Pisani and Dvorak get their scoring feet wet as Oilers step on Stars, 3-2.

Lineup
Smyth	Marchant	Dvorak	Smith	Staios
York	Comrie	Laraque	Cross	Brewer
Moreau	Reasoner	Pisani	Semenov	Ferguson
Isbister	Horcoff	Hemsky	Salo
			Markkanen
Scratched: Chimera, Swanson, Cleary, Bergeron - Healthy...

Postgame

Six times in the last seven years. Check. Stars always win. Not so fast. Same old guys kill the Oilers. Hold on, wait a minute. Yes, Zubov's still picking up buckets of assists and Modano's up to his usual dastardly deeds but some of their old soldiers are on different battlefields. Some are swampy and some are in the centre of the universe.

Same old guys no showing for the Oilers, too, right?

Not exactly.

Fernando Pisani and Radek Dvorak joined Georges Laraque on the third period scoresheet and the Oilers pulled off a third period comeback in a 3-2 win.

It's just about written in stone. There's a chisel that the Stars pull out before each and every playoff game against Edmonton and it automatically etches, "Though shalt score at least one powerplay goal."

On this night they got that over with early when Jason Arnott converted a Darryl Sydor pass and popped the puck shortside on Tommy Salo. The Oilers turned the tide in the last nine minutes of the first with chances by Comrie and Pisani after coming out flat early despite the desperate urgings of the collective 16,839 crazies that turned Skyreach centre into an asylum for the playoff hungry.

Dallas nearly made it 2-0 early in the second when Brendan Morrow dribbled a shot wide past Salo and just by the far post. But the Oilers held on and gritted their teeth and when the third period began, the Oilers had some real bite.

Laraque found himself alongside York and Comrie and early in the third he roared down the right and beat Richard Matvichuk and the hulking inhabitant of the starboard side found himself on the left wing in a battle with Arnott. The former Oiler was soft on the forecheck and Laraque drove to the net and crammed the disc past Turco to tie the game.

The elation was short-lived though as the Oilers third defensive pairing of Ferguson and Semenov fumbled a catch play and Jere Lethinen eventually banked the puck off Ferguson and past a startled Salo to put the Stars ahead once again.

But then it happened.

With the chips down and in a close game, it was the Stars who folded and for the first time since Andy Moog patrolled the Dallas crease it was the Dallas goalie who withered under the pressure.

Fernando Pisani began the year in Hamilton starting his third season in the American Hockey League and probably not even honestly considering playing one game for his hometown club let alone driving his Edmonton brethern nuts come April. But he's stuck with the Oilers since a January call-up and he knotted the game at 2-2 when his quick but weak wrister came off the left wing and somehow escaped through the pads of Turco. It was sweet relief for Pisani who's been foiled at least five times this series by Turco and he'd even hit the post earlier in the second period when the Dallas goal was found wandering.

Pisani's marker came at 4:40 of the final frame and just 58 scant seconds later Radek Dvorak flashed the blades and went down the ice in a flash before zipping home the eventual winner.

Eric Brewer began the play just inside his own zone with a touch pass to Marchant and the long serving and long Stars losing suffering centre found Dvorak heading through the neutral zone with a head of steam. One of the newest Oilers collected the dish and glided down the right wing before stickhandling between Matvickuk's goals and wristing a shot past Turco.

Of course it wasn't all a bed of roses with a little over fourteen minutes to kill and shortly after the Dvorak marker an over anxious Jason Smith was caught out of position and Scott Young accordingly sent Jere Lethinen all alone on a waiting Salo. The Stars left winger whipped a shot destined for the far corner but Salo threw up the trapper and put some style on the save just for good measure.

The Stars had one more glorious chance late when a Mike Modano dive produced a late powerplay but even pulling Turco to produce an abbreviated two man advantage couldn't pull Dallas even.

And all of a sudden some new participants said thou shalt make this a series.

Three Stars

Radek Dvorak - Highlight reel stuff and clutchy to boot. He logged the third most icetime trailing only veteran Oilers Ryan Smyth and Todd Marchant.

Jere Lethinen - Six shots, a goal and lots of goofy smiles on a sometimes happy Dallas bench.

Tommy Salo - As of yet he hasn't been asked to steal a game and I don't know if he has it in him. Then again I didn't think he had it in him to even keep his mates in the game but he certainly did tonight and for once the Oilers benefitted from a suspect goal.

Oil Gauge

Eric Brewer logged a game high 25:41 but Steve Stiaos clocked the most minutes at even strength with 20:59....12:22 and another night of ineffectiveness for Mike Comrie. He's starting to throw his less than substantial weight around and that's usually a precursor to gritty offensive play as well but he just can't find the back of the net and the last time the Oilers we're in the playoffs, Comrie was a force that belied his age and experience. He was a shocking 11/14 from the faceoff circle, though.....I don't usually include opposition icetime in this space but 24:53 and a team high 20:56 even strength for Richard Matvichuk. The big man has clearly lost a step and he was their go to physical presence in the absence of the suspended Hatcher. He failed miserably taking on goat horns for the Dvorak goal and also getting beaten to the outside just before Laraque scored.

News & Notes

The line combos as listed here reflect the changes MacT made in the second intermission. The lines for game three had been identical to the first two games but he broke out the blender after 40 minutes. #27's presence with the Mike's gave the smurfs a little more room and Dvorak and Smyth immeadiately found a common cycling ground......Just 10:30 and 9:04, respectively, for the third pairing of Ferguson and Semenov. The latter's being brought along slowly and the former has been an adventure this whole playoffs. Their limited time has put immense pressure on the top four and Cory Cross has handled the increased minutes better than has Steve Staios....Oilers go 0/2 on the PP while Dallas scores their obligatory goal in four chances. Oilers home special teams continue to be putrid.

Next Game

Game four takes place at 7 MST on Tuesday night at Skyreach. It will be seen on the full CBC network.