Oilers fall to Avalanche 3-2 in overtime

Dustin Penner carries the puck in the Avalanche zone during Saturday's game at Rexall Place. Colorado beat Edmonton 3-2 in overtime. (photo by Andy Devlin/Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club)

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GAME CENTRE

Twitter Updates   Pre-Game Info Preview Game Notes Head-to-Head Stats Comparison Video interviews Audio Interviews In-Game Media Watch Robert Nilsson's 1st period goal 1st Intermission - Robert Nilsson Photo Gallery Click here for the photo gallery Post-Game Video Watch the highlights Post-game comments from Tom Gilbert, Sheldon Souray, Theo Peckham & Craig MacTavish The Other Side: Post-game comments from Paul Stastny, Chris Stewart, John-Michael Liles, and head coach Tony Granato Post-Game Podcast Theo Peckham Tom Gilbert Sheldon Souray Craig MacTavish Three Stars John-Michael Liles, COL - Game-winning goal + two assists Sheldon Souray, EDM - Goal & five shots Ryan Smyth, COL - Four shots Update With the lone point, Edmonton shares the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with Nashville. Both clubs are only one point ahead of Minnesota. What's Next Edmonton concludes their three-game homestand Tuesday, March 17 vs. St. Louis. It's St. Patrick's Day, and the game starts at 8:00pm MST.

by Jen Sharpe | edmontonoilers.com

With 5:20 to go in the third, Sheldon Souray scored to put his club on even terms with the Avs and back in familiar territory: overtime. But for the third straight game, the Oilers had to settle for a lone point by relinquishing the game-winner. John-Michael Liles scored in OT for Colorado, while Robert Nilsson and Sheldon Souray tallied Edmonton's two goals.

FIRST PERIOD

Three minutes into the game, Nilsson opened the scoring. From the left point, Nilsson slapped the puck on Peter Budaj. Although the goalie stopped that initial shot, the rebound went off Avs defenceman Brett Clark's skate and into the net for a 1-0 Oilers lead.

Edmonton nearly doubled its lead on the following face-off, but the swarming Oil were unable to push the puck over the line for a second goal. Then it was Ales Hemsky's turn, but Budaj turned away his breakaway backhand.

At 6:34, call-up Theo Peckham and Chris Stewart dropped their gloves in the Oilers zone. Peckham landed the first few punches, but Stewart countered with a pair of his own. After helmets and elbow pads were tossed to the ice and the linesmen moved in to end the duel, both players headed to their respective penalty boxes to serve their fighting majors.

With just under seven minutes left in the frame, Fernando Pisani earned a hooking penalty and the Avalanche earned the game's first powerplay. Although the Oilers killed the majority of the penalty and even managed a shorthanded two-on-one, the visitors found a way to beat Dwayne Roloson. From the corner of the crease, Darcy Tucker caught a rebound and fired it into the open net to tie the game at one.

The 1-1 game lasted until the end of the first, with Colorado carrying an 8-7 shot lead into the second period.

630 CHED's Dan Tencer talks to Robert Nilsson after the first period

SECOND PERIOD

The Avalanche tallied four shots vs. Edmonton's two in the first seven minutes of the middle frame. Near the game's midway point, Pisani headed back the penalty box for interference, but the Oilers refused to allow an Avs shot to stay on even terms.

With five minutes left in the frame, a tripping penalty to Colorado's Paul Stastny put Edmonton's powerplay unit on display for the first time. Unfortunately for the Oil, the man-advantage failed to result in a go-ahead goal and the 1-1 game continued until the end of the period.

THIRD PERIOD

A holding penalty to Sheldon Souray put the Oilers back on the penalty kill early in the third, and the Avs used the opportunity to take their first lead of the game. Less than a minute into the man-advantage, Statsny worked his way through the defence and wristed the puck past Roloson to set the score at 2-1.

Edmonton's offensive struggles continued following the goal: while the club posted one goal and six shots in the game's first five minutes, they added only eight more attempts in the following 45.

But, with only five minutes left in the game and 18 shots on the clock, Souray scored. From the top of the point, Souray directed his slapshot through traffic and just inside the post to tie the game at two.

10 seconds after the goal, Dustin Penner took a high-sticking minor but his teammates ensured he was able to serve the entire two minutes.

The 2-2 stalemate withstood the game's final minutes, and the Oilers headed to overtime for the third straight game.

OVERTIME

Only 42 seconds into OT, sudden death killed the Oilers hopes for two points. From a sharp-angle, John-Michael Liles snapped the puck past Roloson to secure a 3-2 OT win for the Avalanche.