EDMONTON
- In a possible first-round preview last night, everything
was going right for the Winnipeg Jets. Up 2-0 in the third
period over the Edmonton Oilers, and with goalie Kari Lehtonen
only a few minutes away from his XHL-record 50th victory of the
season, it seemed that victory was inevitable.
But in a span of just a few minutes,
the Oilers showed how dangerous low seeds can be sometimes as
they sent an early warning to a potential first-round opponent.
Edmonton overcame a 2-0 deficit
in the third as Scott Parse's go-ahead goal with 25 seconds left
stood up for the winner as the Oilers upset the Jets 3-2 at
Rexall Place.
"It's my fault." said Lehtonen
about the snapping of Winnipeg's six game win streak. "I saw the
win, but I let it slip away. That was a bad performance by me,
but it won't happen again."
Winnipeg remains just two points
up on idle Los Angeles for first place in the West. They still
hold a game in hand as well.
Things looked good early on for
the Jets as they racked up an 18-3 shots advantage in the first
as James Sheppard's ninth at 15:38 made it 1-0. Then after an
Anton Volchenkov roughing call at 2:53 of the second, Peter
Forsberg's 22nd of the year on the power play at 4:50 made it
2-0 Winnipeg, a lead they'd hold into the third period.
But the Oilers came alive in the
third, thanks in part to an 11-5 shots edge. Nathan Horton's
25th at 4:33 got them on the board, then after a Chris Pronger
hooking call at 15:35, Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored on the power
play just 10 seconds later for his 12th to tie the game at 2.
Finally with time ticking down,
Alexander Rouleau connected with Parse for his 10th of the year
with 25 seconds left to lead the Oilers to the upset win. The
win eliminates the New Orleans Rebels from playoff contention,
joining the Minnesota North Stars, who were eliminated earlier
in the evening due to their loss to Pittsburgh.
IN OTHER ACTION..
HUSE FOR MOOSE - Kristian
Huselius' 36th goal led the way for the Montreal Moose as they
topped the Red Devils 3-1 in Quebec. The win pushes the Moose
into first in the East over idle Greensboro by one point.
ALWAYS BE TRU - Yuri
Trubachev's two goals and an assist send the Oakland Seals to a
4-2 win in Philadelphia over the Wildkatz. The win sends the
Seals back into fourth in the West while Philadelphia drops all
the way to five points behind eighth-seed Detroit in the East.
GET MAR-LEAU - Patrick
Marleau's power play goal with 19 seconds left in the third
lifted the Chicago Belmont Transfers to a 5-4 home win over the
Toronto Fire.
COUR VALUES - Adam
Courchaine's two goals led the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-2 win
in Minnesota over the North Stars. The win puts Pittsburgh
within a point of idle Detroit for eighth in the East while
eliminating the North Stars from playoff contention for a second
straight season.
