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Stoll keys third-period rally by Oilers

Dec 15, 2006 - 4:58 AM EDMONTON, Alberta (Ticker) -- Jarret Stoll put the Edmonton Oilers on top and kept the Minnesota Wild struggling on the road.

Stoll scored the go-ahead goal as the Edmonton Oilers netted three unanswered tallies in the third period en route to a 3-1 victory over the Wild, ending a seven-game home winless streak against their division rivals.

Shawn Horcoff scored 14 seconds after Stoll's tally as the Oilers won at home against the Wild for the first time since January 28, 2003.

"I don't imagine they drop too many games when they're up going into the third period," Edmonton coach Craig MacTavish said. "We don't either. It was a much more entertaining game than what we've had in the past against them, largely because we executed at a high level."

Stoll, who extended his points streak to six games, won 16-of-20 faceoffs and had five shots on goal. He also assisted on rookie defenseman Matt Greene's first career tally 3:33 into the third period.

"Matt Greene scoring that goal was great to see and it really got us going," Stoll said. "You could see that after that, we were a different team."

"I feel good, really good," Greene said. "It's a big win against a division opponent and it's fun scoring a goal. It was good to finally get it over with. Just all of a sudden, it was there. There was no plan, I was just trying to get a better angle so I could get a shot."

Stoll netted the game-winner with 4:38 remaining, when he got a loose puck off a deflection in the left faceoff circle and wristed it past goaltender Manny Fernandez into the upper right corner.

"We found a puck in the slot and I just took a whack at it and kind of got a lucky break," Stoll said. "Sometimes you have to be lucky, too, and sometimes they end up in the back of the net."

Moments later, Horcoff - who had gone without a goal in his previous four games - scored an unassisted tally for a 3-1 edge.

"It felt good. It was frustrating as of late, I think more so because I've been getting a lot of good chances," Horcoff said. "It's just a matter of being persistent. It's a long season, we're only a third of the way (through), so hopefully it will turn my way now."

Dwayne Roloson recorded 24 saves for Edmonton, which had lost its previous two contests.

Todd White scored and Fernandez stopped 22 shots for the Wild, who dropped their sixth straight road game.

"Every game is a tight game, all the way to the end and it looks like the team that gets a couple breaks, they make it and the other teams don't make it," Minnesota coach Jacques Lemaire said. "You have to work for your breaks. That said, we'll have to work a little harder."