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OILERS TODAY | Chris Wescott wraps up the game
POST-GAME RAW | Draisaitl
POST-GAME RAW | Kassian
POST-GAME RAW | Davidson
POST-GAME RAW | Oilers head coach Todd McLellan
WHAT'S NEXT
The Oilers return home to host the Florida Panthers on Monday at 7 pm MST. You can watch the game on Sportsnet West or listen live on 630 CHED and the Oilers Radio Network.
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"It shows that we do have character and we don't give up, but I think that's the difference from this year to last year, where we would come back in those games and find a way to win them," said Leon Draisaitl, who scored a goal and an assist in the defeat.
"This year it seems like we find ways to lose those games, so it's frustrating. Every game could have went either way, but sometimes it's a bad bounce or sometimes we're not sharp enough in the final minutes to close it out or get it into overtime."
For the third game in a row, the Oilers surrendered the opening marker early in the first period, as Joakim Ryan tallied his first NHL goal just 1:15 after the puck dropped. The rookie defenceman's point shot soared past several bodies from both teams on its way to the net and past Al Montoya on the glove side.
The Sharks extended their lead to 2-0 at the 7:21 mark of the opening frame on an unfortunate pair of bounces. Darnell Nurse attempted to pass the puck behind the net to Brandon Davidson, but the puck hit the linesman's skate, ricocheted off the side of the net and landed right on Joe Pavelski's tape for the tap-in as Montoya was moving in in the opposite direction.
San Jose extended their lead to 3-0 at the 2:30 mark of the middle frame as Jannik Hansen entered the zone and made a drop-pass to Barclay Goodrow, who snapped a wrist shot past Montoya on the glove side.
The Oilers were able to take a bite out of the Sharks lead at 8:49 of the second as Zack Kassian converted for his fifth of the season. After San Jose made an errant pass on an odd-man rush, Kassian scooped up the puck in the neutral zone, cruised in on a partial breakaway, missed on his first attempt and tucked the rebound off the back wall inside the post.
The gritty winger wasn't done yet, though, as Yohann Auvitu sprung him on another partial breakaway and he slid a perfect backhand deke through Dell's five-hole for his sixth of the year and second of the night to make it 3-2 at the 14:20 mark of the middle frame.
Edmonton completed the comeback with 1:58 remaining in the second as Draisaitl scored his 15th of the season. Oscar Klefbom fired a shot on net and the big German was there to free himself from the Sharks defenders and beat Dell on the rebound to make it a 3-3 deadlock through 40 minutes.
The Oilers onslaught continued early in the third with their fourth goal in a row as Davidson gave them a 4-3 lead just 1:21 into the period. Draisaitl darted down the right side, cut to the net and slid a pass through the crease that was one-timed by Davidson past Dell for the defenceman's third of the season.
The lead was short-lived, though, as Tomas Hertl ended the Oilers goal flurry two and a half minutes later to make it 4-4, getting in alone and roofing a backhand on Montoya.
Ryan then scored his second goal of the game and second of his young NHL career, burying a loose puck with 2:27 remaining to give the Sharks the game-winner. Pavelski iced the San Jose victory with an empty-net goal for his second of the night with 1:12 to go.
"It's great that we had some fortitude to come back and push in the game," McLellan said. "I don't question that from our group, but the game management again was poor in a number of different areas."
"We're not going to give up," Kassian added. "You claw back, but we're just not happy clawing back. We were expecting to win that game and once again they end up getting a late one that hurts… Without a doubt, it's frustrating."
The Oilers are back on home ice at Rogers Place for Monday's game against the Florida Panthers before heading back on the road to Las Vegas, Arizona and Colorado.
