Canucks gut Oilers in overtime

Vancouver Canucks vs Edmonton Oilers 3-2 OT (2-1, 0-0, 0-1, 1-0)

Brooks Laich returned to the lineup for game four, forcing Teemu Hartikainen out. The Oilers started Nikolai Khabibulin for the fourth straight game in the series, hoping that he could improve his numbers dramatically. Since the strong 2-1 win in game 1, Edmonton had been exposed as a far less experienced and driven team, although odd sequences had foreshadowed the emergence of something better. In any case, Edmonton would have to look forward for solutions, learning from Warren Buffett's idea, applicable to sports as well as business: "In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield."

The crystal ball had seemingly not given any answers as to how Cody Hodgson was to be contained, because he opened the scoring five minutes in as he pleased - taking the puck from Wellwood and driving through traffic into a parking spot next to Khabibulin from which he easily sniped home the 1-0 goal. But instead of turning into another slaughterhouse at the Oilers' expense, the goal spurred Edmonton to pressure the Canucks significantly. The result was a Visnovsky point bomb that went in through a screen. Just as the Oilers appeared to really assume command, Daniel Sedin capitalized on a mistake by Chorney on a power play, giving him a breakaway on which he scored.

The game kept its pace into the second period, the positive entertainment value of exchanging chances from the rush was evident, though its negative effect on the nerves was equally clear. Both teams kept each other at arms length, though Luongo's play was by far the strongest muscle in the Canucks-body. Twice he denied Ales Hemsky's attempts on partial breakaways - keeping the score at 2-1 before the third.

The mention of rear view mirrors could not have been more appropriate in terms of this game. The Canucks were becoming increasingly defensive, continuously looking over their shoulders for oncoming Oilers checkers. Even when Anton Babchuk took a roughing minor mid-way through the period it did not deter the home team from taking calculated risks to get back into the game. The Oilers' relentlessness was rewarded five minutes from full time when Gagner and Tangradi's give and go opened some ice for Ales Hemsky - doubling as a opportunist sniper - who leveled the game! Edmonton kept pushing for another goal, almost ruining it for themselves as Henrik Sedin was sprung on a breakaway - but Nikolai Khabibulin's right pad was put between the Swede and glory. Overtime...

Both netminders took their chances to prove their ability early in the first overtime period. First Robert Luongo dazzled the crowd with a seemingly impossible double-save, rejecting Hemsky and Gagner in the span of two seconds - seconds that appeared to last minutes to everyone watching. Then Nikolai Khabibulin was called upon, and answered, against yet another partial breakaway attempt from Daniel Sedin. When Edmonton then got on the power play, due to Burrows' tripping of Laich, the home fans were smelling victory. Instead, in a moment only equalled by Steve Smith's agonizing own goal, Nikolai Khabibulin mishandled the puck on a simple dump in, which allowed Henrik Sedin to slide the puck into the net for a huge 3-2 win in game 4!

Post game: "I don't know what to say" stated GM Kowalski to the gathered press after the game. He obviously could not put into words the moment that all but ended the Oilers season. Now 3-1 down in a series against a team that is clearly gaining momentum at every key crossroad there is. Despite seeing quality efforts from their top lines, and even dominating in the third period and in the overtime period, Edmonton could not find a way to win. "We have no illusions as to the monumental task that lies ahead, but it is a reality now and we must work with that in mind" commented assistant coach Tom Renney.



Scoreboard
1st Period:
VAN - Hodgson (Wellwood, Pettinger)
EDM - Visnovsky (Gagner, Babchuk) PP
VAN - D. Sedin (Edler) SH

2nd Period:
-

3rd Period:
EDM - Hemsky (Tangradi, Gagner) PP

Overtime (1st)
VAN - H. Sedin (-) SH


Injuries/Misconducts/Etc.
-

Lines:
Penner - Gagner - Hemsky
Tangradi - Laich - O'Sullivan
Axelsson - Cogliano - Moore
Moreau - Falardeau - Brule

Babchuk - Visnovsky
Smid - Gilbert
Chorney - Yonkman

Khabibulin
(Hiller)