Oilers keep Cup hopes alive with Game Three win

By Steve Keating

EDMONTON, Alberta (Reuters) – Ryan Smyth’s late strike
enabled the Edmonton Oilers to breath new life into the Stanley
Cup finals with a 2-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on
Saturday.

Reeling from back-to-back defeats in Carolina and the loss
of first choice netminder Dwayne Roloson to injury, the Oilers
returned home reassuring their fans all was not lost in the
best-of-seven series.

The familiar surroundings seemed to invigorate the Oilers
and back-up netminder Jussi Markkanen delivered a nerveless
effort as the home side came through with a gutsy Game Three
win.

Smyth’s fortuitous goal decided the cliffhanging contest
with a little over two minutes remaining in the third period,
the left wing chesting home a rebound off an Ales Hemsky
slapshot.

The controversial tally ignited a capacity crowd into
joyous celebration, minutes after they had been left stunned by
Carolina captain Rod Brind’Amour’s equalizer midway through the
frame.

The Hurricanes still lead the series 2-1 but the Oilers
will have a chance to level the finals in Game Four on Monday.

History, however, continues to favor the Hurricanes.

Of the 29 home teams to win the first two games of a
Stanley Cup final since the best-of-seven format was introduced
in 1938, 28 have gone to lift the title.

SPARKLING PERFORMANCE

Thrust into the spotlight when Roloson went down with a
knee injury in Game One, Markkanen rebounded from a 5-0 loss
with a sparkling performance the Oilers sought, making 24 saves
on 25 shots.

“He (Markkanen) played incredibly well. I was really happy
for him and happy for us. He gave us that effort in net and we
really needed it,” Oilers coach Craig MacTavish told reporters.

“Great performance, he handled the puck well, he played
very well.”

The Oilers received a stirring welcome from a raucous crowd
of 16,839 at the Rexall Center, one fan throwing a slab of
Alberta beef onto the ice during the singing of the national
anthems to raise the ear-splitting volume another notch.

Roared on by a sea of blue and copper, the Oilers made a
furious start and were rewarded within three minutes when Shawn
Horcoff redirected Jaroslav Spacek’s effort from the high slot
past Cam Ward before Carolina had put a shot on net.

Edmonton had a chance to add to their lead late in the
period with a two-man advantage for 1:27, but could not even
muster a single shot on the Hurricanes net.

SLAMMED HOME

Following a scoreless second period, Brind’Amour, who
scored the Game One winner with just 31 seconds to play,
spoiled Markkanen’s shutout bid when he slammed home his own
rebound past the Finn with just over 10 minutes remaining.

However, Markkanen refused to be beaten again and his
efforts were rewarded by a standing ovation from a crowd that
had regularly jeered him through an inconsistent regular
season.

“I felt fine in Carolina and just tried to carry (that) on
this game,” said Markkanen, who had not played in over three
months until he started Game Two.

“Obviously, we came to play right from the first period.

“I recognized the crowd was loud but I tried to keep my
focus on the game.”

Ward, the Hurricanes outstanding 22-year-old rookie
goaltender who grew up just 20 minutes from the Rexall arena
was equally brilliant in the Carolina net and saved 30 shots
but could do little about the controversial game-winning goal.

The Hurricanes protested Smyth’s strike, arguing that the
Oilers forward was in the crease, but after viewing the video
replay officials quickly called the score good.

“There’s no prettier goal in our view,” MacTavish added.