Thursday, March 18, 2010
Times Web Design
Commercial Printing
Rainy River Record
FortFrances.TV
Oilers pull out narrow win
Tuesday, 6 January 2009 - 1:43pm
Edmonton’s win came less than a week after Ottawa snapped a 12-game road skid at Rexall Place.
“We just couldn’t lose this game,” Cogliano said. “When a team comes in the way they did, you have to win it.
“It was a big win for us and a confidence boost going into our next game against the Canucks, which I feel is one of our biggest games of the season,” he added. “Some mental errors set us back at the beginning but we found a way to get through it.”
Fourth-liners Kyle Brodziak and Jason Strudwick also scored for the Oilers (19-16-3), who now have won five of their last seven, and four of their last five at home to improve to 8-6-3 at Rexall Place.
Oilers’ head coach Craig MacTavish felt the fourth unit, which includes Zack Stortini, made a crucial impact yesterday.
“They played a really simple game and got a lot done tonight,” he said. “It was a good lesson for everyone. It doesn’t have to be pretty all of the time. They did a great job to help us come back and win the game.
“They typify what a fourth line should be.”
Strudwick, a journeyman forward who also has played defence for the Oilers this season, agreed their two goals weren’t pretty.
“It was just one of those games that it was going to be ugly goals that won it and luckily enough our line was able to produce them,” he said. “It let the other lines just play their game, which is what we needed at the time.”
The Oilers moved into a tie for eighth place in the Western Conference with Minnesota.
Kyle Okposo and Blake Comeau replied for the Islanders (12-25-4), who now have lost 15 of their last 17 overall to sit last in the NHL standings.
“That was a winnable game and it slipped away from us,” said Islanders’ captain Bill Guerin. “Give them credit, they hung in there, too. It was one of those games where whoever’s going to stick around longest and not break, and catch a break is going to win and that’s what happened.”
New York netminder Joey MacDonald said fate just didn’t seem to favour his team on the night.
“That first goal was an innocent play, went through the crease and off a skate and into the net, and then the second goal was the same thing, off another skate,” he noted. “Just two unlucky bounces for us.
“You take them out of it and it’s a win for us..”
Islanders’ head coach Scott Gordon didn’t see the point in criticizing his squad.
“We didn’t obviously get any calls,” he said. “Tim Jackman goes in, which should obviously be a power play for us, doesn’t get the call. They go opposite end and Joey gets run, no call.
“A goal gets kicked in, they rule it didn’t get kicked in, it looks like it was kicked in to me.
“We played a good game,” he stressed.
The N.Y. Rangers blanked Pittsburgh 4-0 in the only other NHL game last night.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
EDMONTON—There seems to be no such thing as an easy two points for the Edmonton Oilers—even when they’re at home against a struggling team.
The N.Y. Islanders looked like they were going to end a 12-game road losing streak at Edmonton’s expense before Andrew Cogliano’s third period goal helped the Oilers fight back from a rough start to earn a 3-2 victory last night.
“We just couldn’t lose this game,” Cogliano said. “When a team comes in the way they did, you have to win it.
“It was a big win for us and a confidence boost going into our next game against the Canucks, which I feel is one of our biggest games of the season,” he added. “Some mental errors set us back at the beginning but we found a way to get through it.”
Fourth-liners Kyle Brodziak and Jason Strudwick also scored for the Oilers (19-16-3), who now have won five of their last seven, and four of their last five at home to improve to 8-6-3 at Rexall Place.
Oilers’ head coach Craig MacTavish felt the fourth unit, which includes Zack Stortini, made a crucial impact yesterday.
“They played a really simple game and got a lot done tonight,” he said. “It was a good lesson for everyone. It doesn’t have to be pretty all of the time. They did a great job to help us come back and win the game.
“They typify what a fourth line should be.”
Strudwick, a journeyman forward who also has played defence for the Oilers this season, agreed their two goals weren’t pretty.
“It was just one of those games that it was going to be ugly goals that won it and luckily enough our line was able to produce them,” he said. “It let the other lines just play their game, which is what we needed at the time.”
The Oilers moved into a tie for eighth place in the Western Conference with Minnesota.
Kyle Okposo and Blake Comeau replied for the Islanders (12-25-4), who now have lost 15 of their last 17 overall to sit last in the NHL standings.
“That was a winnable game and it slipped away from us,” said Islanders’ captain Bill Guerin. “Give them credit, they hung in there, too. It was one of those games where whoever’s going to stick around longest and not break, and catch a break is going to win and that’s what happened.”
New York netminder Joey MacDonald said fate just didn’t seem to favour his team on the night.
“That first goal was an innocent play, went through the crease and off a skate and into the net, and then the second goal was the same thing, off another skate,” he noted. “Just two unlucky bounces for us.
“You take them out of it and it’s a win for us..”
Islanders’ head coach Scott Gordon didn’t see the point in criticizing his squad.
“We didn’t obviously get any calls,” he said. “Tim Jackman goes in, which should obviously be a power play for us, doesn’t get the call. They go opposite end and Joey gets run, no call.
“A goal gets kicked in, they rule it didn’t get kicked in, it looks like it was kicked in to me.
“We played a good game,” he stressed.
The N.Y. Rangers blanked Pittsburgh 4-0 in the only other NHL game last night.