EDMONTON — In the midst of a tight playoff race, the Anaheim Ducks showed some determination in a come-from-behind win on Sunday.
Hampus Lindholm scored the winner 1:21 into overtime as the Ducks came away with a huge 5-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers — a game they trailed 3-1 heading into the third period.
"At the end of the day, it was more about every guy looking at themselves in the mirror," Lindholm said. "It started with us (defence) really skating the puck. We talked about it before the game and we really did it.
"As soon as our D start moving pucks, we help our forwards out a lot and I think that creates a lot of offence for us and that's something we have to keep doing more.
Anaheim has 91 points and is two up on the Los Angeles Kings (89) for third place in the Pacific Division.
Adam Henrique had a pair of goals and Josh Manson and Corey Perry also scored for the Ducks (39-24-13), who have gone 5-0-1 in their last six outings.
"We were certainly in a funk for the first two periods and we made a decision if we were going to get ourselves back involved in the game that we were going to have to play at a much more passionate level and we were going to have to be more determined and execute to a higher level and everybody had to get involved in playing the game the right way," stated Anaheim head coach Randy Carlyle.
Connor McDavid, Ty Rattie, Leon Draisaitl and Ethan Bear responded for the Oilers (34-36-6), who had a three-game winning streak snapped.
"I give them credit," said Oilers goalie Cam Talbot. "They needed the points and they came out in the third. They wanted it more in the third and we got away from what made us successful in the first two periods."
After a scoreless first period, Edmonton broke the deadlock 1:46 into the second when McDavid beat Anaheim goalie John Gibson with a long-range wrist shot for his 39th goal of the season, tying him for the most goals by an Oilers skater since the 1997 season, when Ryan Smyth had the same total.
The lead lasted only 19 seconds, however, as Manson got one past Talbot on a similar shot.
The Oilers retook the lead eight minutes into the second period as McDavid earned his 98th point of the season, setting up a point shot by defenceman Matt Benning that was tipped home by Rattie.
Edmonton went up 3-1 with 1:42 left in the second on a one-timer blast from a bad angle by Draisiatl, his 24th of the season.
The Ducks pulled back to within one two minutes into the third when a Marcus Pettersson shot caromed off of Henrique and past Talbot.
Anaheim tied it up six minutes into the third as Perry scored his 17th goal of the season off a rebound out front.
Edmonton surged back into front on the power play as McDavid moved just one point back of equalling the 100 point mark he led the NHL last season with as he set up Bear for his first career NHL goal.
"It was a really good feeling and at the same time a big sigh of relief," Bear said. "It is something you dream about your whole life. To get that first one, it feels really good."
The Ducks pulled even once again with just 1:29 left in the third when a Henrique shot banked in off of Edmonton defender Darnell Nurse.
Both teams return to the ice on Tuesday, with the Oilers hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets, while the Ducks visit Vancouver to play the Canucks.
Notes: It was the final of four meetings between the two teams this season, with Edmonton winning two of the first three... Ducks centre Ryan Getzlaf returned after missing the last game with an illness.
Shane Jones, The Canadian Press