McDavid has 3 points in 3rd as Oilers beat Avalanche 6-3

DENVER — Connor McDavid tried to sneak one in off Semyon Varlamov in the second period, but the Colorado goalie was too quick.

The budding Edmonton star got the better of Varlamov early in the third and sent the Oilers to another win.

McDavid extended his scoring spree with a goal and two assists in the final period, Milan Lucic had four points and the Oilers beat the Avalanche 6-3 on Wednesday night.

The NHL’s leading scorer, McDavid has four goals and four assists in Edmonton’s three-game winning streak.

“The team’s playing well, that’s all that matters,” said the 19-year-old McDavid, who has 27 points. “When the team plays well everyone can generate off that and I think a lot of guys have done a great job of contributing. It’s been a team effort over these last three games.”

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The Oilers, who had not won this season when trailing after two periods, were behind 3-2 entering the third but scored three times in the first 7:25. Lucic tied it 32 seconds in when he knocked in McDavid’s shot on Varlamov.

McDavid gave Edmonton a 4-3 lead when his shot from the backboards went off Varlamov and in at 6:35. The second-year centre then assisted on Leon Draisaitl’s goal 55 seconds later.

“I tried to do that in the second period but it took a little too long for it to develop and he did a good job of getting back,” McDavid said, referring to his goal. “This time it was kind of a bang-bang play, just tried to put it there and hopefully go off something.”

Draisaitl also had an assist, Jordan Eberle netted two goals and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored for Edmonton. Lucic finished with a season-high three assists, and Cam Talbot made 25 saves.

“We talked about taking the puck to the net more and when we started doing that good things started to happen,” Lucic said. “It’s a big step for us to take to be able to come back from behind and get a big win on this road trip.”

The Avalanche took eight penalties and gave up two power-play goals.

“We’re taking too many,” coach Jared Bednar said. “The worst penalty kills are the teams that take the most penalties, and that’s where we’re at. You’re trying to ask a team to kill five, six, seven penalties a game. It’s not going to happen. No team does that.”

After Nathan MacKinnon and Nugent-Hopkins traded goals 2:55 apart in the first period, the Avalanche took a 2-1 lead when Rene Bourque scored the first of his two goals on a delayed penalty at 17:19.

Eberle’s power-play goal at 19:49 tied it 2-all. It was his sixth of the season.

Bourque’s second goal of the night came 2 seconds after Andrej Sekera’s boarding minor expired and gave Colorado a 3-2 lead.

Varlamov made 35 saves for Colorado.

NOTES: Eberle has 24 points in 27 career games against Colorado. … Avalanche LW Gabriel Landeskog turned 24 and missed his fourth straight game with a lower-body injury. He skated in the morning and is scheduled to do so again Thursday. The Avalanche hope to have him back Saturday against Vancouver. … Colorado forward Jarome Iginla took two minor penalties and surpassed 1,000 penalty minutes for his career. He is the ninth player in NHL history to have 600 goals and 1,000 penalty minutes.

UP NEXT

Oilers: Play at Arizona on Friday night.

Avalanche: Host Vancouver on Saturday night.

The Associated Press