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Sens' Spezza scores winning goal in SO vs. Oilers

Nov 11, 2009 - 4:40 AM OTTAWA(AP) -- Jason Spezza scored the deciding goal in the shootout, but Pascal Leclaire won the game for the Ottawa Senators.

Leclaire made 31 saves, and the Senators twice came from behind for a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.

With the game tied 2-2 midway through the third period, Leclaire stopped Andrew Cogliano on a breakaway and then thwarted Denis Grebeshkov moments later with a toe save in close to keep the game tied.

"I just tried to follow them as much as I could," Leclaire said. "These guys are pretty skilled and have a lot of offensive ability. You have to be patient with them."

Chris Neil scored his third goal of the season with just under 7 minutes left in regulation to give the Senators a 3-2 lead, but Gilbert Brule tied the game less than 2 minutes later with a hard shot from the slot that trickled past Leclaire.

"We made it exciting and we were pretty disciplined," Leclaire said. "There was the little breakdown by myself at the end but the guys came back and we were able to get the win, so it's a little easier to forget about."

Jonathan Cheechoo and Nick Foligno also scored for the Senators.

Dustin Penner and Ethan Moreau had first-period goals for the Oilers, and Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers stopped 22 shots.

Down 2-1 after 20 minutes, the Senators scored the only goal of the second period. Foligno took a behind-the-back pass from Ryan Shannon and put a backhand shot past Drouin-Deslauriers to tie it.

The Oilers sandwiched first-period goals around Cheechoo's first with the Senators. The first goal was originally credited to Steve Staios, which would have been the defenseman's first of the season. The goal was changed to Penner after replays showed the puck hitting Penner before Leclaire knocked it into his own net with the shaft of his stick.

Less than 3 minutes after Cheechoo scored, Moreau gave the Oilers their second lead of the night. He took advantage of miscommunication in the corner between Peter Regin and Alex Picard, stealing the puck and stuffing it past Leclaire.

After five straight road losses, the Oilers earned a win in Colorado on Sunday night. Edmonton coach Pat Quinn was upset with the latest loss, but happy that his team put together a good performance.

"It was probably our best three periods in a long time, and we maybe (could have) had a better result but we didn't," he said. "And in the shootout we couldn't score.

"I don't like the goals that went in on us again, and I have a problem with how the (Neil) one went in for sure. It was interference on our goaltender and offside as well. I guess you've got to live with that, but it makes it hard. But overall, thinking in terms of improvement, we were a little better in Colorado than we have been and this was a better effort. Hopefully that will continue."

NOTES: Ryan O'Marra made his NHL debut with the Oilers. He was selected 15th overall in 2005 by the New York Islanders and was traded to the Oilers as part of the Ryan Smyth deal. ... Senators captain Daniel Aldredsson had his nine-game point streak halted. It was only the second time this season he has been held off the score sheet. ... Senators D Anton Volchenkov missed his fifth straight game because of an elbow injury.