Oilers defeat Canadiens in OT, set team record with 10th win in row

MONTREAL -- Evan Bouchard scored a power-play goal 2:01 into overtime, and the Edmonton Oilers set a team record with their 10th consecutive win, 2-1 against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on Saturday.

Bouchard one-timed Connor McDavid’s pass to the left point and scored on a slap shot that caught the right post and went in.

“We’ve just found ways to win games,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “Whether that’s been good goaltending, special teams, power play, penalty kill, third, fourth, first line, you know, everybody’s contributed. So you don’t put a streak together with just relying on one line or a few guys, so I’m very happy that we were able to do it. Some high-scoring games, some low-scoring games, but finding ways.”

The Oilers went on the power play after Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson was called for high-sticking against Darnell Nurse at 1:27.

“It’s definitely frustrating to defend that hard and play a game like that against a team like that,” Matheson said, “and hold them to one goal the whole game and have it finish like that.”

Leon Draisaitl scored his 20th goal of the season and had an assist, McDavid’s assist extended his point streak to 10 games, and Stuart Skinner made 23 saves for Edmonton (23-15-1), which had two previous nine-game winning streaks, in 2000-01 and 2022-23.

“It’s a great little streak we’ve got going,” Draisaitl said. “Obviously a lot of wins in this organization for a long time, so it’s kind of hard to believe that they never won 10 games in a row back then with the teams they had. But we’ll obviously take it and it’s something that obviously no one can take from us from now on, but we’re just looking to continue it.”

Like Draisaitl, Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm marveled at the fact that Edmonton’s Stanley Cup dynasty teams of the 1980s never had a longer winning streak, though those teams played in an era when games could end in a tie.

“It’s pretty cool,” Ekholm said. “This franchise has a rich history so to be able to do a franchise record is pretty awesome. And this group has worked hard for it. We were close earlier this year, and even last year I remember we had a run at it. So it was nice to get it. Obviously it’s more about the wins than the record itself, but it’s a nice little bonus on top of it.”

Sam Montembeault made 39 saves, and Cole Caufield scored a power-play goal for Montreal (17-18-7), which has lost three in a row (0-1-2).

“Matty’ was doing a great job at 3-on-3, he was flying all over the ice,” Montembeault said of Matheson. “He tried to lift his stick but missed it and hit his face, but it happens. And after that it was a bad bounce, too. It hit the post, hit my [butt] and went in.”

Draisaitl, who was added to the NHL All-Star Game on Saturday, tied it 1-1 at 38 seconds of the third period. He tapped the puck over the goal line before Montembeault could freeze it with his glove and skate against the right post after stopping Warren Foegele on a drive to the net.

Montreal was assessed a minor penalty for delay of game after an unsuccessful challenge when video review showed there was no goaltender interference on the play.

Caufield gave Montreal a 1-0 lead at 1:43 of the first period. He scored on a wrist shot from the left face-off circle on a cross-ice feed from Nick Suzuki.

The Canadiens went 4-for-4 on the penalty kill during regulation.

“It’s unfortunate,” Montreal defenseman Kaiden Guhle said. “I thought we played well, I thought we played a really mature game, deep game. I think it’s just tough. You give that team enough power plays, they’re probably going to score on one. It happens. I don’t think we should be hanging our heads. We still played well and did a lot of good things tonight.”

NOTES: McDavid has 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) during his streak. He became the fourth NHL player with at least 14 double-digit point streaks. Mario Lemieux also had 14; he and McDavid trail Wayne Gretzky (31) and Guy Lafleur (15). … Draisaitl became the sixth Oilers player with at least eight 20-goal seasons (Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson, Mark Messier, 10 each; Gretzky, nine; Ryan Smyth, eight). He also is one of five Edmonton players to accomplish the feat in consecutive seasons (Kurri, Messier, 10 each; Gretzky, nine; Anderson, eight). … The Oilers have won eight straight road games, tying the team record set in 1986-87. … Edmonton defenseman Philip Kemp played 2:03 in his NHL debut. … Canadiens forward Joshua Roy played 13:03 his NHL debut after he was recalled from Laval of the American Hockey League on Friday. He had no shots on goal and four attempts, three of which were blocked.