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Oilers try to continue playoff push against Wild

Mon 24th, March 2008

(Sports Network) - While the first-place Wild are looking over their shoulder at the rest of the tight Northwest Division, the Oilers are trying to catch a fellow division resident for the last playoff spot in the West. Edmonton will host Minnesota tonight at Rexall Place.

This is the opener of a home-and-home set, as Minnesota will host Edmonton on Wednesday.

The Wild have 89 points on the season, but saw their lead over the Flames in the standings dip to just one point after Saturday's 5-4 setback in Calgary. The Flames also have one game in hand over the Wild and play in Colorado tonight.

Benoit Pouliot and Kim Johnsson each scored two goals for the Wild, who are 1-1-1 on a four-game road trip. Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Marian Gaborik both collected two helpers, while Josh Harding allowed five goals on 31 shots in defeat.

The Wild, who have never won the Northwest Division title since joining the NHL for the 2000-01 season, have lost four of their last five on the road and are 19-16-4 as the visiting club this season.

The Oilers have been ripping off victories at a solid pace to get back into the playoff picture. Edmonton has won four of five, seven of nine and 11 of its last 14 to climb to 10th overall in the West. With 81 points, the Oilers are just three points back of fellow Northwest Division resident Colorado for the eighth playoff spot in the conference with six games to play.

Edmonton posted a big win over the Avalanche on Saturday, as Sam Gagner scored the deciding tally during a wild third period in the Oilers' 7-5 victory.

The clubs combined for seven goals in the final stanza, with Colorado erasing a three-goal deficit in a little more than 2 1/2 minutes. The Avs fell behind only 18 seconds later, though, and never recovered.

Gagner recorded his first career two-goal game, and Ales Hemsky had three assists for the Oilers. Dwayne Roloson got the win, recording 29 saves. Marty Reasoner had an empty-net goal and two assists, while Dustin Penner, Fernando Pisani, Kyle Brodziak and Marc-Antoine Pouliot all scored as well.

Edmonton wraps a four-game homestand tonight and is 2-1-0 so far on the residency. The Oilers have posted a victory in 10 of their last 12 games at Rexall Place and are 22-16-1 as the home team this year.

The Wild are 4-1-1 versus the Oilers this year, but are just 1-1-1 in Edmonton. Minnesota has won nine of the last 11 meetings overall and four of the last six at Rexall Place.

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