Oilers hold on for 3-2 win over Canadiens

Edmonton's Mike Comrie celebrates after his first-period goal vs. Montreal on Saturday, October 10, 2009. The Oilers went on to win 3-2. (Photo by Andy Devlin / Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club)

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PRE-GAME

Preview Game Notes Head-to-Head Stats Comparison Game Program Video interviews Audio Interviews

PHOTOS

Click here for the photo gallery

VIDEO

Game Highlights Post-game with J.F. Jacques, Patrick O'Sullivan, Shawn Horcoff, Sam Gagner, Nikolai Khabibulin & Pat Quinn THE OTHER SIDE: Canadiens post-game with Brian Gionta, Carey Price & Head Coach Jacques Martin

AUDIO

1st Intermission - Tom Gilbert J.F. Jacques Patrick O'Sullivan Shawn Horcoff Sam Gagner Nikolai Khabibulin Pat Quinn Audio Highlights vs. Montreal

THREE STARS

Nikolai Khabibulin, EDM Brian Gionta, MTL J.F. Jacques, EDM

UPDATE

With the win, the Oilers improve to 2-1-1 and move into a four-way tie with Chicago, Colorado & Anaheim for fourth spot in the Western Conference.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Oilers embark on their first road trip of the season, starting with Monday's game in Nashville. The game starts 6:00pm MST and will be broadcast on Rogers Sportsnet West.

by Jen Sharpe | edmontonoilers.com

Goals by Mike Comrie, J.F. Jacques, and Patrick O'Sullivan gave the Oilers a 3-0 lead midway through the game, but the Canadiens attempted a comeback by scoring two. Thankfully for the Oil, goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin stood strong and made 33 saves to secure a 3-2 win Saturday night.

FIRST PERIOD

The Canadiens came out strong by firing six of the game's first seven shots. Four minutes in, a hooking minor to Matt D'Agostini gave the Oilers the opening powerplay, but the man-advantage sputtered and failed to register a shot on Carey Price.

A second Edmonton powerplay at the period's midway point was more productive, but Montreal penalty killers prevented the opening goal.

But with 1:20 left on the clock and the Canadiens commanding a 13-5 shot lead, Mike Comrie broke the scoreless stalemate. After receiving a stretch pass from Sam Gagner, Comrie embarked on a partial breakaway and snapped the puck over Price's left shoulder to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead heading into the second period.

630 CHED's Dan Tencer talks to Tom Gilbert after the first period

SECOND PERIOD

The Oilers and Habs traded a pair of shots each before one of those attempts made its way across the line. Poised near the hash marks, J.F. Jacques caught a piece of Ladislav Smid's slapshot and directed it past Price to make it 2-0 Edmonton.

Shortly after the goal, goalie Nikolai Khabibulin made his contribution to the Oilers effort with a pair of big saves at the opposite end of the ice. His skaters responded by carrying the play back into the Canadiens zone, culminating in a quick goal by Patrick O'Sullivan that made it 3-0.

The Canadiens called a time-out after the third unanswered goal, and on the following face-off, Paul Mara initiated a fight with Gilbert Brule near Khabibulin's net. The visiting defender took an extra instigating minor and 10-minute misconduct for his role in the altercation, offering the Oilers their second powerplay of the game. Unfortunately, the Oil were foiled by Price's post and crossbar and dropped to 0-for-2 on the man-advantage.

With five minutes left in the frame, O'Sullivan took a tripping penalty, but the Canadiens powerplay struggled and failed to tally the team's 20th shot of the game.

The Oilers came to within 50 seconds of carrying their three-goal lead to the third period, but a late slapshot by Brian Gionta found its way past Khabibulin to set the score 3-1 after 40 minutes.

THIRD PERIOD

Midway through the final frame, Ales Hemsky was called for holding and the Habs got a second chance to narrow the gap, but a powerplay goal eluded the visitors and they remained down by two.

Montreal broke 30 shots shortly after the man-advantage while Edmonton sat at 17. With 3:30 left in regulation, the puck deflected off Oilers Captain Ethan Moreau and slid under Khabibulin. The goalie smothered it, however, and upon video review, it was ruled no goal and the 3-1 game continued . . . for another eight seconds, anyway. At 3:22, Canadiens defenceman Roman Hamrlik hit the crossbar with a slapshot and watched the puck drop into the net, putting his club back within one.

Although the Canadiens went on to post 35 shots through 60 minutes, Khabibulin kept the game-tying goal off the clock and the Oilers held on for a 3-2 win Saturday night.