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The Edmonton Oilers rallied for four goals in the third period to end a three-game losing streak with a 6-3 win over the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Thursday.

It was the first time the Oilers have beaten the Devils in regulation on the road since Feb. 9, 2015, with 11 of their last 13 games played in New Jersey being decided by one goal, and eight of those games requiring extra time.

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That puts New Jersey on a three-game losing streak of their own, all coming on home ice, as Edmonton improved to 14-15-1 as they wrap up a three-game pre-Christmas road trip against the Eastern Conference-leading New York Rangers on Friday (5:30 p.m., Sportsnet).

PICKARD PERFECT

Calvin Pickard made 23 saves for his second win in four starts this season, both of which have come against the Devils.

He previously recorded a 4-1 win over New Jersey on Dec. 10, stopping 26 of 27 for his first NHL win in almost two years.

New Jersey netminder Akira Schmid was chased barely five minutes in after surrendering two goals on six shots. Vitek Vanecek made 28 saves in relief.

It was the fourth goalie change made this year by the Devils, tied for second most in the NHL.

Pickard, meanwhile, came into the game with a record of 3-0-0 and a .98 goals-against average in career starts against the Devils, including one of his four career shutouts.

But he wasn’t able to add an eighth Thursday, after Dawson Mercer put New Jersey on the board on a three-on-two at 13:14 from Michael McLeod, brother of Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan McLeod. It was the first time the McLeod brothers both earned points in the same game.

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FAST START

The Oilers scored on their first shot 24 seconds into the opening period, when Sam Gagner slid the puck across the crease to Ryan McLeod for his first of two on the night. It was Edmonton’s seventh goal of the season that came inside the first two minutes.

It was the newly formed line of Gagner, Ryan McLeod and Mattias Janmark, who hustled behind the New Jersey net to force a costly turnover by Luke Hughes.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who finished with a goal and an assist as he was bumped up to the top line, picked up the rebound off a point shot by Mattias Ekholm to go ahead 2-0 on the goal that chased Schmid.

SHOOTING GALLERY

Despite outshooting the Devils 18-6 in the second period, it was New Jersey scoring the only two goals of the frame.

They tied it 2-2 just 1:39 into the second period on a point shot through traffic from Jonas Siegenthaler for his first of the season, with Michael McLeod earning another assist.

But it wasn’t just on the scoreboard where his effects were felt.

Coming into this one, Michael McLeod had won 39 of his last 43 faceoffs for to set a high watermark in the NHL since the statistic began begin tracked 25 years ago.

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New Jersey took their first lead of the night, fending off the Oilers attack at one end to earn another three-on-two rush down the other end, where Timo Meier made it 3-2 on a sharp angle shot. It was his first goal since Nov. 14, prior to getting injured.

OPEN THE FLOODGATES

Connor McDavid picked up a rebound off a Nugent-Hopkins shot, before displaying the patience of a saint until the lane was cleared to tie it 3-3 at 1:40.

With a goal and an assist Thursday, McDavid has now recorded at least a point in 22 of his 28 games played this season, after seeing his point streak of 12 games (seven goals, 21 assists) end in a 3-1 loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday.

Just 42 seconds later, Leon Draisaitl picked off a pass by the Devils’ Kevin Bahl before firing a backhand over Vanicek’s glove to reclaim the lead, 4-3.

It was the 100th time McDavid and Draisaitl scored in the same game.

Adam Erne, making a rare appearance off the healthy-scratch list, then made it three goals on four shots in 69 seconds to open third-period scoring for the Oilers as he drove to the net and slid it far post to go ahead 5-3.

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It was his first game since Nov. 28, his first goal of the season and first goal in 25 games. And the fastest three goals the Oilers have scored in more than 13 years, dating back to 2010 in Chicago against the then-defending champion Blackhawks.

Ryan McLeod then added his second of the game on Edmonton’s sixth shot 9:04 into the third period for the 6-3 final.

THIS ‘N’ THAT

Oilers defenceman Cody Ceci turned the big 3-0 on Thursday … New Jersey defenceman Colin Miller missed the game as his wife was in labour at the time of the opening puck drop … It was the first healthy scratch of the season for Oilers forward Connor Brown, who had what would have been his first goal of the season called back upon review the last time Edmonton faced the Devils … Edmonton went 0-2 on the power play but didn’t take a penalty … All four lines scored for the Oilers.

E-mail: [email protected]

On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge

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