DENVER — Arguably the two most talented teams in a weak Western Conference, the Avalanche and Oilers have nonetheless been thwarted by inconsistency and injury this season.
The hockey they’ve exhibited against each other in 2023 has served as both a reminder of the superior individuals whose ability elevated these teams to a conference final clash last May, and as a demonstration of the flawed, entertaining streakiness that defined that series.
The Avalanche pulled a rabbit out of a hat Sunday for the second time in as many Edmonton matchups this year, winning 6-5 after trailing 3-0, 4-2 and finally 5-3 in the third period. Artturi Lehkonen deflected a J.T. Compher shot through Jack Campbell’s five-hole with 4:12 remaining to tie it, and Mikko Rantanen won it with 21 seconds remaining in overtime.
He fit his 36th goal of the season in the top shelf moments after Nathan MacKinnon was denied a winner by the post.
“It was an ugly game,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “On our side of it, anyway.”
It was a game the Avs (31-19-5) had no business winning. By the time they had fallen behind 3-0, they were 0-for-4 on the power play while Edmonton hadn’t even gotten a chance yet with a man advantage.
After cutting it to 3-2 when a Valeri Nichushkin pass redirected off a defender’s skate, what followed was a sloppy stretch of hockey not determined to take advantage of the good luck. It culminated in former Avs defenseman Tyson Barrie scoring from the point late in the second period to double the deficit.
When it was 5-3 in the third, Colorado fought off a flurry of Edmonton chances to keep it that way. Kailer Yamamoto was stopped on a breakaway by Alexandar Georgiev, who made 35 saves despite a shaky net-front presence from his skaters.
Cale Makar was the overtime hero from that last game in Edmonton, where the Avs erased a 2-0 hole in January. He was unavailable for the rematch with an upper-body injury. The blue line sorely missed him.
But other stars stepped up, for both teams. Nathan MacKinnon scored 26 seconds into the third period after assisting a goal earlier for Compher. Leon Draisaitl scored for Edmonton. Twelve Oilers registered at least one point, and nine Avs did, led by Compher’s four-point effort. With 38 points in 54 games, he has surpassed a former career-high of 33.
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