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Sakic's late heroics lift Avalanche over Oilers

Mar 29, 2008 - 7:26 AM DENVER (Ticker) -- Joe Sakic tied the game late in regulation and netted the decisive goal in the shootout as the Colorado Avalanche posted a 5-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Friday.

Andrew Brunette had two goals and an assist and Peter Forsberg set up three tallies for Colorado (42-31-6), which remained three points behind Minnesota (42-28-9) for first place in the Northwest Division.

Milan Hejduk also scored for the Avalanche, who have won three in a row.

"We battled until the end, and Joe scored a big goal for us," Hejduk said.

"It was a hard-working game and a much-needed two points," Forsberg said. "If they get the points, they are right back in it. It's a huge turnaround for us to get the goal at the end and the shootout win. We're sitting better now than if we would have lost today, so we're happy."

Defenseman Tom Gilbert, Jarret Stoll, Curtis Glencross and rookie Sam Gagner scored in regulation while Robert Nilsson and Andrew Cogliano each had two assists for Edmonton (39-34-6). Despite the loss, the Oilers moved within two points of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

"I don't know really what to say about it. I can't describe the disappointment," Oilers coach Craig MacTavish said. "We played a heck of a game, we're really disappointed. I know we deserve a better fate than we had tonight."

Trailing, 3-2, late in the third, Colorado pulled goaltender Jose Theodore for an extra attacker. As the Avalanche applied considerable pressure on Dwayne Roloson, Sakic banged a rebound past the netminder with six seconds left, forging a tie.

"There was definitely a lot of chances in the last couple of minutes, and they weren't going in," Sakic said. "Finally, I think it went off someone's pants and it was laying between someone's legs, and I was just trying to get a lot of wood on it. It was a fortunate goal."

"They threw it at the net, it was 6-on-5," Oilers defenseman Steve Staios said. "I didn't really see it. I know it was in front of the net and I saw it go in."

After a scoreless overtime, each team scored in the first round of the shootout before Sakic beat Roloson with a backhander that found the right side of the net. Gagner had a chance to answer, but Theodore denied his backhand attempt, and Hejduk put a wrist shot between the pads of Roloson to seal the win.

Edmonton appeared headed to its 13th win in 17 games when Gagner snapped a 3-3 tie with 2:57 left in the second period.

The sixth overall pick of last year's draft, Gagner took a pass from Nilsson, skated along the right side of the net and fired a wrist shot that clanged off the left goalpost and in.

Brunette and Hejduk tallied 40 seconds apart to give the Avalanche a 2-0 lead early in the first. However, Edmonton jumped on top with three straight goals.

Gilbert and Stoll scored within a span of 1:43 later in the opening period to forge a tie before Glencross netted his 13th goal of the season 7:54 into the second period.

Roloson stopped 32 shots, while Theodore made 27 saves.