Edmonton Oilers Beat Tampa Bay Lightning For First Win of Season

Oct 20, 2014; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Tampa Bay Lightning right wing

(24) battles for the puck with Edmonton Oilers left wing

(4) during the first period at Rexall Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz- USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins fired the game-winner with less than four minutes to play as the Edmonton Oilers picked up their first win of the season by beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 Monday night.

An errant pass by Ondrej Palat in the Lightning’s zone was picked off by Jordan Eberle who set up Nugent-Hopkins to fire a low wrister past Ben Bishop with 3:25 to play.

The Lightning had tied the game just 2:20 earlier when Brett Connolly’s one-timer off of a Tyler Johnson feed knotted the game at 2-2.

Bishop made 20 saves for the Lightning while Scrivens made 22.

Jonathan Drouin made his NHL debut tonight in place of the injured Alex Killorn, who had fallen awkwardly in practice earlier in the day. Drouin finished the game with 16:10 of ice-time, one shot, a block and a -1 +/-.

After a scoreless first period, Brian Boyle opened his account in a Lightning sweater by beating Scrivens from a parallel angle 1:21 into the second as his backhander hit a skate and flew behind Scrivens’ back into the goal.

Justin Schultz tied the game at 4:36 as he skated in off the right boards and fired a backhander that flew past Bishop’s right shoulder into the corner of the net.

Edmonton took a 2-1 lead into the intermission as Taylor Hall scored on a penalty shot with 5:03 left in the period. After Matt Carle brought Hall to the ice and was called for hooking, Hall skated in and slid a backhander five-hole to give the Oilers a 2-1 lead.

Tampa Bay thought they had taken a 1-0 lead in the first period when Connolly’s shot found the back of the net but it was waved off due to a dubious goalie interference call.

Ryan Callahan left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury and did not return. Mark Barberio played his first game of the season in place of the injured Victor Hedman.

Both sides went 0-for-2 on the power play. Brenden Morrow picked up his first point of the season on Boyle’s goal.

Tampa Bay are in action again Wednesday night when they face the Oilers arch-rival Calgary Flames.