RALEIGH, N.C. _ For every team below the playoff cut line in the NHL, every regulation loss is a step toward missing the playoffs.
The Carolina Hurricanes, sitting below the playoff line, rallied late in regulation against the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday to avoid that kind of step. But the Canes were beaten 4-3 by the Oilers on Josh Archibald's goal at 3:57 of overtime.
Trailing with barely five minutes left in the third period, the Canes tied the score 3-3 on Sebastian Aho's second goal of the game. It came off a well-executed rush, Aho taking a pass from Andrei Svechnikov and beating goalie Mike Smith.
Smith made some big stops in overtime, snuffing out a chance by Aho. James Reimer took the loss for the Canes.
The Canes (33-21-4), after a 5-2 win Friday over the New Jersey Devils, were looking to claw back into wild-card playoff position with another home-ice win. Plus, the Oilers (32-21-6) are without injured center Connor McDavid, arguably the best player in the league.
But Canes coach Rod Brind'Amour was wary of the Oilers before the game, noting the loaded top line of Leon Draisaitl centering Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kailer Yamamoto. And his fears were well founded.
Draisaitl scored his 34th goal and assisted on a power-play goal by Yamamoto, his ninth in 18 games this season, for the Oilers. Josh Archibald scored 28 seconds after Yamamoto for Edmonton, which rolled into Raleigh off a 4-1 road win Saturday over the Florida Panthers. Archibald's eighth goal of the season gave the Oilers a 3-2 lead and he added the overtime winner.
Trevor van Riemsdyk scored 12 seconds into the game for the Canes for a quick 1-0 lead, and Aho converted a breakaway at 5:19 of the second period for a 2-1 lead. Aho, playing his 300th career game, extended his point streak to nine games.
It was van Riemsdyk's first goal of the season, off a shot from the right point, and Aho's 32nd _ both on primary assists from defenseman Jaccob Slavin.
Things were a bit nasty in the second period. Canes defenseman Haydn Fleury lost his stick in the Carolina zone but forward Nino Niederreiter handed him his stick. Niederreiter than got into a push-and-shove with Archibald, who finally hit Niederreiter in the face. Moments later, the Canes' Erik Haula jumped into it, grabbing Archibald.
Both Haula and Niederreiter were sent to the penalty box at 6:18 of the second, as was Archibald, leaving the Oilers on a power play. The Oilers didn't score but the momentum appeared to swing Edmonton's way.
Yamamoto scored after another Haula penalty, for hooking, in the second. Archibald soon lifted a shot past goalie James Reimer for a 3-2 lead at 15:01 of the second.
The Canes twice had chances to tie the score on power plays in the third period but was unable to convert. On the second, goalie Mike Smith made a sharp stop on a Ryan Dzingel shot in the slot.
