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Smith and Smyth rally Oilers past Ducks

Jan 19, 2007 - 7:26 AM EDMONTON, Alberta (Ticker) -- The Anaheim Ducks were looking to make it three in a row against the Edmonton Oilers. Ryan Smyth and defenseman Jason Smith had different plans.

Smyth recorded two goals and an assist and Smith added his second tally of the season as the Oilers posted a 4-1 victory over the Ducks.

Toby Petersen also scored and Shawn Horcoff added two assists for Edmonton, which has not lost three straight to Anaheim since March 23-November 28, 1997.

After Teemu Selane gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead 6:27 into the game with his league-leading 30th goal, Smith tied the contest with just 65 seconds left in the second period. The Oilers' captain blasted a shot from above the right faceoff circle that sailed past goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, who was screened by Horcoff.

"When we're playing our best, we're skating and playing physical, and that's what we did for a lot of the game tonight," Smith said. "It's probably the most physical game in a while, and we want to continue to do that and to do it well."

Just 27 seconds later, Petersen received a pass from Fernando Pisani, who came to a stop and batted the puck behind him, and fired a one-timer by Bryzgalov for a 2-1 edge.

"We allowed them to establishe a cycle game down low and they got a shot that goes in from below the point, and then they get another one 27 seconds later, and that's the difference in the hockey game," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said.

Smyth scored his first goal at 8:35 of the third period. Horcoff raced down the right wing before finding Smyth, who knocked in the puck from the doorstep for his 22nd goal of the season.

"We didn't feel we played our best in the first and we're happy to get two quick goals by the end of the second," Smyth said. "The team really came together."

On a similar play with 6:13 remaining, Smyth tallied again for a 4-1 bulge. Horcoff again skated wide right and completed a nifty pass to the Oilers' leading goal scorer, who slipped the puck past Bryzgalov to seal the victory.

"It's not very often you can have a bad period of hockey to start off a game the way we did and be able to come back," Oilers coach Craig MacTavish said. "I feel like the guys knew they all had to step it up, and they did. We were playing some really solid hockey."

Dwayne Roloson made 23 saves - including 15 over the final two periods - and recorded an assist for Edmonton, which has won 12 of its last 15 meetings with Anaheim.

Bryzgalov stopped 16 shots for the Ducks, who are just 5-8-2 in their last 15 games.

"Losing is horrible, but maybe it's keeping us honest at this time," Selanne said. "We had a lot of wins before Christmas and maybe it's just our time to lose some. What can you do? You just have to move on and do things better tomorrow."