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Edmonton Oilers foward Zach Hyman knocks down Colorado Avalanche defenceman Cale Makar in the first period at Ball Arena on Jan. 16, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. Photo by Matthew Stockman /Getty Images

By Robert Tychkowski

This game was supposed to have been decided six months ago.

The Edmonton Oilers were doomed to lose it back in July, when the NHL released its schedule.

Teams playing the seventh game of a 15-day road trip through four times zones, in the second of back-to-back games and their third game in four nights, don’t win that game.

Not at high altitude against Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche. Not after falling behind 3-0.

But in a season full of statements, the Oilers issued another one Thursday in Denver, turning a night when they had every excuse to shrug their shoulders and look for a soft spot on the canvas into one of the most impressive comeback wins you’re ever going to witness.

A day after coming back from 2-0 to beat the Minnesota Wild, the Oilers did one better in stunning the Avalanche 4-3 to continue a torrid 19-4-1 pace and move into a tie with Vegas for first place in the Pacific Division.

You have to think we’re watching something special here.

“(Falling behind) is not something we want to do, but we’re confident in our group when we are behind,” said defenceman Evan Bouchard, whose third-period game winner brought the Ball Arena to stunned silence.

“We didn’t quit. We know what we have, we know that we can score goals. A game like that, in a back-to-back, is going to be a tough game for us but we stuck with it and it paid off.”

The Oilers were down 1-0 on the second shot of the game, down 2-0 on the fourth shot of the game and down 3-0 on the fifth shot of the game.

They were dead and buried by the 11:48 mark of the first period. Three-nothing could have easily deteriorated into 6-0.

But if there is one thing we’ve come to learn about the Oilers is that they are never dead. Never buried.

And, sure enough, just when you thought they didn’t have another comeback win left in them, Viktor Arvidsson, Brett Kulak and Connor McDavid tie it before the end of the second period and Bouchard wins it in the third.

Unbelievable.

Head coach Kris Knoblauch has seen a lot of mettle from this team in the last two seasons and even he had to take a step back and shake his head.

“They don’t get rattled,” said Knoblauch. “A lot of that has to do with the experience of being together for a long time and last year’s playoffs. There were stressful times but there is a lot of confidence in that group.

“We’re down 3-0 playing a back-to-back against a very good hockey team and I like how they kept on pushing.”

The Oilers have become accustomed to falling behind early — this game marked the fourth time in the last five games that they’ve been behind 2-0 — and they’ve won three of them.

This was the topper.

“It was nice, we kept our composure,” said Kulak. “We liked how we were playing. They were putting pucks in the net, which is going to happen, they’re a good team, but we bounced back and we knew we had lots of game left to come back and even it up.”

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Forwards

1. Leon Draisaitl: 45 GP, 31 G, 36 A, 67 PTS

2. Connor McDavid: 42 GP, 20 G, 44 A, 64 PTS

3. Zach Hyman: 40 GP, 14 G, 11 A, 25 PTS

4. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins: 44 GP, 12 G, 14 A, 26 PTS

5. Connor Brown: 45 GP, 6G, 13 A, 19 PTS

Defenceman

1. Evan Bouchard: 45 GP, 8 G, 27 A, 35 PTS

2. Darnell Nurse: 42 GP, 4 G, 15 A, 19 PTS

3. Mattias Ekholm: 45 GP, 6G, 12A, 18 PTS

4. Brett Kulak: 45 GP, 6 G, 10 A, 16 PTS

Goalie

1. Stuart Skinner: 30 GP, 18-9-3, .902 SV%, 2.69 GAA
2. Calvin Pickard: 17 GP, 11-4-0, 0.897 SV%, 2.53 GAA

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Colorado Avalanche forward Logan O'Connor makes an attempt on goal against Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner in the second period at Ball Arena on Jan.16, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. Photo by Matthew Stockman /Getty Images

By David Staples

In a wild track meet of a game, with Colorado scoring the first three goals, then Edmonton the next four, the Oilers won 4-3 in Denver on Thursday night.

In total, the Grade A shots were 17 for the Oilers, eight for the Avs, with the subset of more dangerous 5-alarm shots nine for Edmonton, five for Colorado.

Connor McDavid, 8. One goal, one assist. He got it going on in the second, especially during a 63 second o-zone cycle where the Oilers weaved and dodged, make 17 passes, three shots, the last of them McD firing in a rebound shot. Missed the net on an early third period one-timer. Snapped a swell low-high pass to set up Bouchard for Edmonton’s fourth. Contributions/mistakes on Grade A shots (GAS): Even Strength +4/-2; Special Teams 1/0

Zach Hyman, 8. Seven Grade A shots. Bossed the game, taking it hard to the net all night. He tipped, then jammed two dangerous shots on net on Edmonton’s early power play. He took it hard to the net early in the second, almost scoring. Pounded two more shots on net on a second period power play. Another great bull rush in the third. GAS: ES +4/-1; ST 5/0

Leon Draisaitl, 8. Two assists. He set up Hyman in tight early on the power play, but Hyman couldn’t score. He lashed a harpoon on net off Corey Perry’s takeaway in the first, but again no goal. He got taken down hard by a nasty leg lock by Rantanen late in the first, but no penalty, as it’s now evidently open season on Oilers superstar forwards. He jumped on Hyman’s rush rebound early in the second. A huge part of the great o-zone cycle on Edmonton’s third goal. He turned the puck over to Makar for a 5-alarmer early in the third. Huge board battle victory to start off the Virtuous Cycle on Bouchard’s third period goal. GAS: ES +7/-1; ST 5/2

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 5. He dug the puck out of the d-zone corner early in the first, but right to Logan O’Connor, who took it to the net for the game’s first goal. He missed the net on a golden goose of an opportunity in the second. But was otherwise solid. GAS: ES +1/-1; ST 0/0

Vasili Podkolzin, 6. Played with confidence and intensity, throwing the odd Podzilla-like hit. He worked a give-and-go with RNH and Nurse early on, almost scoring on Edmonton’s first shot. A moment later he failed to shut down O’Connor on his goal-scoring swoop. GAS: ES +1/-1; ST 0/0

Viktor Arvidsson, 6. He was rewarded for all his hard work, pounding in a way outside shot late in the first for Edmonton’s first goal. Looked like he hurt his foot late in the game. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST 0/0

Adam Henrique, 6. Good work on a key third period power play. His line played solid shut-down hockey. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST 0/0

Connor Brown, 6. He showed some decent skill on this one. Charged up ice early in the third to rip a hard shot on net. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST 0/0

Mattias Janmark, 5. Took the puck coast-to-coast on a late PK rush, only to lose it and get slammed into the boards.  GAS: ES +0/-0; ST 0/0