Mon Jan 7 11:09:10 2008

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Oilers take on visiting Isles

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(Sports Network) - The Oilers are having trouble stopping games in regulation. However, once the game gets to a shootout, they are virtually unbeatable. Edmonton will try to win in just 60 minutes tonight when it hosts the New York Islanders at Rexall Place.

Edmonton has 18 wins on the season and the second-fewest points in the Western Conference. Of those 18 wins, 11 have come via a shootout, where the club has lost just twice in 13 total shootouts.

The Oilers are now just one shootout win shy of matching Dallas' NHL record of 12 in a single season, set during the 2005-06 season. The Stars went 12-1 in shootouts that year.

It was much of the same on Saturday, as the Oilers allowed the New York Rangers to score twice in the third period, including the equalizer with just 6.2 ticks left in regulation, before posting a 3-2 shootout win.

Sam Gagner scored the lone shootout goal on a quick wrister, while Shawn Horcoff netted his team-leading 17th goal of the season in the game. He also had an assist to up his team-high points total to 37.

Gagner, meanwhile, leads the NHL with four shootout-deciding tallies.

Jarret Stoll scored the other goal for the Oilers, who have won two of their last three games. Mathieu Garon finished the game with 29 saves while also stopping all three New York attempts in the shootout.

The win came in the opener of a five-game homestand for Edmonton, which is 9-11-1 as the host this season. The Oilers will also welcome Phoenix, Calgary and Los Angeles on this stand.

While the Oilers seem to enjoy shootouts, the Islanders have been having little luck in extra sessions as of late. New York has lost its last two games, with both setbacks coming in overtime.

The Islanders fell to Florida, 4-3, on Thursday before Colorado handed New York a 2-1 overtime loss on Saturday. In the extra period, Marek Svatos lifted a backhander over the glove of Rick DiPietro with 2:55 on the clock.

Tim Jackman lit the lamp and Rick DiPietro allowed two goals on 39 shots for New York. DiPietro was playing in his second game after missing three straight due to a left knee sprain. He is 3-0-0 with a 1.95 goals-against average in three career games versus the Oilers.

The Islanders have played in 24 one-goal games, going 14-6-4 this year.

New York kicked off a five-game road trip on Saturday, its longest of the season, and is 7-9-2 as the road squad this year. The Islanders will also stop in Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa on the trek.

The Islanders have won their last six matchups with the Oilers and haven't lost to Edmonton since December 14, 1999. New York is 3-0 with a tie in its last four trips to Edmonton, where it hasn't played since March of 2003.