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Heatley ties it late, Cullen scores winner as Wild edge Oilers in SO

Oct 21, 2011 - 5:09 AM Edmonton, AB (Sports Network) - Dany Heatley tied the game with 1.2 seconds left in regulation and Matt Cullen scored the game-winner in the first round of the shootout, as the Minnesota Wild rallied past the Edmonton Oilers, 2-1.

Niklas Backstrom made 30 saves for the Wild, who claimed a 2-1 shootout victory at home over Edmonton a week ago. Thursday's victory was Minnesota's eighth straight over the Oilers.

Ryan Jones scored the lone goal for Edmonton, which fell to 2-2-2 on the young season.

Nikolai Khabibulin made 30 saves in defeat.

It seemed like Khabibulin was going to pick up his 44th career shutout, but that changed in a matter of seconds. With time winding down in the third period, Devin Setoguchi fired a shot that hit the outside of the net. Pierre- Marc Bouchard gathered the puck behind the net and made a backhanded pass with his teammate nearby. Heatley, positioned near the side of the net, managed to sneak the puck between Khabibulin's left pad and the post to make it 1-1 with 1.2 seconds left.

"Usually those plays don't really work," Heatley said. "We had a lot of time in their end, just kind of scrambling and buzzing."

Following a scoreless overtime period, Cullen beat Khabibulin with a backhander in the first round of the shootout. Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent- Hopkins and Eric Belanger all missed in the shootout for Edmonton.

"You just can't lose hockey games that you're going into the final minutes winning," Jones said. "We have to take responsibility for it as a group."

The Oilers took advantage of a Minnesota turnover late in the first period for a 1-0 lead. Ryan Smyth picked off a pass at the right circle and quickly sent the puck in front for Jones, who found the back of the net at the 16:06 mark.

Khabibulin made 10 saves in a scoreless second stanza, while Backstrom stopped nine shots.

Game Notes

Edmonton started a four-game homestand on Thursday...Minnesota is 3-2-2 on the young season...The Wild play at Vancouver on Saturday, while Edmonton takes on the Rangers on the same day...Minnesota's Mikko Koivu got 10 stitches after taking a skate to his chin/neck area.