National Hockey League News

Turco solid in net as Stars down Oilers

Nov 4, 2006, 5:55 GMT

Edmonton, AB - Marty Turco made 24 saves as the Dallas Stars defeated the Edmonton Oilers, 3-2, after a questionable finish at Rexall Place.

Brenden Morrow, Niklas Hagman and Trevor Daley all scored goals for the Stars, who have won three straight and six of their last seven games.

Ryan Smyth and Petr Sykora tallied the goals for the Oilers, who thought they tied the contest in the final seconds, but had a goal called off after referee Michael McGeough whistled the play dead after he thought Edmonton gained possession of the puck off a faceoff by using a skate rather than a stick.

Netminder Dwayne Roloson allowed three goals on 26 shots in the loss.

Trailing 3-1, the Oilers pulled Roloson with about 1:45 left in the contest and the move paid off as Sykora found a loose puck in the slot and fired a wrister that beat Turco through the pads to make it 3-2 with 1:25 remaining.

Edmonton once again got Roloson to the bench for an extra attacker with about 45 ticks on the clock and with under five seconds to go thought they tied the game after Ales Hemsky poked in a rebound after the Oilers won a faceoff.

McGeough though waved the goal off saying his whistle blew after Edmonton center Shawn Horcoff drew the puck back with his skate and not his stick, making the play dead.

After the final horn, Edmonton fans littered the ice with trash and debris after replays clearly showed that Horcoff won the draw with his stick and not his skate.

The Oilers have now lost two straight and four of their last five.

The Stars drew first blood and took a 1-0 lead 12:04 into the opening period. Morrow took a pass from Eric Lindros in the right circle and fired a wrister that hit off Roloson's left pad and into the net.

Dallas made it 2-0 with 1:54 remaining in the first period after Hagman finished off a 2-on-1 break with a goal. Stu Barnes raced up the right wing into the Edmonton zone and slid the puck across to Hagman, who one-timed the feed past Roloson.

The Oilers got on the board to make it 2-1 at 4:05 of the second stanza. From the left corner, Smyth threw the puck on net and the disc deflected off the inside of Turco's pads and over the goal line.

Daley's first goal of the campaign gave Dallas its two-goal lead back with 58 seconds left in the middle session. Daley took a pass from Antti Miettinen at the point and ripped a slap shot that beat a screened Roloson.

The Stars intense forechecking in the final frame limited the Oilers to just three shots on goal in the first 15 minutes of the period.

With just under four minutes to play, Brad Winchester controlled the puck behind the Dallas net and attempted to stuff the disc past Turco on a wrap around, but the netminder made the save.

Game Notes

The Stars improved to 6-1-0 as the visiting team this season.

Dallas went 0- for-2 on the power play while Edmonton failed to score in five chances with the man advantage.

Sykora and Smyth both have eight goals on the season for the Oilers.

Both teams finished with 26 shots on goal.

© 2006 The Sports Network