McDavid, Draisaitl each score twice as Oilers dominate Golden Knights to even series | CBC Sports

Connor McDavid scored twice, including a short-handed goal, for the visiting Edmonton Oilers in a 5-1 win Saturday over the Vegas Golden Knights to even their playoff series at a win apiece.

McDavid also had an assist for a three-point night at T-Mobile Arena.

The record for playoff goals in a single season is 19 held jointly by Philadelphia Flyer Reggie Leach (1976) and Oiler Jari Kurri (1985).

The best-of-seven Pacific Division final switches to Edmonton for Monday’s Game 3 and Wednesday’s Game 4.

WATCH | McDavid gives Oilers 3-0 lead with outstanding short-handed goal:

McDavid’s sweet shorty leads Oilers to dominating Game 2 victory

Edmonton defeats Vegas 5-1 to even their second-round series at 1-1. Oilers captain Connor McDavid scores twice, including an outstanding short-handed goal in the opening period, and finishes with three points.

Game 5 will be Friday back in Las Vegas. The Knights took the series opener 6-4.

Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard scored a power-play goal and assisted on two others.

Edmonton went 3-for-6 with a man advantage and held the Knights scoreless on three power-play chances.

Edmonton’s Zach Hyman was an effective disrupter in front of the Vegas crease. The forward contributed a pair of assists as did Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner made 30 saves in the win, including a stop on Chandler Stephenson on a breakaway midway through the second period.

Knights goaltender Laurent Brossoit was swapped out for Adin Hill late in the second period after Edmonton’s fifth goal on 26 shots. Hill turned away four of four shots in relief.

Barbashev batted a Mark Stone backhand pass out of the air and past Skinner at 1:36 of the third period for Barbashev’s third goal in two games.

McDavid scored his second of the game and Edmonton’s third power-play goal at 11:43 of the second period.

The captain threaded a sharp-angle shot through a small opening between Brossoit and his right post for McDavid’s fifth of the playoffs.

The game getting out of reach for Vegas, a skirmish involving all players on the ice broke out late in the second.

Edmonton’s Evander Kane punched Knights’ winger Keegan Kolesar several times during that fray that produced five minor penalties, two majors and Kane’s misconduct.

Kane and Kolesar tangled again with just over five minutes remaining in the third period when Kolesar took a misconduct.

The Oilers led 4-0 after the opening period on power-play goals by Draisaitl and Bouchard, McDavid’s short-hander and Draisaitl’s second goal.

McDavid appeared to be checking his left ankle or leg after going down by the boards at the end of the first period, but the NHL’s leading scorer this season continued to be a thorn in the side of the Vegas defence.

Vegas challenged Draisaitl’s second goal for goaltender interference, but Knights’ defenceman Nicolas Hague shoved Hyman into Brossoit as Draisaitl fired the puck into the open net.

McDavid knocked the puck away from Knights defenceman Shea Theodore at the blue line and took it the Vegas net, where McDavid tucked it under Brossoit’s left pad at 11:11 for a short-handed goal.

The Knights killed off the minor penalty for losing the challenge on Draisaitl’s second goal, but Edmonton’s power-play had already done damage with a pair of goals.

Bouchard scored on a slapshot at 7:01. Draisaitl to the right of Brossoit chipped it over the scrambling goaltender at 2:12.