Bouchard scores in OT, Oilers defeat Stars

DALLAS -- Evan Bouchard scored his second goal of the game 30 seconds into overtime, and the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Dallas Stars 4-3 at American Airlines Center on Saturday.

Following a hooking penalty to Wyatt Johnston, Bouchard collected the puck off a face-off win and shot past goalie Jake Oettinger from the high slot for a power-play goal.

“We knew they were a good team. We had to play a really good game, and we did that” Bouchard said. “That’s what makes us so special, we can compete against any team. Now we know what we have in here.”

Corey Perry had a goal and an assist, and Calvin Pickard made 24 saves for the Oilers (32-18-1), who have won six in a row past regulation.

“In the second period, Dallas started taking over and was probably the better team," Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said. "We regrouped after the second period, and we were able to play a really strong third. A lot of credit to the guys. We talked about how good Dallas is off the rush and how they score a lot of goals in that way, and I thought we did a really good job on the forecheck with the defense pinching, knowing when not to. The biggest thing is probably the forwards and how they work to get back.”

Matt Duchene had a goal and two assists, and Mason Marchment and Thomas Harley each had a goal and an assist for the Stars (34-14-7), who have points in four straight (3-0-1). Oettinger made 20 saves but had his seven-game winning streak end.

“I didn’t mind our last 40 minutes. I thought we did some good things, started to take the game over for some stretches," Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said. "They’re an opportunistic team. If you take penalties, they’re going to make you pay. That’s what happened in the end. It's a big point at the end of the day against a good team. I feel like we left a point on the table tonight. I thought we could have gotten two, and I think our group’s probably disappointed we didn’t get two.”

All six regulation goals were scored in the second period.

Marchment gave the Stars a 1-0 lead at 1:08 on the power play when he finished off the rebound of Johnston’s shot on a 2-on-1.

“I thought they kind of had the upper side on us in the first period, but in the second period, we really pushed back and played our game,” Marchment said. “We saw when we played our game, it’s hard for them to play theirs. The third was back and forth there, a little chippy. I didn’t get to see the penalty in overtime, but kind of a tough bounce. We’ll take the point.”

Bouchard tied it 1-1 at 2:03, shooting over the right shoulder of Oettinger from the left circle.

“I think the more you control momentum, the better it is going to be for your team. I thought we did a good job of that tonight,” Bouchard said. “Goals going in back and forth, if we can clean that up a little bit, I think we’re going to be just fine."

Harley made it 2-1 at 4:47 when he took a cross-ice saucer pass from Duchene and shot off Pickard and in.

With the goal, Harley is tied for the second-most goals by a defenseman in the League (14).

“[Duchene] is a really smart player. He’s skilled enough to make that pass. For me, I just have to recognize where the open space is and hit it at the right time,” Harley said. “I just had to stick it in the net. I had the easy part.”

Perry tied it 2-2 at 6:55, deflecting Connor McDavid’s shot at the front of the net.

“[I’m] just trying to give [McDavid and Leon Draisatl] time and space,” Perry said of playing on Edmonton’s top line. “You know [McDavid] is going to be skating and moving around, cutbacks and all that fun stuff. You set a little pick and let him go, and then get back to the front of the net. I spent a lot of time five feet in front of Oettinger tonight, and I’m no stranger to being there.”

Derek Ryan gave the Oilers their first lead, 3-2, when he scored short-handed on a 2-on-1 at 18:42.

Duchene tied it 3-3 on the same power play 20 seconds later at 19:02, tucking in a rebound from behind Pickard at the side of the net.

Dallas killed off 1:53 of 5-on-3 power-play time in the second, holding Edmonton without a shot on goal.

“We kind of all know what we need to do when we’re out there,” Johnston said. “It just comes down to making those plays, whether it’s getting that clear if there’s an opportunity, or blocking a shot. Obviously [Oettinger] or [Scott Wedgewood], whoever is in net, making those big saves. [Oettinger] was great there on that 5-on-3, and everyone did their part.”

NOTES: Pickard has won each of his past six games. … McDavid recorded his eighth consecutive 60-assist season, the second longest streak in NHL history behind Wayne Gretzky (13 from 1979-80–1991-92). … Edmonton forward Dylan Holloway missed the game with an illness. … Marchment has points in nine straight games (13 points; four goals, nine assists), tying Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov and Montreal Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki for the longest active streak in the League. ... Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpää did not return for the third period because of an upper-body injury. There was no update after the game. … Duchene has four straight multipoint games (nine points; four goals, five assists). … Dallas defenseman Nils Lundkvist did not play and remains in concussion protocol after a hit by Jeremy Lauzon in a 9-2 win against the Nashville Predators on Thursday.