Oilers succumb to Wild 3-2

Oilers and Wild players converge on Niklas Backstrom's net March 29, 2009 at Rexall Place. The Wild went on to beat the Oilers 3-2. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

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GAME CENTRE

Twitter Updates   Pre-Game Info Preview Game Notes Head-to-Head Stats Comparison Video interviews Audio Interviews Photo Gallery Click here for the photo gallery Post-Game Video Watch the highlights Post-game comments from Shawn Horcoff, Ales Kotalik, Sam Gagner, Dwayne Roloson & Craig MacTavish The Other Side: Post game comments from James Sheppard, Niklas Backstrom, and head coach Jacques Lemaire Post-Game Podcast Ales Kotalik Ethan Moreau Shawn Horcoff Sam Gagner Dwayne Roloson Craig MacTavish Three Stars Marian Gaborik, MIN - Game-winning goal + assist Owen Nolan, MIN - Two assists Ethan Moreau, EDM - Assist + four hits Update With the loss, the Oilers fall to 10th in the West, two points behind eighth place St. Louis, one behind Anaheim, and one ahead of Minnesota. What's Next Edmonton continues their six-game homestand Tuesday, March 31st vs. Anaheim. Game time is 7:30pm MDT.

by Jen Sharpe | edmontonoilers.com

Although Ales Kotalik revitalized his club with a goal late in the third period, it was too little, too late for the Oil. With 31 saves, Niklas Backstrom backstopped the Wild to a 3-2 victory Sunday night at Rexall Place. Fernando Pisani scored Edmonton's first goal, while Dwayne Roloson stopped 18 shots in the loss.

FIRST PERIOD

Five minutes into the game, Oilers captain Ethan Moreau was assessed a tripping penalty, and though the club killed that initial man-advantage, they couldn't keep the Wild off the board afterwards.

Only two seconds after the return of five-on-five, Marian Gaborik fired a weak shot on net. Andrew Brunette intercepted the puck and wrapped it around Roloson's left skate to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead. 1:51 later, Martin Skoula doubled it. From the left point, the Wild defenceman directed a slapshot through traffic and into the net for a 2-0 visiting lead.

In the latter half of period, tempers flared between Zack Stortini and John Scott, resulting in dropped gloves, clenched fists, a handful of landed punches, and fighting majors.

With six minutes left on the clock, a hooking minor to Craig Weller secured him a seat beside Scott in the Wild penalty box. Unfortunately for hometown fans, the Oilers powerplay struggled and failed to register a shot on Backstrom. As such, the visitors carried their 2-0 lead into the second period.

SECOND PERIOD

19 seconds into the second, the Oilers got another powerplay chance to narrow the goal gap thanks to a tripping penalty to Marek Zidlicky. Although the club assumed an 11-8 shot lead on the man-advantage, Backstrom turned away each attempt and then watched his club draw -- and complete -- their second powerplay when Denis Grebeshkov served his full two minutes for tripping.

Midway through the middle frame, Oilers blueliner Ladislav Smid left the game due to injury. It was later announced that he fractured his left hand and would not return.

Edmonton and Minnesota stayed neck-and-neck on the shot clock throughout the period. A late goaltender interference penalty to Ales Hemsky offered the Wild the chance to increase their lead, but Roloson held out for a scoreless second period to keep his club within two heading into the third.

THIRD PERIOD

The Wild tallied the first two shots of the final frame, but one minute in, the Oilers made their first attempt count. Moreau cut up the right wing and deep into the offensive zone when he hit Fernando Pisani with a centering pass. #34 forced the puck past Backstrom to get the Oilers on the board and back within one.

The one-goal game wouldn't last long, however. On a delayed penalty three minutes later, Gaborik skated to the middle of the face-off circle and tucked the puck under the crossbar for a 3-1 Wild lead and his second point of the game.

The Oilers stayed on top of the shot clock as the period progressed, and the extra attempts paid off in a second goal. With a set-up courtesy of Shawn Horcoff and Hemsky, Ales Kotalik wired the puck past Backstrom to set the score at 3-2 with five minutes left in regulation.

With just over one minute left, an exciting scoring opportunity by Andrew Cogliano got fans on their feet, but Backstrom made a miraculous pad save to prevent the equalizer. Six skaters got Edmonton over the 30-shot hump but a third goal would remain elusive. Minnesota came away with a 3-2 win.