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Oilers defeat Ducks in OT thriller, take over top spot in Pacific Division

Detroit Red Wings v Edmonton Oilers

EDMONTON, AB - MARCH 4: Leon Draisaitl #29, Connor McDavid #97 and Darnell Nurse #25 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrate a goal against the Detroit Red Wings on March 4, 2017 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images)

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The Stanley Cup playoffs don’t start for another few weeks, although the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks didn’t play Saturday’s game like it was just ‘one of 82' in the regular season.

No. This was for top spot in the Pacific Division.

These teams went toe-to-toe, and it was the Oilers emerging victorious with a 3-2 overtime win after yet another sensational performance from their generational talent Connor McDavid.

The Oilers and Ducks are tied with 97 points, however the Oilers have the tiebreaker with more regulation and overtime wins, and move into first in the Pacific.

If the regular season ended right now, it would be the Oilers and Calgary Flames in the first round of the playoffs, which would be something special for old rivals and fan bases that have endured plenty of losing and embarrassment in recent years.

Milan Lucic tied the game with less than two minutes remaining in regulation thanks to a power play goal.

Leon Draisaitl scored the winner off a two-on-one rush on a perfect set up from McDavid, who had three points tonight and now has 94 on the season. He turned 20 years old in January.

With four games remaining on the Oilers’ schedule, hitting the 100-point mark definitely seems possible for McDavid.

There was additional bad news for the Ducks tonight.

Defenseman Sami Vatanen left the game midway through the second period with an upper-body injury and did not return.