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Cogliano leads charge as Oilers edge Flames

Oct 19, 2008 - 6:26 AM EDMONTON, Alberta (Ticker) -- A second-period outburst made it loud and clear which team owns the "Battle of Alberta" during the early stage of the season.

Andrew Cogliano capped a three-goal spurt in the second period and Marc-Antoine Pouliot recorded two assists as the Edmonton Oilers rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Saturday.

A night after they extinguished the Flames, 4-3, in the first game of a home-and-home set, the Oilers (4-0-0) continued the franchise's best start since winning their first five games in 1985-86.

Prior to that campaign, Edmonton went 4-0-0 only once in its history - in 1983-84, when they cruised to a 7-0-0 mark.

"It was almost better that we played poorly in the first, just to show that resiliency as a team," Edmonton coach Craig MacTavish said. "To collectively have that will to turn the game around, you don't often win games that you fall behind 2-0 at this level.

"But our will was strong, and that is a real encouraging sign. We've won four one-goal games. We're a very purposeful team right now, and I like that."

Edmonton, which was 4-4-0 against Calgary in 2007-08, fell into an early hole in this one. Todd Bertuzzi notched his fifth goal of the season - all in the last four games - on a power play just 4:17 into the contest.

Daymond Langkow doubled the lead with a power-play tally eight minutes later.

Captain Jarome Iginla blasted a shot that goaltender Mathieu Garon initially saved but lost sight of when the rebound hit the ice. With the puck loose in the crease, Edmonton defenseman Jason Strudwick tried knocking it away, but it hit Garon's back and bounced into the net.

"You're always concerned about giving up any lead - a one-goal lead or a two-goal lead or whatever the lead may be - particularly when you have earned it on the road," Calgary coach Mike Keenan said. "We went out and earned it in the first period and we weren't able to find that instinct or that ability to put it past their goaltender, who I thought played really well.

"(Garon) played pretty well and closed the door, and we couldn't get the third (goal) to make it a 3-1 game or a 3-0 game."

Ethan Moreau, who also had an assist, began the Oilers' outburst at 8:16 of the middle period, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Fernando Pisani forged a tie just over two minutes later, firing in a rebound after netminder Miikka Kiprusoff made a pair of saves.

"It wasn't pretty in the first," Moreau said. "We expected them to come out hard, but we didn't respond that well. But we were great in the second and the third. Good teams find a way to win, and we did."

Cogliano notched his second goal of the season with 7:48 left in the session, putting the Oilers in front for good. He gained possession near center ice and rushed toward the net before wristing the puck past Kiprusoff, who made 24 saves.

"Last year, it was the other way around where we were giving up games at the end of the period," Cogliano said. "So for our team to start the season by coming back and winning games from behind, it's a big confidence boost for our team."

Garon stymied the Flames by turning aside 31 shots a night after Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers was in goal for the Oilers.

"We'll keep working at it," Keenan said. "We didn't score any 5-on-5 goals, and we didn't score any 5-on-5 goals last game as well. It is all power-play goals, so we're not finding any offensive solutions right now on 5-on-5 play."

Calgary outshot Edmonton, 33-27, overall and by a 17-3 margin in the first period.

"Edmonton came out with a pretty strong push and got some momentum in their own building and scored some goals," Keenan said. "You could ask the question, 'What was wrong with the Oilers in the first period?'"

Following meetings in December and February, the provincial rivals will conclude their respective regular-season schedules with another home-and-home series beginning here on April 10 and concluding at Calgary the following day.