Oilers 3, Lightning 2
Zack Stortini did a little bit of everything and helped the Edmonton Oilers win again away from home.
Stortini scored his third goal of the season, added his fourth assist and had two fights as the Oilers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Wednesday night.
``It was an eventful night,'' Stortini said. ``That's something that's part of my game. Obviously getting on the forecheck quickly, putting pucks in the net, playing the body, fighting. These are the skills that I bring to the game, I think.''
Stortini won a battle behind the net for the puck, moved toward the slot and scored to give Edmonton a 3-2 lead at 11:07 of the second period. He fought Zenon Konopka late in the first and again during the second.
``He just gives you what he's got every night and that doesn't vary a whole lot,'' Oilers coach Pat Quinn said. ``He's got three goals and two of them came in one game, so that's a bonus for him.''
Stortini had two goals and a fight during the first period of a 6-1 win over Nashville on Oct. 12. Wednesday's goal stopped a personal 25-game goal drought.
Edmonton also got goals from Tom Gilbert and Dustin Penner. The Oilers have won four straight on the road for the first time since Nov. 14 to Dec. 8, 2005.
``I think realistically we had to do this to get back in the picture,'' Edmonton captain Ethan Moreau said. ``This trip, if it went the other way, could define our season. We didn't want that to happen.''
The Oilers complete a six-game road trip Friday at St. Louis.
Martin St. Louis and Victor Hedman scored for the Lightning, who have lost six of seven. Left wing Ryan Malone (lower body) and center Steven Stamkos (upper body), Tampa Bay's top two goal scorers this season, left with injuries.
Tampa Bay coach Rick Tocchet didn't know how long Stamkos and Malone might be sidelined.
``Some guys are going to get opportunities,'' Tocchet said. ``They're going to get their shot. It's put up or shut up time.''
After the Oilers went ahead 2-1 on Penner's goal at 6:31 of the second, Hedman got the equalizer 63 seconds later.
St. Louis put the Lightning up 1-0 from the right circle off a pass through the slot by Vincent Lecavalier during a 2-on-1 at 1:08 of the first. St. Louis had no goals in his previous nine games.
``I thought the effort was there,'' St. Louis said. ``It's one of those games, you fall short and you're disappointed because you felt that you played it pretty hard.''
Lecavalier and St. Louis were among Tampa Bay's top players that were benched for a large part of the third period in Monday's 3-0 loss to Washington.
``Pretty high intensity game,'' Lecavalier said. ``Obviously, you're missing Stamkos and Malone, it definitely hurts your team.''
Gilbert tied it with 8:39 left in the first. It was his second goal this season and first in 14 games.
NOTES: Stamkos (17) and Malone (16) have combined for 33 goals. ... Edmonton D Denis Grebeshkov (knee) missed his 12th straight game but could return soon. ... The Lightning play their next six games on the road. ... The Oilers assigned D Dean Arsene to Springfield of the AHL.