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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- The Edmonton Oilers and Detroit Red
Wings played an April-type game in just the first week of the
season.
Rem Murray scored the game-winner with 5:37 left in the third
period to give Edmonton a 2-1 victory as the Oilers and Red Wings
showed some exciting, midseason form.
|  | | Edmonton's Sean Brown, left, stops Mathieu Dandenault in his own zone. |
"It's nice to get the winner," said Murray, who broke a 1-1
tie when Mike Grier got his own rebound off goalie Chris Osgood and
deflected the puck to his linemate. "Griersy was skating really
well all night. He was barreling down the wing, and he got a shot.
"I had a wide open net."
The Oilers were playing their season opener, while the Red Wings
were coming off a 4-3 come-from-behind victory the previous night
in Calgary.
Detroit took a 1-0 lead at 7:32 of the first period when veteran
forward Pat Verbeek jammed the puck past goalie Tommy Salo with the
Red Wings on a power play.
Salo made several saves during a two-man Detroit advantage and
just as Edmonton defenseman Sean Brown returned to the ice to end
the initial minor, Verbeek scored.
"We felt that we were skating and playing hard enough to draw
some penalties, but obviously, that wasn't the case," Detroit's
Kris Draper said. "Not making any excuse -- the Oilers kept coming
at us.
"It was their opener and we knew that they were going to keep
coming at us. We had some good chances. Salo made some big saves. I
thought it was an entertaining hockey game, but it just didn't go
our way."
Salo kept the Oilers in the game with several splendid saves,
many from point-blank range. He finished with 33 stops, including a
sliding save with just seconds left in regulation.
"I was glad we came out with a win today -- it was important,"
Salo said. "Preseason is preseason. I was feeling good, and the
team was playing good in front of me."
Edmonton tied it with 1:25 left in the second period on a power
play. Oilers captain Doug Weight found winger Bill Guerin at the
side of the net and Guerin beat Osgood with a quick shot.
"After we took the lead in the third period, Tommy didn't have
much of a chance for a break," Oilers head coach Craig MacTavish
said. "He (Salo) played absolutely incredible to give us an
opportunity to be in the game, first and foremost. But after we
took the lead, he was spectacular.
"He was having one of those nights where he gave me a lot of
confidence that he wouldn't be beat."
Detroit outshot Edmonton 34-29.
"It was a little weird," said Detroit's Boyd Devereaux, a
former Oiler who was playing his first game in Edmonton as a
visitor. "I thought we started off well and dominated the first
period, but maybe let them gain a little momentum in the second.
"It was tight right to the end."
The Oilers looked shaky early, experiencing problems carrying
the puck out of their own end. MacTavish called a timeout to settle
his team down after the Red Wings thoroughly outplayed his squad.
"I was really nervous going into the game," said MacTavish, in
his first game as a head coach. "We were a little sloppy early on,
but we rectified that in the second period and got down to the
things we do best, which is getting the puck in deep and taking the
body."
Game notes
Detroit captain Steve Yzerman missed his second straight
game after injuring his knee in a preseason game against the
Toronto Maple Leafs. ... Edmonton defenseman Eric Brewer left the
game with a knee injury in the third period, and did not return.
... Gordie Howe was in attendance and congratulated former Red
Wings teammate Bruce MacGregor, who just retired from the Oilers
organization. MacGregor was Edmonton's executive vice president and
assistant general manager.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Detroit Clubhouse
Edmonton Clubhouse
RECAPS
New Jersey 8
Montreal 4
Los Angeles 4
Washington 1
Vancouver 4
Florida 3
NY Islanders 3
Tampa Bay 3
Edmonton 2
Detroit 1
Anaheim 3
Minnesota 1
St. Louis 4
San Jose 1
Nashville 3
Pittsburgh 1
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Pat Verbeek slaps home the rebound.
avi: 956 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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