GAME STORY: Bruins 2, Oilers 1 (OT)

EDMONTON, AB- The Oilers battled for a hard-earned point on Wednesday night at Rogers Place in a 2-1 overtime loss to the league-leading Boston Bruins.

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THE OTHER SIDE | David Pastrnak

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The Oilers finish a two-game homestand Friday against the Minnesota Wild. The game can be seen on Sportsnet West and heard on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630 CHED. Puck drop is 7:08 p.m. MT.
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With more than a handful of regular bodies on the shelf due to injury, the Oilers battled valiantly and contended with one of the League's best.
"If you want to be a good team and make the playoffs, you have to have that depth," Ethan Bear, who tallied an assist and his first point since February 6, said. "Guys are stepping up and it's good to see."
David Pastrnak slid the game-winning goal and his 43rd tally of the season under goaltender Mike Smith 1:18 into sudden death after the Oilers battled to guarantee themselves a valuable point in the Pacific Division standings.
"We clawed our way to a point and there's a lot to like about those last two periods there and the way we played against a really good team," Sam Gagner, who scored his fifth of the season, said post-game. "We take the point and keep pushing forward here."
The Oilers had their backs against the wall when the Bruins' deadly trio of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak struck 8:28 into an opening period that ended with a 10-2 shot advantage for the visitors.
"Our first period we didn't play with much confidence," Darnell Nurse, who logged 29:58 of ice time, said. "Then we started to make a few more plays and created more offence for our team.
"We know we can play with these teams. We just got to believe it."
But the Oilers kept pace, even commanding it in the second frame, by roaring back to outshoot Boston 18-9 and trail by a goal heading into the final 20 minutes.
"Our group started to push a little bit," Head Coach Dave Tippett said. "They started to play a little bit quicker and make a few passes on the tape.
"As a group, we started poor but we battled hard and got better as the game went on."
The Oilers won the special teams battle against two of the League's top-three power play and penalty kills, going 7-for-7 shorthanded and getting the game's lone goal with the man advantage through a Gagner deflection that tied the contest 3:42 into the third.

"We took away the seams," Nurse said. "We know they're a team that likes to go through seams and make you pay if you leave those open. We did a good job taking those away and gave ourselves a chance to win by killing all seven of them."
The Oilers and Bruins combined for 13 infractions and 26 penalty minutes.
"It was a crazy game," Josh Archibald said. "It's been a long time since there's been that many penalties in a game we've played in. I thought both teams did great. We got a power-play goal late in the third that was huge for us, and we got some big kills towards the end of the game. I think that was also important.
Smith, who was 9-1-1 in his last 11 starts for the Oilers coming into Wednesday, was monstrous in defeat with 29 saves on 31 shots - including 11 of those on the penalty kill.
"Smitty is Smitty," Bear said of his netminder. "He was huge and he's a good goalie. He's confident and really helps our confidence on the back end, so he's a hell of a goalie."
The Oilers are now 3-1-1 without the services of McDavid since February 11, while Leon Draisaitl will have to build a new point streak beginning Friday against the Minnesota Wild after having his five-game, 12-point heater snapped on Wednesday.