Klefbom, Oilers top Coyotes in OT

EDMONTON -- Oscar Klefbom scored 50 seconds into overtime to give the Edmonton Oilers a 4-3 win against the Arizona Coyotes at Rogers Place on Monday.
Klefbom scored on a one-timer from low in the left circle off a pass from Connor McDavid. It was his first goal since Dec. 9 (33 games).

"It was a big win, but we have to find a way to close the game earlier," Klefbom said. "We've had a number of these games where we're up two goals and we can't really find a way to close the game. They get the first one and build off that and then they tie it. It's not good enough, especially against teams like Arizona. We should be able to close the game earlier."
WATCH: [All Coyotes vs. Oilers highlights]
Jujhar Khaira, Milan Lucic and Jesse Puljujarvi scored, and Cam Talbot made 32 saves for Edmonton (28-34-4), which ended a three-game losing streak.
Jason Demers, Christian Dvorak and Niklas Hjalmarsson scored, and Darcy Kuemper made 32 saves for Arizona (20-34-11), which had won two straight and is 8-2-2 in its past 12 games.
"I thought we played good. There were about six or seven minutes in the first period that I didn't like it, but I thought we battled back," Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said. "That's something we've been building on the last six or seven weeks. We didn't like our last 10 minutes [of first period], but after that, they had two shots 5-on-5 in the second and I thought we had some chances. It was a good game."
Demers scored at 3:29 of the first period to give Arizona a 1-0 lead off a shot from the point that hit the skate of Oilers defenseman Kris Russell and redirected in.
Khaira tied the game 1-1 with a shorthanded goal at 8:01. He scored on a rebound off Ryan Strome's initial shot on a 2-on-1.

Lucic scored to make it 2-1 at 13:21 on a slap shot from the top of the left circle. It was his first goal since Dec. 23 (29 games).
"It was nice to have one finally go in," Lucic said. "It was one of those ones where you aren't thinking and just shoot it as hard as you can and it finds a way in just inside the post. It was nice to get that one and to get a win at home."
Puljujarvi made it 3-1 on the power play at 17:04. He took a pass in the slot from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and shot over Kuemper's glove.
Dvorak scored from a sharp angle at the left post at 11:31 of the third period to cut it to 3-2.
"We started to play our game in the last 40 minutes," Dvorak said. "I thought the first 10 minutes were pretty good and the last 10 minutes we fell asleep there and they got three goals. It was good resiliency by our group there."
Hjalmarsson scored at 15:21 following a scramble in front to tie it 3-3.
"It's a big difference from the beginning of the season. We have a totally different confidence and just a different feel in the group," Hjalmarsson said. "We trust each other a bit more and we have two great goalies in the net. So, it doesn't matter who's in the net, we know we're going to have a great effort in the back and it's always a great feeling for a defenseman to know that."

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Goal of the game

Klefbom's goal 50 seconds into overtime.

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Save of the game

Talbot's save on Kevin Connauton at 12:15 of the third period.

Highlight of the game

Lucic's goal at 13:21 of the first period.

They said it

"McDavid was flying out there. He's a hell of a hockey player and they started to come. Then we settled down, in the [first] intermission we did a couple of adjustments, and then we settled down." -- Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet
"It's a relief for all of us, but a big relief for both of them. It's been a long time coming. A lot of chances and opportunities for both of them that haven't gone in, and that's a heavy weight that both of them have been carrying for two months." -- Oilers coach Todd McLellan on Milan Lucic and Oscar Klefbom scoring

Need to know

Coyotes goaltender Antti Raanta did not play because of lower-body stiffness, Tocchet said. … Hjalmarsson's goal was his first this season. He had not scored since Jan 8, 2017, while playing for the Chicago Blackhawks. … McDavid has nine points (three goals, six assists) during a five-game point streak.

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What's next

Coyotes: At the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday (10 p.m. ET; SN1, SNP, FS-A, NHL.TV)
Oilers: Host the New York Islanders on Thursday (9 p.m. ET; SNW, MSG+2, NHL.TV)