BOSTON (AP) — The Edmonton Oilers escaped a scare when NHL scoring leader Connor McDavid limped off the ice late in Thursday night’s 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins, minutes after Darnell Nurse scored the tiebreaking goal with 4:49 remaining.
McDavid struggled to the bench after a knee-on-knee collision with teammate Derek Ryan. But the two-time NHL MVP returned to help the Oilers hold on when Boston pulled goalie Jeremy Swayman for an extra skater in the final minutes.
Boston led 2-0 after one, but Evan Bouchard scored in the second and Ryan McLeod tied it six minutes into the third. Stuart Skinner made 26 saves to snap Boston’s 10-game winning streak and deprive the Bruins of a chance to be the first team in the league to clinch a playoff berth.
McDavid, who has 54 goals this season, was held scoreless — just the seventh time all season he has failed to register a point. Leon Draisaitl, who is fifth in the league with 41 goals and second with 96 points, was also kept off the scoresheet as the Oilers won for the fourth time in five games.
Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak scored, and Swayman stopped 19 shots for the Bruins (49-9-5), who could have set an NHL record as the fastest-ever to 50 wins.
UP NEXT
Oilers: Visit Toronto on Saturday.
Bruins: Host Detroit on Saturday. ___
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