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Oilers edge Flames, stay unbeaten

Oct 18, 2008 - 7:00 AM CALGARY, Alberta (Ticker) -- With the Calgary Flames spending much of the second period in the penalty box, the Edmonton Oilers took advantage.

Erik Cole, defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky and Robert Nilsson scored power-play goals in the second period as the Oilers remained perfect on the young season with a 4-3 victory over the Flames on Friday.

Andrew Cogliano also tallied for the Oilers, who will attempt to go 4-0-0 for the first time since 1985-86 when they host the Flames on Saturday.

After Cole tied the game 6 1/2 minutes into the second period, Visnovsky put the Oilers in front at 11:39 with a wrist shot from the top of the slot that sailed over the glove of goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff, who continues to struggle.

Nilsson made it 4-2 with 3:55 left in the session, collecting a rebound in front and knocking it home for his first goal of the season.

"Every time we had the lead last year, we found somehow to lose. This year, I think we have a better team," Nilsson said. "Every player on the team did their part."

The goal came on Edmonton's sixth power play of the period. The Oilers were not whistled for any penalties in the middle session.

"It's difficult to prep a team when there are an onslaught of penalties called against you," said Flames coach Mike Keenan, who spent the majority of his news conference talking about the power-play discrepancy. "That's something that you can't predict. The question is, are they warranted? And the next question is, were (the Oilers) penalty-free for 40 minutes?"

Todd Bertuzzi was able to cut the deficit to 4-3 with a power-play goal of his own at 7:23 of the third, but the Flames were unable to get the equalizer.

The tally was the first power-play goal Edmonton has allowed this season. The club has successfully killed 7-of-8 shorthanded situations.

"In this game, you have to be disciplined with the amount of penalties that you take," Oilers coach Craig MacTavish said. "Those things always take their cycles. Whether it's tomorrow or the next game, it'll be our turn to have to kill off a bunch of penalties."

Rookie netminder Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers made a few excellent stops with under four minutes remaining to help kill a power play by Calgary. The 24-year-old finished with 26 saves in his first NHL start.

"I thought he played fine," MacTavish said. "He's got that ability to get side to side, and that's important. He's got a lot of ability and he's going to be a good goalie."

Defenseman Adrian Aucoin got the Flames on the board at 6:53 of the opening period, beating Deslauriers with a wrist shot from the point.

Cogliano tied it with 2:25 left in the first, redirecting blue-liner Jason Strudwick's shot from the point past Kiprusoff.

The Flames regained the lead 5:39 into the second period, when David Moss scored on a tough-angle shot from the right faceoff circle.

But Cole netted his first goal in an Edmonton uniform 51 seconds later, deflecting defenseman Sheldon Souray's shot from the left point past Kiprusoff to tie it at 2-2. Cole scored 129 tallies during his six seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Kiprusoff has allowed at least four goals in all four of his games this season, surrendering 19 overall. The former Vezina Trophy winner finished with 31 saves in this one.

"The criticism on Kiprusoff is undeserved," Bertuzzi said. "I don't think we, as a team, have done a good-enough job in front of him."

Souray left the game late in the second period with an apparent knee injury after a collision with Bertuzzi. He did not return.