Currie records first NHL career assists as Oilers top Senators

Josh Currie's first two career assists helped the visiting Edmonton Oilers to a 4-2 win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. The Oilers have won three of their last five (3-1-1) games, rebounding to top the Senators just a day after Edmonton dropped a 6-2 loss in Toronto. The Oilers' hopes of reaching the playoffs are still faint, though they move within seven points of a wild card spot in the Western Conference.

Ottawa lost its sixth straight game and has only a 3-13-0 record over its last 16 games. Playing in his just sixth career NHL game, Currie recorded assists on both the Oilers' first goal of the night, and then on Colby Cave's game-winner.

At 1:46 of the third period, Currie picked up a turnover near the Senators' blue line and then fired a well-placed pass to Cave in front of the Ottawa net. The goal was Cave's first in an Edmonton jersey, playing in his 15th game for the club since being claimed off waivers from the Bruins on Jan. 15. The Senators opened the scoring 13:59 into the first period. Chris Tierney snapped his 18-game scoreless drought by getting the final touch on a scramble for the puck in front of Edmonton's net.

At 6:47 of the second period, Currie sent a puck from behind the net that bounced off a defenseman's skate to Connor McDavid. The Oilers captain made a canny close-range move to beat Craig Anderson for McDavid's 33rd goal of the season. Sam Gagner scored later in the period to put Edmonton ahead. The goal was Gagner's third in seven games since being traded from Vancouver on Feb. 16.

The Senators narrowed the deficit thanks to an unlikely source, as Mark Borowiecki scored 7:15 into the third period. It was Borowiecki's first goal since Feb. 22, 2018, ending a span of 61 scoreless games for the veteran defenseman. Zack Kassian converted an empty-net goal for the Oilers' final score of the game.

Leon Draisaitl recorded an assist to extend his points streak to nine games. It was Draisaitl's 78th point of the season, establishing a new career high for the center. Mikko Koskinen made his ninth straight start for the Oilers, stopping 35 of 37 shots to earn the win. It was a solid bounce-back outing for Koskinen, who was pulled after allowing four goals on his first 16 shots in Wednesday's loss to the Maple Leafs.

--Field Level Media