Who else but Connor McDavid? The Oilers superstar scored the game-winning goal in overtime of Game 5 on Thursday to give his team a 5-4 victory. With the win, the Oilers won the latest Battle of Alberta showdown and, more important, the Western Conference semifinals.
The overtime session only lasted five minutes. That's when McDavid received a pass in the slot from teammate Leon Draisaitl. McDavid possessed the puck for a split second before firing it past Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom for the win. It was Draisaitl's fourth assist of the night (and 17th in the series) and McDavid's one and only goal of the game.
Take a look at how Draisaitl and McDavid pulled the game winner off:
Long before this game reached overtime, the Flames jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second period, thanks to goals from Andrew Mangiapane and Mikael Backlund. The Oilers responded with a goal from Darnell Nurse and then another from Jesse Puljujarvi to knot the game at 2-2.
Then, craziness ensued. Both teams made NHL history by combining for four goals in the span of just 1:11. It's the fastest four goals ever recorded in a playoff game:
- Zach Hyman's started it all with a power-play goal to give Edmonton a 3-2 lead.
- Johnny Gaudreau answered for the Flames, and an astonishing 12 seconds later, Calle Jarnkrok gave Calgary the lead.
- Just 40 seconds latest Evan Bouchard scored for the Oilers to tie it all up at 4-4.
The score stayed knotted until McDavid lit the lamp in overtime, but it wasn't without drama. Blake Coleman appeared to break the tie and give the Flames a 5-4 lead towards the end of the third period. However, the officials reviewed the play and ruled that Coleman, while falling, kicked the puck into the net.
For Edmonton, it is their ninth conference final appearance in franchise history and first since 2006. That season concluded with the Carolina Hurricanes beating the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final. This Oilers squad will face the winner of the Colorado Avalanche-St. Louis Blues series. Colorado currently leads the series, 3-2, and can end the Blues' season with a win in Game 6 on Friday.