In other news … the Edmonton Oilers beat the Chicago Blackhawks.

On a night when almost the entire sports world was focused on a baseball diamond in Toronto, a game between the ninth- and 10th-place teams in the Western Conference didn’t have quite the same appeal, but the Oilers still gave their loyal fans something to cheer about.

Never mind Game 7, the struggling Oilers had Game 13 to worry about and while it was dicey for a while, they managed to take care of business with a 3-2 overtime decision.

Evan Bouchard, who’s had a rough go of things lately, was the three-on-three hero, scoring at 2:43 to give Edmonton its second win in the last five games (or fourth in the last 10, depending on how far back you want to trace the inconsistency).

If a guy ever needed a night like this, it was Edmonton’s much-maligned defenceman.

“Part of it is you have to learn and move on from it,” Bouchard said of his recent struggles. “This was far from a perfect game, I can definitely clean some things up, but I’m glad I got one to contribute offensively.”

Bouchard’s teammates, meanwhile, have seen enough of his game over the years, rising to the occasion in some of hockey’s most pressure-packed, high-stakes moments, that they are always going to be in his corner. A couple of stinkers in October isn’t going to change that.

“You guys can say what you want about him,” Oilers captain Connor McDavid told reporters after the game. “We know his best is among the very, very, very best. We have his back no matter what is going on. His play could be better, everyone’s play could be better, but I’m really happy for him to get that big goal and quiet some people a little bit.”

Head coach Kris Knoblauch has been giving Bouchard miles worth of leash in the hope that he can play his was out of the early-season mistakes that have been costing Edmonton goals and games. This is a start. A goal and an assist in 24:21 of ice time is just what they needed in a one-goal game.

“He’s able to put things behind him,” said Knoblauch. “I know his game is frustrating him. It’s not like he’s ‘Whatever,’ and shrugging his shoulders. That’s not the case with Evan. He feels, and so do we, that he can be one of the best defencemen in the NHL every night.

“He wasn’t playing like that. But tonight is more of what I’m familiar with. The power play went two-for-two and he has a lot to do with that, and he gets the overtime winner. He’s had a lot of attention about the mistakes he’s made, hopefully he feels good and gets some recognition for the overtime winner.”

Edmonton’s power play laid the ground work for this one, scoring twice (Leon Draisaitl and Jack Roslovic) to take a 2-1 lead into the third period. But closing out games has been a problem for a team that was just 4-0-2 when leading after two periods and just blew a two-goal third-period lead against the New York Rangers last game.

Sure enough, Chicago outshot Edmonton 11-4 in the third period and tied the game 3:19 into the final frame.

The Oilers were just 1-3 in overtime this season and 2-1-3 in one-goal games, so you had no idea what to expect in three-on-three, but Bouchard’s second goal of the season secured the win. In their last six games, the Oilers are win, loss, overtime loss, win, overtime loss and a win. So, yeah, their is still some tidying up to be done.

“We’re finding ways to get points,” said McDavid. “It hasn’t been very pretty but it’s October hockey, it’s a big scrambly, a bit emotionless at times. We have to find a way to bring some emotion to the game, get ourselves going a little bit during some of those lulls. But we’re finding ways to put points on the board and that’s what it’s all about.

“We’re not off to the best start of our lives but not off to the worst start, either. We’re hanging in there right now.”

LATE HITS — Draisaitl extended his consecutive-game points streak to eight games (six goals and six assists) with a two-point night … Connor McDavid assisted on all three Edmonton goals.
E-mail: rtychkowski@postmedia.com