GAME RECAP: Oilers 2, Sharks 1 (OT)

SAN JOSE, CA - Wading through open waters without a life raft for the majority of the game, the Oilers found a way to keep afloat.
Mike Smith made 31 saves and provided an incredible game-winning assist in overtime to Connor McDavid, who secured the Oilers the extra point and their fifth straight win with his 41st goal of the season in a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks at the SAP Center.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored shorthanded with eight minutes remaining to breathe new life into the Oilers, who turned on the jets and forced overtime before Smith and McDavid combined on the deciding goal to make sure that Edmonton would sit second place in the Pacific Division at the end of Tuesday night.

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FIRST BLOOD

With Devin Shore in the box for an errant hick stick on Ryan Merkley, the Sharks smelt blood in the water and opened the scoring 4:28 in when Tomas Hertl one-timed his 27th of the season five-hole under Smith from the right circle after Brent Burns fed the Czech forward from the top of the Oilers zone.

PLAY OF THE GAME

The elite puck-moving and vision of Smith in the Oilers crease turned a single point into two in overtime for the Oilers when the 40-year-old flashed the leather on Brent Burns, but elected to play the puck and slap it into open waters for McDavid to pick up and take in alone to backhand his 41st of the season over the left pad of Reimer to win the game.

TURNING POINT

It was looking like Tuesday's game was going to fade out with no significant Oilers action until the penalty kill came up big and breathed new life into the visitors.
A shorthanded 2-on-1 for Nugent-Hopkins and Hyman was cut out by the stick of a Sharks defender, but Darnell Nurse was there to follow up the play and send it back over to Hyman, who found Nugent-Hopkins at the back door to put past James Reimer and get the Oilers into the game with just over eight minutes remaining in the final frame.

SAVE OF THE GAME

Smith will be thanking the stick of Duncan Keith for coming up with the game's biggest stop at a crucial time.
A minute-and-a-half after Nugent-Hopkins leveled the score, the Oilers netminder was sprawled out trying to get the right pad to Matt Nieto's sure-fire goal, but it was the twig of the veteran defender bailing out another veteran when Keith was able to get the last-gasp deflection that sent the puck away from danger. He'll be thanking his teammate for that one for a while.

A LEON OF AN ABSENCE

For the first time since Oct. 27, 2017, the Oilers were without their star Geman.
After hitting 50 goals and 100 points two nights ago in Anaheim, Draisaitl was held out of the lineup with a lower-body ailment he sustained in the first period of Tuesday's win despite battling through the remainder of the game to record the two milestones. The absence snaps a 352-game iron man streak for the 26-year-old.

TOP PERFORMER

Mike Smith made it happen on Tuesday night with 31 saves and an incredible pass to McDavid that we'll be talking about in Oil Country for a long time.

PARTING WORDS

McDavid describes the game-winner:
"Yeah, we had a chance at their end and their goalie kind of keeps the puck moving and I got caught diving in. I couldn't quite catch Burns there, and our goalie probably makes the play of the year with that save and having the presence of mind to throw it up there. Smitty plays the puck unbelievably well, and he was so good all night. For that to happen, it was pretty special just to be a part of that play. One of the more special ones I've been a part of."
"Smitty's been here a few years now and he's always asking me when we're going to connect for a breakaway. We couldn't have picked a better time there.

McDavid on the Oilers struggling through the first 40-plus minutes before winning in dramatic fashion:
"It was ugly. It was ugly, but I thought they were fresh. They played a really solid game and clearly had legs. They were motivated, and I thought our group just did a good job hanging around and keeping it tight. Smitty held us in all night, and it feels like we maybe stole two points here, but it doesn't matter how you get them at this time of year."
Hyman on the effort from his team:
"Definitely not the prettiest or how we drew it up, but I don't think it happens without Smitty playing goalie and playmaker. So find a way to win right? We didn't give up an even-strength goal, gave up a power-play one there, but got it back on the penalty kill and obviously won in OT there."

Coach Woodcroft on the victory:
"Our team showed a little bit of resiliency. I don't think it was our smoothest game or cleanest game. Down by one heading into the third period, we found a way to win in overtime in dramatic fashion. It's a credit to our stick-to-it-iveness and the hard work of all those players in that dressing room."
"It was a good team effort. Like I said, I didn't think it was our cleanest, our sharpest, or our best game of the year like that, but we stayed on task and stayed with it. We talked in between periods how even if you're not feeling well, it doesn't mean you can't play well. The way you play well is by sticking within the team structure, and we had moments that we'd like to have back for sure, but there was a lot of really good individual plays that helped us gain two points. That's a credit to the hard work and dedication of our players."
Woodcroft on overtime and the play of Mike Smith:
"I felt comfortable with everyone we had on the ice [in overtime]. Mike makes a big save and displays his hockey sense. To me, that's hockey sense, and he obviously has the skill because he's the best in the world at [moving the puck] I think, but his hockey sense to realize Connor had a step and just to put it in an area to let him go and skate onto it, you don't see that every day."