[Sylvanfan]

JACKETS HAVE OILERS SINGING THE BLUES
Last minute tallies rally Jackets to surprise win

Anyone knows that one trait that separates the elite from the average is the ability to finish things off. Getting the job completely finished, the last 20% of a task. The people or teams that can do successfully accomplish that trait are the people who live the good life on our continent. Today the Oilers were given a hard reminder just how hard it is to finish off that final part of the job. Last minute goals cost the Oilers todays game, and as a result the Oilers find themselves in a serious battle that many didn't expect as the two teams head to Columbus for game 3.

On the heels of Monday's 5-0 drubbing of the Jackets the Oilers fired out of the starting blocks staking themselves to a 2-0 lead just over 8 minutes into the game. The start was a bit strange though as Tom Poti was lost for the game only 33 seconds in when he was sitting on the bench and was hit in the head with an errant clearing attempt. But that didn't phase the Oilers as they opened the scoring 1:45 into the game. Brian Leetch's seeing eye slapshot found it's way through a maze of legs and past Kiprusoff to give the Oilers the lead. Radek Dvorak made it 2-0 when he fired home a Gary Roberts feed and the place was rocking and Columbus looked in trouble. But Mikka Kiprusoff robbed Mike Knuble 20 seconds later on a breakaway, and the Jackets settled down. The game was going as planned until late in the second when the Oilers got themselves in some serious penalty trouble with minors by Gary Roberts and Brian Leetch leaving the Oilers two men short for the last 2 minutes of the frame. The Jackets pounced on the oppurtunity and Steve Staios was able to blast home a one timer to put the Jackets down only one with 40 seconds left in the frame after several great chances had been thwarted by Broduer. Mikka Kiprusoff gave the Jackets some great goaltending early on in the third and it proved crucial. With only 14 seconds left in the third Eric Cole was able to bang home a rebound on a mad scramble to send the game to overtime. The Jackets hadn't generated much of anything in the third until the final minute when they were able to pull Kiprusoff and barage Broduer with 5 shots in the final minute with the last one finding it's way over the goal line.

Obviously shaken the Oilers looked an unconfident bunch in overtime as the Jackets easily carried the play. After minor penalties had been assesed to Scott Mellanby and Jan Bulis it was the speedster duo of Martin Gelinas and John Madden that took advantage of a bad pivot by Brian Leetch and broke in on a two on one. Madden faked the shot and slid a perfect pass to Gelinas who leaned into one and directed it at the Oiler net. Broduer got a piece of it, but not enough to keep it from trickling over the line and into the net sending the Jacket bench into Euphoria and the crowd of 16 into silence.