Oilers Beat Bruins 3-2 In OT
BOSTON -- Defenseman Andrej Sekera converted his own rebound 41 seconds into overtime as the Edmonton Oilers won their sixth game in a row and recorded the franchise's first win at TD Garden in almost two decades with a 3-2 decision over the Boston Bruins on Monday.
The Oilers, coming off their first 5-0 homestand since 1987, squandered a 2-0 lead but got 47 saves from backup goaltender Cam Talbot, who won for the first time since Oct. 29 in his second start since Nov. 14.
Sekera took a pass from right winger Jordan Eberle (goal, two assists) and had his shot blocked by defenseman Torey Krug. The puck came right back to Sekera, who got around right winger Landon Ferraro, picked up the puck and beat goaltender Jonas Gustavsson with his second goal of the season.
The puck never left the Bruins' zone in overtime.
The win gave the Oilers, whose new general manager, Peter Chiarelli, was dumped by the Bruins after last season, a sweep of the two-game series with the Bruins.
Talbot (4-8-1) recorded the first 40-save game of his career as the Oilers improved to 14-15-2 (7-2 in extra time) with their first win in Boston since Nov. 7, 1996.
Gustavsson, the Bruins' backup, made 21 saves as Boston fell to 16-9-4.
The Bruins tied the game on their 45th shot, with Ferraro coming over the blue line and setting up left winger Brad Marchand, whose 28-footer through a screen beat Talbot high on the stick side.
The Oilers challenged the play, saying defenseman Torey Krug was offside. But replays clearly showed Krug straddling the line and the goal counted.
Eberle scored one goal and set up center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for a power play goal to give the Oilers a 2-0 lead after one period, with Nugent-Hopkins also notching an assist on the winner.
Left winger Matt Beleskey got a soft one past Talbot to make it 2-1 at 13:29 of the second.
This was the third time this year the Bruins recorded at least 40 shots in a game, two of those games against Edmonton.
NOTES: Edmonton LW Taylor Hall was the NHL's second star for last week and came in with nine points in a four-game points streak. "This is probably the best I've felt and probably the most positive I've been in the last six years," he told the Edmonton Sun. "It's a nice feeling." ... Bruins RW David Pastrnak, who missed his 19th straight game with a broken left foot, has returned to practice but there is no timetable for his return to game action. ... Oilers D Oscar Klefbom was out with a finger injury and was replaced by recalled D Nikita Nikitin. ... The Oilers, who capped their 5-0 homestand with a 7-5 victory over the New York Rangers on Glen Sather Night last Friday, visit the Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks and Colorado Avalanche to round out this four-game trip. The Bruins have a home-and-home with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Wednesday in Boston and Friday in Pittsburgh. ... Former Bruins D Andrew Ference, just off IR with an undisclosed injury, missed his 18th of the last 19 games.
