
“That’s a shot that only a few guys in the world can make, and he’s one of them,” McDavid said.
Norris had tied the game 25 seconds into the second period with a tap in.
McDavid set up Draisaitl's first with a great cross-ice pass to the right circle for a one-timer on a power play.
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