Sens' Spezza scores winning goal in SO vs. Oilers

OTTAWA — Jason Spezza scored the deciding goal in the
shootout, but Pascal Leclaire won the game for the Ottawa
Senators.

Leclaire made 31 saves, and the Senators twice came from behind
for a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.

With the game tied 2-2 midway through the third period, Leclaire
stopped Andrew Cogliano on a breakaway and then thwarted Denis
Grebeshkov moments later with a toe save in close to keep the
game tied.

“I just tried to follow them as much as I could,” Leclaire said.
“These guys are pretty skilled and have a lot of offensive
ability. You have to be patient with them.”

Chris Neil scored his third goal of the season with just under 7
minutes left in regulation to give the Senators a 3-2 lead, but
Gilbert Brule tied the game less than 2 minutes later with a
hard shot from the slot that trickled past Leclaire.

“We made it exciting and we were pretty disciplined,” Leclaire
said. “There was the little breakdown by myself at the end but
the guys came back and we were able to get the win, so it’s a
little easier to forget about.”

Jonathan Cheechoo and Nick Foligno also scored for the Senators.

Dustin Penner and Ethan Moreau had first-period goals for the
Oilers, and Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers stopped 22 shots.

Down 2-1 after 20 minutes, the Senators scored the only goal of
the second period. Foligno took a behind-the-back pass from Ryan
Shannon and put a backhand shot past Drouin-Deslauriers to tie
it.

The Oilers sandwiched first-period goals around Cheechoo’s first
with the Senators. The first goal was originally credited to
Steve Staios, which would have been the defenseman’s first of
the season. The goal was changed to Penner after replays showed
the puck hitting Penner before Leclaire knocked it into his own
net with the shaft of his stick.

Less than 3 minutes after Cheechoo scored, Moreau gave the
Oilers their second lead of the night. He took advantage of
miscommunication in the corner between Peter Regin and Alex
Picard, stealing the puck and stuffing it past Leclaire.

After five straight road losses, the Oilers earned a win in
Colorado on Sunday night. Edmonton coach Pat Quinn was upset
with the latest loss, but happy that his team put together a
good performance.

“It was probably our best three periods in a long time, and we
maybe (could have) had a better result but we didn’t,” he said.
“And in the shootout we couldn’t score.

“I don’t like the goals that went in on us again, and I have a
problem with how the (Neil) one went in for sure. It was
interference on our goaltender and offside as well. I guess
you’ve got to live with that, but it makes it hard. But overall,
thinking in terms of improvement, we were a little better in
Colorado than we have been and this was a better effort.
Hopefully that will continue.”

NOTES: Ryan O’Marra made his NHL debut with the Oilers. He was
selected 15th overall in 2005 by the New York Islanders and was
traded to the Oilers as part of the Ryan Smyth deal. …
Senators captain Daniel Aldredsson had his nine-game point
streak halted. It was only the second time this season he has
been held off the score sheet. … Senators D Anton Volchenkov
missed his fifth straight game because of an elbow injury.