Moreau, Hemsky power Oilers to 6-3 win

(L-R) Denis Grebeshkov #37, Lubomir Visnovsky #71, Ales Hemsky #83, Dustin Penner #27 and Shawn Horcoff #10 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrate a second period goal against the Phoenix Coyotes at Rexall Place on January 18, 2009. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

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GAME CENTRE

Pre-Game Info Preview Game Notes Head-to-Head Stats Comparison Video interviews Audio Interviews Photo Galleries Click here for the Anderson retirement ceremony photo gallery Click here for photos of the game Post-Game Video Video Highlights   Post-game comments from Dustin Penner, Ethan Moreau, Ales Hemsky, Ladislav Smid & Craig MacTavish Post-game comments from the Phoenix Coyotes Post-Game Podcast Ethan Moreau Ladislav Smid Dustin Penner Ales Hemsky Craig MacTavish Three Stars Ales Hemsky, EDM - Two goals in first game back from injury. Ethan Moreau, EDM - Recorded first hat-trick of the season Dustin Penner, EDM - Game-winning goal Update With the win, Edmonton improves to 23-19-3 and jumps into eighth spot in the Western conference, one point above ninth-place Columbus. What's Next Edmonton continues their six-game homestand Tuesday, January 20 vs. Columbus. Game time is 7:00pm MST.

by Jen Sharpe | edmontonoilers.com

In an inspiring, emotional, and historic pre-game ceremony, the Oilers honoured six-time Stanley Cup champion and franchise hero Glenn Anderson by retiring his #9. In November 2008, Anderson joined an elite group of Oilers in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and Sunday evening he was reunited with those players on the ice of Rexall Place to watch his number rise to the rafters.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE RETIREMENT CEREMONY

With Glenn Anderson's #9 displayed proudly above them, Captain Ethan Moreau scored a hat-trick and Ales Hemsky added two of his own to help give Edmonton a 6-3 win over Phoenix. Dustin Penner scored Edmonton's other goal, Andrew Cogliano earned three assists, and Dwayne Roloson stopped 25 shots for the win.

FIRST PERIOD

Gretzky's Coyotes assumed a 5-1 shot lead in the first five minutes of the game, but it would take a solid post and a sixth shot to give the club a lead where it counts. After center Kyle Turris rang the puck off Dwayne Roloson's post, Keith Yandle snapped up the rebound and fired it into an open net to put the visitors up 1-0.

Three minutes and three Oilers shots later, the home team tied the game. After blueliner Tom Gilbert tested Ilya Bryzgalov with a slapshot from the high slot, Captain Ethan Moreau was in the perfect position to convert the rebound into an equalizer.

Another three minutes and another three shots gave the Oilers their first lead of the game. In his first game back from injury, Ales Hemsky powered up the right wing, cut towards the net, and backhanded the puck past Bryzgalov to put Edmonton up 2-1 at 11:53.

The teams matched eachother shot for shot through to the final minute of the first. At that point, Edmonton's Captain gave the home team a two-goal lead with his second of the game. After receiving a cross-ice pass from Gilbert, Marc Pouliot sent the puck flying at the net. Moreau caught a piece of the disk and fooled Bryzgalov with the tip-in to give the Oilers a 3-1 lead heading into the second period.

SECOND PERIOD

Early in the middle frame, Phoenix's Enver Lisin was called for interference, offering Edmonton the game's first powerplay. Despite owning the man-advantage, the Oilers struggled to gain some momentum and failed to post a powerplay shot.

With both clubs at full strength, the Coyotes got back within one. A behind-the-net pass courtesy of Steven Goertzen flew to Turris then Daniel Carcillo and then across the goal line to set the score at 3-2.

As the game approached its midway point, Phoenix erased Edmonton's lead. Shortly after Ed Jovanovski completed his high-sticking minor, he helped set up Peter Mueller for the goal that tied the game at three.

But thanks to Dustin Penner, the tie game wouldn't last long. From behind the goal line, Shawn Horcoff sent the puck out to Penner in the slot, and the towering center directed it over Bryzgalov's right shoulder to put the Oilers on top 4-3.

Fisticuffs between Ladislav Smid and Carcillo erupted in the Oilers zone after the goal, resulting in fighting majors to both players. With two seconds left in the period, a Coyotes bench minor for too many men ensured the Oilers would start the third period with their third powerplay of the game.

THIRD PERIOD

A handful of exciting scoring opportunities resulted in the Oilers tallying the first four shots of the third period. Near the three-minute mark, Smid was pushed awkwardly into the boards, triggering quick action from trainer Ken Lowe and a shoving match between the rest of the players on the ice. After a minute or so, Smid skated off without assistance and returned to the ice a few shifts later.

In the final 10 minutes of regulation, Lubomir Visnovsky earned a tripping penalty to give the Coyotes their first powerplay of the game, but Roloson and his penalty killers resisted the five-on-four.

With less than two minutes left in the game, Hemsky snapped his second of the game past Bryzgalov. The goalie was pulled in favour of six Coyotes skaters after the goal, and with 0.4 seconds left on the clock, Moreau notched an open-net marker for his third of the game and first hat trick of the season. The late goals sealed a 6-3 victory for the Oilers.