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Kessel helps Leafs edge Edmonton

Sat 13th, March 2010

Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Phil Kessel scored two goals and dished out an assist, as the Toronto Maple Leafs outlasted the Edmonton Oilers, 6-4, in a matchup between two teams in the basement in the NHL standings.

Tyler Bozak had a goal and two assists for the Leafs, who have won three in a row but still sit last in the Eastern Conference with 58 points. Nikolai Kulemin finished with a goal and an assist. Mikhail Grabovski and Jamie Lundmark also lit the lamp for the victors.

Jonas Gustavsson turned aside 25-of-29 shots.

"We're just trying to keep it simple, play a basic hockey game," Leafs defenseman Tomas Kaberle said. "Finally we used some power plays today and scored more goals."

Dustin Penner ended with a goal and two assists for the Oilers, who have dropped three straight and sit in the cellar of the West with 49 points. Andrew Cogliano had a goal and an assist, while Gilbert Brule and Aaron Johnson also scored in defeat.

Jeff Deslauriers stopped 23-of-28 shots before being pulled after the second period. Devan Dubnyk made 18 saves in relief.

"It was disappointing for a few of our guys tonight," Oilers coach Pat Quinn said. "They seemed lost in our zone. For 10 minutes we were fine, but I haven't played in a 10-minute game in a long time. It wasn't good enough for us."

It was the first game for Quinn behind the bench as a coach at Air Canada Centre since the Leafs fired him following the 2005-06 season. He was featured in a welcome-back video during the first period.

The Leafs drew first blood at the 13:34 mark of the first period on Kulemin's wrister. Toronto's margin was two when Bozak's backhander beat Deslauriers with 1:55 remaining.

Cogliano scored just 57 seconds into the second to make it a 2-1 game. Cogliano charged up the right wing and went top-shelf with a wrister to beat Gustavsson.

Lundmark's fifth goal of the season at the 4:24 mark put the Leafs back in front by two.

Toronto then scored back-to-back goals on the power play to build a comfortable lead. A Zack Stortini roughing call at 5:25 was followed 28 seconds later by a Johnson tripping penalty. Kessel capitalized at the 6:15 mark to make it 4-1. Grabovski lit the lamp 35 seconds later on the power play to give Toronto a four-goal cushion.

Brule found the back of the net with a slapper with 6:49 remaining to cut the deficit to 5-2.

A power-play goal from Penner at the 6:26 mark of the third made it a 5-3 contest. Ryan Whitney's slap shot from the point was deflected in by Penner.

Kessel lit the lamp during a 5-on-3 power play to give the Leafs a 6-3 cushion. Kessel gathered the disc and made his way to the bottom of the right circle before firing a wrister past Dubnyk.

Johnson scored on the power play with less than a minute left to account for the final margin. Mike Comrie, who was positioned at the side of the net, slid a pass in front to Johnson, whose snap shot found the upper left corner of the net.

Game Notes

Edmonton and Toronto split a pair of matchups this season...The Oilers have dropped nine of their last 11 contests in Toronto...Edmonton is a dismal 8-22-3 as the guest this year...The Leafs went 3-for-8 on the power play, while the Oilers went 2-for-6 with the man advantage.