Every game on this road trip has been a grind, and the Garden would be no different for the Oilers on Sunday night.

Edmonton would give up the only goal of the middle frame to Will Cuylle exactly five minutes into the period to make it 1-1 when Vincent Trocheck’s pass off the rush in front to the winger slid precariously through the five-hole of Stuart Skinner, sitting inches away from the goal line before Brett Kulak’s attempted last-gasp clearance ended up hitting the stick of Ty Emberson to send it back towards goal for Cuylle to get a second crack at pushing in the equalizer.

The Oilers came into Sunday’s meeting with the Rangers having played five straight one-goal games, with their two losses to Buffalo and New Jersey on this four-game road trip seeing them hold slender 2-1 leads entering the final 20 minutes. Tonight would be another close one following Cuylle’s tying goal and Edmonton’s lack of finish on only six second-period shots and 18 through 40 minutes.

Vasily Podkolzin was having an active game showing his tenacity on the forecheck that nearly resulted in a first-period goal for Viktor Arvidsson, but the Russian winger helped create a great chance in the second period finding Nugent-Hopkins alone in front for a wide-open look that the longest-tenured Oiler put just wide of the far post on Shesterkin.

That line of Podkolzin, Nugent-Hopkins and Arvidsson buzzing for the Blue & Orange, and the setting was there for the trio to have a big impact on the scoreline in the final period with the game in the balance tied at 1-1 after 40 minutes.