Old Guys Lead The Way As Oilers Top Habs 3-1

The Oilers would take their fifth penalty of the game with just over five minutes left in the period when they got called for too many men. On the play all Eager has to do is dump the puck deep but instead tried to stickhandle across the blueline getting poke checked (or just loses the puck possibly), Horcoff grabs the loose puck and the whistle blows as the Oilers were in the middle of a line chance. Before that penalty would expire the OIlers would take yet another penalty giving the Canadiens a 12 second two-man advantage. The goal light would go on and the horn would sound but the puck sat on the side of the net allowing the Oilers to kill the short two-man advantage and eventually their sixth penalty of the evening preserving that one goal lead.

The third period started the way most third periods tend to when the Oilers have a one goal lead, with lots of chances for the other team. The exception being when the Smyth-Horcoff-Hemsky line was sent over the boards, they actually generated a couple of good scoring chances including a Smyth shot that went off the crossbar and more importantly kept the Canadiens away from the Oilers end. The Oilers would calm down somewhat near the midpoint of the period after a great shift from the fourth line but the Canadiens were still coming on strong.

Tom Gilbert would finally give the Oilers the insurance they needed when his shot deflected off a Canadiens defender with 3:32 left to play, putting the Oilers up by a pair. Just when the lead seemed safe though the Habs came right back with a goal off a soft backhander from Max Pacioretty 22 seconds later. That was a goal that Nikolai Khabibulin simply cant let in. The silver lining is that last year he'd have let that goal in 22 seconds after the OIlers cut the lead to a single goal so the situation is improving. In a period where the Oilers were outshot and outplayed I think a few clutched their beer a little tighter at this point. But the Canadiens couldn't get the equalizer, despite a shift against the OIlers fourth line in the game's final two minutes, and Smyth's empty netter with 43 seconds left would seal the deal for the OIlers on this night.

News and Notes:

• In the years since the lockout the Oilers haven't fared well against many teams but they have done quite well against Montreal posting a 6-0-3 record. The last time the Oilers lost to the Canadiens in regulation was almost eight years ago.
• In the second period Khabibulin turned away a Petteri Nokelainen shot, the 21,000th shot he'd faced in his career.
• Craziest thing about Khabibulin's 7-0-2 start is that, if not for two really soft goals, he could have four shutouts already this season. Khabibulin last had four shutouts in 2002/03 with the Lighting.
• The Hall / Ryan Nugent-Hopkins / Jordan Eberle line struggled mightily tonight getting outchanced by a combined 18-4 at even strength and getting heavily outshot as well. Interestingly Nugent-Hopkins had his best night in the faceoff circle going 6 for 10. Each draw coming against Plekanec who has a 50.5% success rate this season.
• At the other end of the spectrum the Smyth / Horcoff / Hemsky trio outchanced the Habs at evens and Smyth and Horcoff both spent over four minutes killing the OIlers many penalties. To say that they had a good night would be putting it mildly.
• Ladislav Smid blocked another three shots tonight, GIlbert and Jeff Petry each blocked two as the Oilers defense continue to help out their goalies. As a team the Oilers rank near the top of the league in shot blocks.