by ldh2013 » Thu Jun 30, 2016 8:45 am
EDMONTON -- The Edmonton Oilers found their resolve in the third period on Sunday. . Jordan Eberle had a pair of goals as the Oilers snapped a four-game losing skid by holding on for a 5-3 upset win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. After staking themselves to a 3-1 lead after the first period, the Oilers started to fall apart in the second, allowing the Lightning to tie the game 3-3. "We were turning pucks over in our own end, it was the same old story with this team," Eberle said. "But as soon as they tied it, we found a way to get back to playing the way that got us the lead in the first place. Thats what won us the game." Taylor Hall, Luke Gazdic and Boyd Gordon also scored for the Oilers (14-26-5), who have won just three of their last 13 games. Edmonton, which has the second-worst record in the NHL, avoided its fourth five-game losing streak of the season. "There were certainly some shifts in the second period where we didnt play well, but for the most part our effort was good tonight," Hall said. "Our execution was good. There have been a lot of times this season where we have gone into a third period tied or in a close game and we just havent really played the way we should. Tonight was a different story. It was nice to see, especially against a team that is as good and as high in the standings as Tampa." It was the Oilers first win against a team above the playoff cutline in a calendar month. "We need to spin this into a positive," Gordon said. "Hopefully we can get things turned around here and start playing some winning hockey." Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman and Valtteri Flippula replied for the Lightning (25-13-4), who saw a five-game winning streak on the road come to and end. "I thought we owned that second period and we had a bad break for us on the fourth goal and then a good play by them on the fifth one," Hedman said. "Thats not the way we wanted to come out of this. We were carrying the momentum going into the third. Its obviously frustrating that we didnt play better in the third." Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop left the game with an undisclosed injury in the first half, something head coach Jon Cooper did little to explain after the game. "I have no idea," said Cooper when asked of Bishops status. "I dont ask, so I can look you in the eye and say I dont know, so I dont know. "We dont know, its hard to speculate. I dont know what the injury is, but I dont think its going to be major serious. I hope not anyway. But if it is, then (Anders Lindback) is a proven goaltender in the league and hell be fine, lets make that determination when we find out whats wrong with him. I think its way too early to speculate on whats going on." Tampa Bay started the scoring with a power-play goal less than three minutes into the game as Matthew Carle made a cross-ice pass to Kucherov at the left face-off dot. Kucherov beat Oilers starter Ilya Bryzgalov with a quick shot glove-side. Edmonton responded a minute-and-a-half later, however, as a stick got caught in the skates of Martin St. Louis in front of the Tampa net before Eberle could fish it out and lift his 13th of the season past Bishop. Bishop left the game after the play with what originally looked like an equipment problem. Lindback came in as his replacement, just as Alex Killorn took a double minor for high-sticking. Edmonton went up 2-1 on their second shot of the game, just past the six minute mark as an Eberle shot pinballed in front and was inadvertently deflected past Lindback by defender Sami Salo on a power play. It was Eberles second goal in less than two minutes after only scoring one in his previous 11 games. The Oilers took a two-goal lead with five minutes left in the first period as Gazdic tipped the puck past Lindback off a point shot from Justin Schultz. The Lightning started to rally in the second period and were rewarded for it just under nine minutes in as a stolen puck at the Oilers blue-line eventually led to a long screened-shot goal by Hedman. Tampa Bay tied it 3-3 with 5:35 remaining in the second period as Filppula hooked off the half boards and picked the bottom corner of the net with a quick wrist shot for this 16th goal of the season. Lindback kept the Oilers from regaining any momentum on a late second period power play, making big stops on Eberle and Gordon to keep it 3-3 after 40 minutes. Edmonton moved back in front eight minutes into the third period as Gordon did a good job to fight off a defender and swat home the rebound from his own backhand shot in tight. The Oilers went up 5-3 just past the mid-mark with the teams playing four aside as Hall made a perfect redirection of an Andrew Ference point shot for his 16th goal and team-leading 41st point of the season. Both teams return to the ice on Tuesday as the Lightning finish a four-game trip in Winnipeg and the Oilers play host to the St. Louis Blues. Notes: Lightning forward Steven Stamkos (broken right tibia) has begun skating in full gear but is still not ready to return to the team. However, the Lightning have persevered without their star centre, coming into the game with a 13-7-4 record while he has been outa Tampa goalie Bishop could be a big loss if he is out for long after his first period injury. Bishop earned his league lead-tying fourth shutout of the season in a 2-0 win over Calgary on Friday and entered the contest against the Oilers having earned at least a point in 10 straight games (8-0-2) and allowing two or fewer goals in eight consecutive starts and 26 of 31 gamesa Defencemen Corey Potter (groin) and Philip Larsen (illness) are on Edmontons injured reserve. . - The Tampa Bay Times is reporting Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Williams was stabbed in the thigh at his home and an arrest warrant has been issued for his brother. . Its the ninth straight game Wade has missed while working his way back from a hamstring injury. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after the teams morning shootaround the All-Star guard will not play. . Louis Blues, having added Ryan Miller and Steve Ott from Buffalo, remain the No.OAKLAND, Calif. - The Texas Rangers finally showed their power, got a big day from veteran infielder Donnie Murphy and picked up a much-needed win for struggling starter Colby Lewis along the way. It was exactly the type of start manager Ron Washington hoped hed get from his club in the opener of this critical three-game series against the first-place Athletics. Murphy hit two of the Rangers season-high four home runs to back an uneven start by Lewis, and Texas beat Oakland 14-8 on Monday night. "We needed everything we put on the board," said Washington after the Rangers pounded out 16 hits and matched their season high for runs. "They kept fighting back but we didnt stop playing. Tonight it took 14 and we were able to get it." Michael Choice and Robinson Chirinos also homered, and Adrian Beltre drove in three runs to lead the Rangers to their fourth straight win at the Coliseum. Texas swept a three-game series in Oakland in April. The Rangers, who began the night eight games behind the division-leading As, nearly let the game slip away. They led 11-3 before Oakland scored four times in the sixth and once in the eighth. Murphy, who hit a two-run homer in the fourth, helped seal the victory with a solo shot in the ninth for his fourth career multihomer game. "Id be lying to you if I said I didnt get a little bit nervous right there when it got 11-8," Murphy said. "The game could have easily slipped away ... (but) we put together some good at-bats and got a few more runs and felt a little more comfortable again." Yoenis Cespedes hit a three-run home run while Brandon Moss added his 17th for Oakland, which still owns the best record in the American League at 42-28. Lewis (5-4) allowed 10 hits and five runs over 5 1-3 innings to win for the first time since May 25. The one-time As farmhand, pitching on five days rest, worked in and out of trouble most of the night off the same mound he made his final appearance on in 2012 before missing nearly two full seasons due to a series of injuries. Lewis struck out two and walked three. "Up until the sixth inning he had only given up three runs, so he was pitching pretty good," Washington said. "Then his velocity came down a little bit and he just couldnt hiit his spots anymore so I had to go get him. . " Coco Crisp got the As going early when he doubled past diving Texas centre fielder Robertson and scored on John Jasos single. Cespedes added a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. Texas tied it on Chirinos two-run single off Oakland starter Drew Pomeranz in the second, then broke the game open with a six-run fourth. Murphy hit a two-run home run, Dan Robertson added an RBI single and Rougned Odor scored on a fielders choice to chase Pomeranz. Beltres two-run double off reliever Ryan Cook made it 8-2. Beltre added a sacrifice fly in the sixth. "For a team that leads the league in pitching and usually holds clubs to under four, we havent been able to do that (lately)," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. Lewis and five Texas relievers made the lead hold up. The As, who scored twice in the first, pulled to 10-3 on Moss towering solo home run in the fifth. Lewis left after giving up back-to-back doubles to Alberto Callaspo and Crisp in the sixth. Pinch-hitter Kyle Blanks drew a walk off reliever Robbie Ross Jr. before Cespedes hit his 13th home run to cut the gap to 11-7. Murphy and Chirinos hit back-to-back home runs off Fernando Abad in the ninth. Pomeranz (5-4) struggled in his shortest outing since joining the As rotation in early May. He allowed eight hits and eight runs — seven earned — with two walks and four strikeouts. "I got into some bad counts," Pomeranz said. "Once that happens you become predictable. They waited for mistakes and jumped on them." Callaspo had four hits for Oakland in his first game since being reinstated from the paternity list. NOTES: As starters had not allowed a home run in seven games before giving up four to Texas. ... A moment of silence was held before the game for Hall of Fame OF Tony Gwynn who died earlier in the day. ... The As activated INF Jake Elmore from the 60-day DL and optioned him to Triple-A Sacramento. ... Oakland agreed to terms with 3B Matt Chapman, their first-round pick, and SS Trace Loehr, a sixth-rounder. ... RHP Yu Darvish (7-2) pitches for Texas on Wednesday seeking to extend his career-best four-game winning streak. Hell oppose Oakland LHP Tommy Milone (4-3). ' ' '
