Oilers' Nugent-Hopkins nets OT winner vs. Flyers

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Sunday, March 22, 2015
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EDMONTON, Alberta -- The Edmonton Oilers found some rare success in overtime and sent the fading Philadelphia Flyers to yet another loss.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored two goals, including the winner 2:46 into the extra period as the Oilers beat the Flyers 5-4 on Saturday night.

"It was definitely nice to get an overtime winner," Nugent-Hopkins said. "We haven't been too successful in extra time this season, so any time you get a chance to bury it you have to capitalize."

Teddy Purcell, Matt Hendricks and Jordan Eberle scored in regulation for the Oilers (20-39-13), who have won two of three.

Oilers forward Taylor Hall returned to the lineup after missing 23 of the previous 24 games and earned an assist on the winning goal.

"I felt pretty brutal at the start and improved as the game went on," he said. "My conditioning is fine, it's just when you get into a game it's hard to take deep breaths. When your mind is racing, it's hard to recover.

"By the end, I felt pretty good. I got better as the game wore on."

Claude Giroux netted two goals, and Ryan White and Michael Raffl also scored for the Flyers (29-29-16), who have lost four in a row and eight of nine.

"It's frustrating and disappointing not being able to find a way to win this game," Giroux said. "We did a lot of good things. We just have to be better."

The Flyers fell to 9-20-10 this season on the road.

"If we had an answer for that, we could correct it," said Flyers goalie Ray Emery, who got the start when Steve Mason came down with an illness shortly before the game. "We have a good record at home, but haven't been getting it done on the road."

Edmonton started the scoring just 51 seconds in. Eberle stole the puck from defenseman Nicklas Grossman behind the Flyers net and sent it in front to Nugent-Hopkins, who scored his 21st goal of the season past Emery.

The Flyers tied it 4:25 into the first period when Giroux scored his 20th goal with a quick wrist shot from the slot that beat Edmonton starter Ben Scrivens.

Philadelphia made it 2-1 with 8:00 to play in the first as Giroux sent a power-play shot through traffic for his second of the game.

Just 2:17 later, Nikita Nikitin's giveaway led to a 2-on-1 break for the Flyers that White finished to give Philadelphia a two-goal lead.

Edmonton got one back with 3:45 left in the opening frame when Purcell ripped in a one-timed drive.

The Oilers tied it 3-3 with 31 seconds remaining in the first as a rebound dropped in front of Hendricks on the doorstep, and he banged the puck past Emery.

Just 1:11 into the second, Edmonton regained the lead as Benoit Pouliot sprung Eberle, who scored with a backhand.

The Flyers tied it 4-4 at 46 seconds of the third period when Raffl scored on a hard wrist shot from the top of the circle.

NOTES: It was the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Flyers won the first game 4-1 in Philadelphia on Nov. 4. ... Edmonton captain Andrew Ference played in his 900th NHL game.