Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009

Edmonton Oilers (7-5-1) at Boston Bruins (5-5-1), 1 p.m.

The inconsistent Boston Bruins will try to get something going today, when they host the Edmonton Oilers in this afternoon's battle at TD Garden.

The Bruins are 5-5-1 on the year and have alternated losses and wins since opening the year with a home setback against Washington. After earning a shootout victory in Ottawa last Saturday, Boston was dealt a close loss Thursday against visiting New Jersey.

Boston's recent loss to the Devils came in heart-breaking fashion, as Dainius Zubrus scored the game-winning goal with 1:26 to play to lift New Jersey to a 2-1 decision at the Garden.

Patrice Bergeron scored the only goal for the Bruins, who fell to 3-4-0 as the host this season. Tim Thomas allowed two goals on 31 shots to take the loss for Boston.

The Bruins are completing a brief two-game homestand today. Boston will visit the New York Rangers on Sunday to start a two-game trip that also features a stop in Detroit.

The Oilers hosted the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday and earned a dramatic victory to put the brakes on a three-game losing streak. Patrick O'Sullivan buried the game-winning shootout goal and Edmonton overcame blowing a four- goal lead in regulation to post a wild 6-5 win over Detroit at Rexall Place.

After Nikolai Khabibulin turned back the first two Red Wings shooters, O'Sullivan slammed a hard shot off the left post and back off the center support bar to light the lamp. Khabibulin was then called upon one last time and denied a Henrik Zetterberg offering to clinch the victory.

Khabibulin was burned for five goals, four over the final 27-plus minutes, on 45 shots during regulation and overtime. With the win, he tied Billy Smith for 20th on the NHL's all-time list with 305 career victories.

Ales Hemsky scored twice and added an assist for Edmonton, while Dustin Penner had a four-point night with a goal and three helpers. Shawn Horcoff snapped a seven-game pointless streak with a goal and two assists for the Oilers, who brought a scoreless run of 141 minutes and 25 seconds into the game. That drought evaporated 42 seconds in on Jean-Francois Jacques' second tally of the season.

Edmonton had been shut out in back-to-back games and was riding a three-game losing streak coming in.

"Well, they all count," Penner said. "We got the two points, we gave Detroit one. [Khabibulin] kept us in the game and down the road, we've got to make the games easier for him because he's been winning for us."

The Oilers could be without forward Mike Comrie and defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky today, as both players are questionable with flu-like symptoms. This comes just a few days after Oilers revealed that defenseman Ladislav Smid had contracted H1N1, which is more commonly known as swine flu. However, Smid has recovered and actually never missed a game due to the illness.

Edmonton is just 1-3-0 as the guest this year and is kicking off a two-game swing today. The Oilers will visit the New York Islanders on Monday.

Boston has won seven straight over the Oilers and Edmonton hasn't beaten the Bruins since October 17, 2000. The Oilers are also 0-4-1 with a tie in their last six trips to Beantown.