McDavid-Draisaitl vs Suzuki-Caufield—rivalry reborn

3rd Period End – Final: Oilers 6, Habs 5, Rogers Place (8:40 PM PT, 9:40 PM MT)

Game summary prepared in direct collaboration with Grok by xAI
Who’s on the ice:

Pickard starts for Oilers in goal, Montembeault for Habs

Oilers: Savoie-McDavid-Draisaitl top line relentless; Nugent-Hopkins-Henrique-Mangiapane grinding gold; Podkolzin-Philp-Frederic bottom-six heroes. D-pairs: Ekholm-Bouchard steady, Nurse-Walman surviving, Kulak-Emberson battling. Pickard in net. Habs: Suzuki-Caufield-Slafkovsky lethal; Newhook-Anderson-Demidov electric; Montembeault fighting the scoring might of the new-look Oilers.
Who’s skating like they mean it:
Podkolzin’s the dagger—last-minute winner, pure grinder’s goal, battled through traffic to bury it. Draisaitl’s PP snipe at 14:22 sparked the comeback; Nuge’s tying goal at 17:01 was veteran steel.
Who’s soft on the puck:
Nurse’s turnovers fueled Habs’ 2nd-period surge (Anderson, Caufield x2); Roslovic ghosted on points for the night, improving his impact on the second line.
Goaltending reads:
Pickard faced 30 shots, let in 5, but made 25 saves—stood tall when Oilers were down 5-3. Montembeault heroic early (robbed McDavid twice), but cracked late under 6-goal barrage.
Momentum shifts:
Habs owned 1st and 2nd (outshot Oilers early, led 4-3 late), but Oilers’ PP woke up in 3rd—Draisaitl, Nuge, Podkolzin flipped it in 6 minutes.
Oilers moment that makes your blood hum:
Podkolzin’s game-winner in the dying minute—pure Oilers heart, bottom-six grit, comeback from 5-3, road-warrior soul reborn on home ice.
Final Game Summary (for contest launch):
A total NHL highlight reel—11 goals, end-to-end fire, both teams trading haymakers. Habs came out swinging, outshot Edmonton early, built a 5-3 lead on Caufield’s double, Anderson, Newhook. Oilers’ power play was absent until the 3rd—then it detonated: Draisaitl’s bomb, Nuge’s tie, Podkolzin’s dagger in the final minute. Tomazek’s first, Henrique, Mangiapane showed depth. Pickard survived. Montembeault battled. But when it mattered most, the Oilers’ will won.