Kane scores hat trick to help Oilers double up Avalanche, clinch playoff spot

Evander Kane had three goals and an assist and Connor McDavid had three assists as the Edmonton Oilers clinched a playoff berth with a 6-3 victory over the visiting Colorado Avalanche on Friday.

Evan Bouchard, Kailer Yamamoto and Kris Russell also scored for the Oilers (46-26-6), who have won four in a row and improved to 12-0-1 in their last 13 games on home ice.

Valeri Nichushkin had two goals and Nathan MacKinnon also scored for the Western Conference-leading Avalanche (55-17-6). Colorado has dropped three in a row and lost for just the second time this season when leading after the first period.

Edmonton's penalty kill delivered by stopping a lengthy five-on-three advantage to start the second period. Momentum shifted the Oilers' way as a result, with McDavid dropping a pass to Kane, who swung behind the net and caught Colorado goalie Darcy Kuemper out of position on a wraparound.

The Oilers took the lead just 1:22 later as a Bouchard shot went high off the boards and off the top of the net before he followed up his own shot and batted it in.

WATCH l Kane's 4th career hat trick secures playoff spot for Oilers:

However, just 15 seconds later, Nichushkin scored his second of the game and 24th of the season on a wrist shot that beat Smith on the stick side.

Edmonton made it 3-2 eight minutes into the second period as Duncan Keith found Kane at the side of the net.

Kane recorded his fourth career hat trick with 5:46 left in the second period as he made a nice deke before his shot trickled over the line for his 20th goal in 39 games this season.

Edmonton padded its lead with nine minutes remaining as Yamamoto scored on a backhand spin-o-rama. McDavid's assist on the play gave him a league-leading 116 points on the season,