3rd-period surge lifts the Oilers past the Golden Knights, 4-2

News > Sports News

Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) celebrates after scoring against Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 8, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Edmonton Oilers right wing Vasily Podkolzin (92) checks Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore (27) into the boards during the third period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 8, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) — Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) celebrates after scoring against Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 8, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Audio By Carbonatix

12:33 AM on Monday, March 9

By MARK ANDERSON

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Vasily Podkolzin, Leon Draisaitl and Kasperi Kapanen scored in the third period and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 on Sunday night to tighten the Pacific Division race.

The Golden Knights, with 72 points, missed a chance to go back in front of Anaheim, which remained at 73 after the Ducks lost 4-0 at home to St. Louis. Third-place Edmonton has 70.

Vegas has lost five of six games, and the Oilers had dropped six of eight going into this meeting.

Trent Frederic also scored for the Oilers, and Connor Ingram made 24 saves. Connor McDavid had two assists and Evan Bouchard had one to extended their points streak to seven games.

Noah Hanifin and Jack Eichel scored for Golden Knights. Mitch Marner had two assists and Adin Hill stopped 15 shots.

Vegas winger Brett Howden played for the first time in two months. He had been out with a lower-body injury.

The teams traded goals in the second period, but a goal from Golden Knights winger Keegan Kolesar was successfully challenged by the Oilers.

Then in the third, Podkolzin scored an unassisted goal on a breakaway off a faceoff to put the Oilers ahead 2-1 just 2:34 into period. Draisaitl's goal with 8:07 remaining came after Eichel failed to clear the puck out of his zone because teammate Rasmus Andersson's broken stick was in the way.

Eichel scored a short-handed goal from the right circle with 3:16 left to cut the deficit to one. Then, Kapanen ended just about any doubts with an empty-netter with 1:57 remaining.

Up next

Oilers: At Colorado on Tuesday night.

Golden Knights: At Dallas on Tuesday night.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL