Brendan Shinnimin scored the game-winning goal with just 32.2 seconds remaining in overtime to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 5-4 victory Wednesday over the Edmonton Oil Kings at Rexall Place.
The Americans (35-11-0-1, 71 points), 4-0 against the Central Division, trail the Kamloops Blazers by one point in the race for the Scotty Munro trophy, given to the team with the best record in the WHL.
The Oil Kings (32-11-2-4, 70 points), who lead the Eastern Conference, saw their three-game win streak come to an end.
"It was a good hockey game," Tri-City coach Jim Hiller said. "Great chances both ways and both goalies were outstanding. We fought hard tonight. They were good. They had us on our heels at times, but we kept coming back."
The Americans led 4-3 early in the third with goals by Shinnimin and Malte Strmwall, but the Oil Kings came back with a goal by Martin Gernat to tie the score.
Edmonton, which outshot Tri-City 18-8 in the first, had a 1-0 lead to show for its efforts with a goal by T.J. Foster.
The Americans, who dropped to third in this week's CHL poll, bounced back in the second period, getting goals from Patrick Holland and Justin Feser.
Holland, taking the puck from Rimmer, went end to end and beat Edmonton goalie Laurent Brossoit between the pads to tie the score at 1. Brossoit finished with 39 saves.
Feser followed 39 seconds later, scoring just 7 seconds into a power play, to give Tri-City a 2-1 lead.
Griffin Reinhart scored twice in a span of 1:29 late in the second to put the Oil Kings out front 3-2.
Ty Rimmer, who had lost his last four starts, finished with 42 saves for Tri-City to pick up his 20th win of the season. Adam Hughesman and Zach Yuen added two assists each.
The Americans learned Tuesday that captain Mason Wilgosh will miss an undetermined amount of time with a lower-body injury.