Another blown third period lead halts winning streak at five with 4-3 overtime loss to Dallas.

Lineup
Smyth	Horcoff	Hemsky	Brewer	Smith
Torres	Nedved	Dvorak	Cross	Staios
Moreau	Stoll	Laraque	Bergeron	Ulanov
Chimera	Oates	Pisani
			Conklin
			Markkanen
Scratched: Reasoner, York are day-to-day. Isbister, Chimera, Ferguson, Semenov

Postgame

Even in the current euphoria of the winning streak and the paltry three regulation losses since the first of February, it has been a problem.

In fact one could say it's like that uncle who drinks a bit too much but means well. He shows up, you deal with him but as long as everything turns out in the end no one will mention it again

Well this time it bit in the Oilers in the can as another blown third period lead sucked away another win and a another point in yet another loss, albeit in overtime, to the Dallas Stars.

Jason Arnott, Scott Young, Jere Lethinen and Sergei Zubov. All Stars who didn't take to the Rexall ice on Wed night. Dallas also featured a defense corps with such luminaries as Lubomir Sekeras and oldsters like Don Sweeney and kids like Trevor Daley.

So pardon anyone for being overconfident but how could the Oilers not beat these guys?

Early on, and I mean very early on, the script looked predictable and for once palatable.

David Oliver took a high sticking penalty a little over two minutes into the game and seven seconds off the enusing faceoff Eric Brewer ripped a shot high on Marty Turco's glovehand and it was 1-0 Oilers. Seven minor penalties were called in the first period with one being a doubleminor when Turco slashed Ryan Smyth in the mouth. But the Oilers had to count on an even strenght goal to double the lead before the break when Fernando Pisani broke in off the left wing and went five hole on Turco with just 11 seconds remaining in the opening period.

But the Oilers came out slugging in the second frame and when they did have chances Turco was there. Dallas hung around and begain to outwork the Edmonton crew and eventually caught a break with a Pierre Turgeon pass went off Oiliver's skate and past Ty Conklin. The Stars tied the game just 56 seconds later when Marc Andre Bergeron had trouble clearing the zone and Sekeras had floated a point shot off Smyth's skate and behind the Oilers netminder.

So the third period began with a tie game and even when the Stars had Cup winning potential, which they no longer possess, it always came down to a one goal decision on Edmonton ice. Wouldn't you know it would be the same old ghosts that would haunt this new addition of the rivalry but for just a little while it didn't look to be turning out that way.

Local boy Pisani looked to make very good when he converted a two-on-one pass from Horcoff with just under seven minutes remaining and an originally racous but suddenly nervous crowd exploded with springtime energy. In fact they were in a real lather with around 90 seconds remaining and the Pisani line hemming the Stars in their own end.

But we know how this story ends and for once it's more about what this game means outside of the current competiton.

Brendan Morrow scored with under a minute left to tie it and then Bill Guerin won it in overtime and now the Oilers lead the Preds by one point but Nashville has an extra win, they have the head to head tiebreaker and they have a game in hand. St Louis trails by two points but they have also have an extra win and two games in hand.

A 4-3 loss to Los Angeles, a 1-1 tie vs Detroit, a 5-4 OT win against Phx, a 5-4 OT loss in Dallas, a 4-3 OT win in Chicago, a 4-3 OT loss vs Vancouver and now a 4-3 OT loss to Dallas.

All games where the Oilers have squandered their period leads.

Just how much this will eventually damn them remains to be seen.

Three Stars

Fernando Pisani - He now has 14 goals and 26 points on the season. Averages a little under 13 minutes and he's +13. He's a fine bottom six forward who can deal with occasional top six duty because he's so strong in his own end.

Eric Brewer - A goal and an assist in a whopping 28:39 of icetime. He is rounding into shutdown form in his own end.

Pierre Turgeron - Ulf Dahlen quickly came to figure it out last year and Turgeon has known about it for years and has exploited the Oilers thusly. Edmonton's coverage breaks down with a guy holds court behind the net. Turgeon picked up two assists in this one.

Out of Town Scoreboard

The 10th place Kings lost 1-0 in Vancouver which means the Oilers can pretty much knock them off their heels with a win on Friday night at Rexall. Meanwhile Thursday night features two games for Oilers faithful to fret over. The Preds visit the awful Rangers while St. Louis entertains the suddenly plucky Ducks. If you have Centre Ice, you can catch those games on Ch 416 and 417 respectively.

Oil Gauge

A good night in the faceoff circle from Oates who went 11/16 and also threw in an assist in 12:13 of icetime. But with under two minutes remaining he replaced Laraque on the 3rd line and was on the ice for Morrow's tying goal...Two assists and four shots on goal in 21:51 of icetime for Ryan Smyth who's back to looking formidable the last two games after a recent stretch of malaise...Jason Chimera drew back in for an ailing York and played only 3:39. He seems to have lost his way these past few weeks and is back to being on the bubble after a nice '03 season.

Next Game

Friday night at 6PM MST on SN West as you'll see the Kings pay a visit to Rexall.