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Given the way they had been coughing up points at home, with just two wins in eight games at Rogers Place this year, the Edmonton Oilers have become outsiders in their own building.

When you only scored 15 goals in those eight games, honestly, people wouldn’t be surprised if you told them the Oilers just lost a practice 4-2.

So everyone knew that the hard-working New York Islanders would be in dire straits.

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What they didn’t know was that the Oilers would turn a certain victory into another nightmare in the third period. In their first home game since a 2-1 lead against the Vegas Golden Knights turned into a 4-2 loss last week, the Oilers blew a 3-1 lead in the last seven minutes of the third period against the Islanders.

It was both ugly and scary. But when Connor McDavid puts on the cape and decides this night is going Edmonton’s way, there’s not much the other guys can do about it. This is how the Oilers captain recorded a goal and three assists in a 4-3 overtime victory on Tuesday, bringing his record to 999 career points.

“We’re staying afloat,” McDavid said of the Oilers’ 8-7-1 run. “That’s not what we want to do (in the third period), but at the end of the day we find ways to win games. This is what we are supposed to do.

“I thought tonight was a snooze from the start on both sides, but nights like tonight you have to generate your own momentum and I thought we were able to get some things going. Obviously, we would like to close the game (in regulation), but we found a way in overtime.

It is now a virtual certainty that he will reach the milestone at home Thursday against the Nashville Predators.

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“I hope I don’t jinx it, but I have a feeling that (the chase to the 1,000) won’t happen in Toronto,” Draisaitl smiled. “Knock on wood. I hope I’m right. I’m sure he would love to do it in front of our home fans.

Four points from four goals to save the evening? Draisaitl, even though he is often on the same board as his captain, still marvels at what the captain is capable of.

“We’re not talking about greatness, we’re talking about legendary type stuff,” he said. “It’s fun to be a part of.”

The Oilers had things comfortably in hand Tuesday when Evan Bouchard scored 57 seconds into the third period and McDavid made it 3-1 at 10:19. But another third-period collapse sent the hosts into overtime. Anders Lee cut the score to 3-2 at 12:54, then tied it with a goaltender putback at 17:19.

McDavid then fed Draisaitl for the winner at 1:52 to save the night.

“You just have to keep going,” said Oilers forward Adam Henrique. “You want to try to step on them when you can and put the game away early, but it was a solid performance by (New York). It goes both ways sometimes, you have to find a way to keep pushing and sticking to your game and it paid off in the end.

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• The overtime goal would not have been possible, or would not have gone as smoothly, without Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman and Mattias Ekholm controlling the puck, wearing down the Islanders line and then switching to put the fresh legs of McDavid and Draisaitl there.

“They’re the ones who set the goal,” Draisaitl said. “Unfortunately, you don’t get on the scoresheet for that, but you wave the puck around for 50 seconds or a minute and you bring new players out and the puck ends up in the back of the net. It all certainly depends on the guys before us.

• For only the second time this season, the Oilers have scored on a power play in back-to-back games – one in Vancouver and one against the Islanders. It’s nothing compared to recent seasons, but it’s a step in the right direction after an inexplicably slow start to the PP.

“It’s getting better and better,” Draisaitl said. “I think our urgency is felt. We are receiving more and more searches online. We have to keep building it and chipping away at it and keep getting back to what we are capable of and what we expect of them.

LATE MOVES: Edmonton’s much-maligned penalty kill shut down two Islanders power plays in the first 22 minutes. It was only the second time in the last 10 games that the Oilers didn’t allow a goal due to the power play… The Islanders are decimated by injuries, notably those to Matthew Brazil and Anthony Duclair, but they are still arrived in Edmonton with a score of 3. -1-1 roll.

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