Oilers Rally from Early Deficit to Edge Sharks in Wild Finish
EDMONTON - The Oilers didn’t just bounce back Thursday night - they roared back. After giving up two goals in the first 95 seconds, Edmonton dug in and clawed their way to a 4-3 comeback win over the San Jose Sharks, capped by a dramatic game-tying blast from Evan Bouchard in the final minute of regulation.
It was a game that started like a nightmare for the home crowd at Rogers Place. San Jose came out flying, with Collin Graf lighting the lamp just 26 seconds in.
Then, before fans had even settled into their seats, Adam Gaudette doubled the lead at 1:35. Two shots, two goals - and just like that, the Oilers were in a 2-0 hole.
But Edmonton didn’t flinch. Zach Hyman responded just 40 seconds later, scoring at 1:06 to breathe life back into the building and his team. From there, the Oilers slowly began to tilt the ice in their favor.
Leon Draisaitl was at the center of it all, putting together a vintage performance with a goal and two assists. Connor McDavid added a goal and a helper of his own, continuing to be the engine that drives Edmonton’s offense.
And then there was Bouchard - who, with under a minute left in regulation, unleashed a rocket from the blue line to tie the game at 3-3. It was his 15th of the season, and none bigger than this one.
The Sharks had their moments, too. Michael Misa added his second of the season midway through the first to restore a two-goal cushion, and for a moment in the second period, it looked like they’d made it 4-0. Barclay Goodrow crashed the net and buried a rebound, but the goal was waved off for goalie interference - a call that loomed large as the game wore on.
Despite the early fireworks, the Oilers settled in defensively. Connor Ingram stopped 17 of 20 shots, bouncing back after the rough start. Edmonton’s skaters also did their part, outshooting San Jose 32-20 and controlling much of the possession after the opening frame.
San Jose struggled to generate much with the man advantage, going 0-for-2 on the power play. And while Yaroslav Askarov turned aside 28 of 32 shots, he couldn’t stop the late-game surge from Edmonton’s high-octane offense.
One of the standout moments came early, when Macklin Celebrini picked up an assist on Graf’s opening goal. It was a milestone moment - the 90th assist of his young NHL career. At just 19 years and 230 days old, Celebrini becomes the second-youngest player in league history to reach that mark, trailing only Sidney Crosby, who did it at 19 years and 126 days back in 2006.
With the win, the Oilers improve to 28-19-8 and continue to build momentum as the season grinds into February. They’ll look to keep it rolling Saturday night when they host the Minnesota Wild.
The Sharks, now 27-21-4, head to Calgary next for a Saturday matchup with the Flames, hoping to regroup after letting this one slip away late.