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Maple Leafs host Oilers in matchup of last place clubs

Sat 13th, March 2010

(Sports Network) - A battle between the bottom two teams in the NHL is on tap tonight in Toronto, pitting the Maple Leafs against the Edmonton Oilers at Air Canada Centre.

Despite having won two straight and three of their last four, the Maple Leafs are still last in the Eastern Conference with just 56 points on the year. Edmonton -- bottom feeders in the Western Conference -- is the only club lower than Toronto with 49 points.

In addition to winning its last two games, Toronto has recorded at least a point in four of its last five outings, going 3-1-1 over that stretch.

The Maple Leafs have also won their last two games by 4-3 scores in overtime, beating visiting Boston on Tuesday and edging Tampa Bay two days later in another home tilt.

Phil Kessel scored 3:33 into overtime to give Toronto its latest victory against the Lightning on Thursday. Kessel, who leads the Leafs with 23 goals this year, picked up the first OT game-winner of his career.

Viktor Stalberg had a pair of goals, while Tyler Bozak also found the net for the Maple Leafs. Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 30 saves for Toronto.

"Young guys are stepping up here at the end of the year," Kessel said. "We're playing for each other, working hard out there."

Tonight marks the end of a three-game homestand for the Maple Leafs, who are 13-14-5 as the host this year. Toronto will play its next two games on the road against the New York Islanders and Ottawa.

Edmonton is 2-1-1 in its last four games and is coming off Thursday's shootout loss in Montreal. That setback kicked off a four-game road trip for the Oilers, who have a dismal 8-21-3 record as the guest.

Andrei Kostitsyn scored in the fifth round of the shootout, lifting the Canadiens to the 5-4 victory at Bell Centre.

Kostitsyn's was the only score of the shootout and came when he beat Devan Dubnyk with a forehand shot low to the left side. Sam Gagner was then wild on a backhand attempt to seal the victory for Montreal.

Gagner, Shawn Horcoff, Robert Nilsson and Andrew Cogliano had the goals for the Oilers. Dubnyk made 22 saves.

"We played a great hockey game, we had a lot of jump," Dubnyk said. "Everyone worked so hard. It's a test for me every time I'm out there. In the shootout, I was really comfortable. I felt good tonight even though they had the one goal which beat us."

The Oilers defeated Toronto, 3-1, in Edmonton on December 30, but the Maple Leafs have still won five of eight overall in the series. Edmonton has dropped eight of its last 10 contests in Toronto.