[Sylvanfan]

WELL OILED MACHINE UNSHEATHE SABRES
Edmonton Sun

The Oilers won their third consecutive game with a 5-4 OT victory in Buffalo today. After flying cross continent from Vancouver the day before the Oilers again started out sluggish and were burned for a Sabre goal 1:33 into the first period when Bate Battaglia fired home a gratuitous Jani Hurme rebound on a WADE BELAK shot. But as in the previous two games the Oilers were able to rebound from what seems to be a gamely occurance of a soft early goal and nod the score just after the clock passed the midway point of the first period. Patrik Elias fired home a nifty Brian Rafalski pass on the powerplay to even the score and than put the Oilers ahead 2:21 later when he was sprung loose by David Legwand, broke in alone on J.S. Giguere and roofed a backhander on a spendid deke.

The Sabres were able to pull even 4:24 into the second when Ruslan Fedotenko was able to bang home a rebound on a mad scrambel in front of the Oiler net. The lead was short lived as J.P. Dumont was able to take advantage of a poor pivot by Sabre d-man Robyn Regehr and fly down the Right Wing on a semi-break and beat Giguere high to the glove side to restore the Oiler lead. The Oilers went ahead by 2 goals at the 12:47 mark when Brian Rafalski was able to split the seam of the Buffalo defence with a perfect pass that Brian Leetch directed into the Sabre cage.

The third was a different story though as the Oilers attempted to sit on the two goal lead and prepare for tommorrows game against division rival Anaheim. First Scott Niedermeyer cut the lead to 1 goal 13:12 into the final stanza, and than Ruslan Fedotenko capitalized on a Scott Hannan miscue to even the score late in the third on the power play.

Early in overtime Wade Belak caught Marian Hossa with an elbow to the solar plexus and was whistled to the box. After a heated arguement with Kerry Fraser the goofy looking Belak was ejected. Needing only 21 seconds to use the man advantage Patrik Elias faked a shot that froze Giguere and sent a cross ice pass to a pinching Leetch who potted his second of the night for the game winner. The Oilers received three point efforts from both Elias and Brian Rafalski, along with the 2 goal effort from Brian Leetch. David Legwand also pitched in two assists playing on the Oilers top line. Jani Hurme recorded the win in his first Oiler start, but was average at best. Still his presence allowed the Oilers to leave Vokun in Edmonton to rest for tommorrow night's encounter with the Ducks.

The Oilers have now moved into 9th in the Howe confernence one point behind the Jackets and 2 behind the Wings and Sharks. It was the third straight win for the Oilers since Sylvanfan took over as general manager and co-coach. Bobby Schmautz returned behind the Oiler bench but was far less animated than he was in his debut against the Kings on Monday which netted him a one game suspension. Trade rumors still surround the team, but so far nothing has been made official. When asked if this was a ploy to wake his team up Sylvanfan claimed to see Doug Flutie and run out of the room in an eerily similar event to yesterday's post game conference.