EDMONTON — Before Saturday’s game at Rogers Place, Canadiens coach Claude Julien was asked how his team could stop the Edmonton Oilers’ dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who ranked 1-2 in the NHL scoring race.

“Same way we have with those kind of players that are on different teams,” Julien said. “We’re a team that all five guys have to be aware when they’re on the ice and know that they’re there. So it’s not a big secret. We know that if they have time and space they’re going to make something happen. So we got to play these guys tight.”

Another key part of Julien’s game plan: “Stay out of the box. I think it’s pretty obvious that they’ve got a really good power play. We’re a team that, obviously, plays fairly well five-on-five, so discipline is definitely going to be a key word here for this game tonight.”

Oilers coach Dave Tippett made things more difficult for the Canadiens when he decided to reunite McDavid and Draisaitl on the same line and they each scored a goal — McDavid’s was on the power play — as the Oilers beat the Canadiens 4-3. Josh Archibald and Riley Sheahan also scored for the Oilers.

Jeff Petry (short-handed), Phillip Danault (power play) and Max Domi scored for the Canadiens as they suffered their first loss in three games on this Western Canada road trip and saw their record fall to 17-13-6. The Canadiens also fell out of a playoff spot because the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers both won Saturday to move past them in the standings. The Canadiens are now fourth in the Atlantic Division, two points behind the Leafs and one point behind the Panthers.

The Canadiens and Oilers both had 26 shots and Carey Price saw his career record against Edmonton drop to 3-8-1.

The Oilers opened the scoring only 1:30 into the game when McDavid cut to the inside at centre ice and blew past defenceman Ben Chiarot to set up a two-on-one with Draisaitl. McDavid and Draisaitl combined for a perfect play, giving Price no chance to make a save. It was a two-on-one that could be used in a teaching video for kids.

As for Chiarot, he’s not the first — or the last — defenceman McDavid will make look bad with his blazing speed.

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The Oilers went up 2-0 when Archibald scored at 11:51 of the first period on a play that started when Domi failed to clear the puck out of the Canadiens’ zone. Things went to hell in the defensive zone after that and Mike Reilly showed why he’s been a healthy scratch so often this season as Archibald tipped in a pass from in front of the net. The video from that goal could be used to show kids how not to play team defence.

Petry got the Canadiens on the board at 14:19 of the first period, scoring short-handed on an innocent shot that never should have gone in, beating Mikko Koskinen to the glove side as the Oilers goalie only got a piece of the puck.

Shoot the puck, kids.

Danault tied it up 2-2 at 8:29 of the second period when he deflected a point shot by Petry for the first power-play goal of his career.

McDavid put the Oilers up 3-2 at 15:40 of the second period when he used his speed once again to burst through the middle and made a nice move to his forehand to beat Price for his 21st goal of the season. McDavid’s goal came with Jordan Weal in the box for his second tripping penalty of the game.

Domi tied it up 3-3 at 1:09 of the third period with a nice individual effort, scoring on another shot Koskinen probably should have stopped. Petry picked up an assist, giving him a three-point night. It was the second goal in two games for Domi, after his game-winner in overtime Thursday night in Calgary.

But it was Sheahan who scored the game-winner on this night for the Oilers, completing another two-on-one with a beautiful pass from Archibald at 7:48 of the third period.

At the end of the game McDavid (21-40-61) and Draisaitl (22-38-60) remained 1-2 in the NHL scoring race.

The Canadiens knew what they were getting into against the Oilers, they just failed to follow the game plan.

The Canadiens will wrap up their Western Canada road trip Monday in Winnipeg against the Jets (8 p.m., TSN2, TSN3, RDS, TSN 690 Radio).

scowan@postmedia.com

twitter.com/StuCowan1

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