'It can't hurt': Oilers hope to use overtime win to build some momentum

Hours after their general manager described this season as "death by a thousand cuts," the Edmonton Oilers managed to stop the bleeding, at least temporarily, with an overtime winthey probably didn't deserve.

Now, there areonly 999 cuts to go.

The two points the Oilers limped awaywith at Rogers Place on Tuesday night won't take them off the critical list, but could be one small step on a long road to recovery.

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The win over the Arizona Coyotes gave the Oilers two in a row for only the second time all year.

If the teamhopes to build any real momentum, they'll have to start playing entire games the way they played the third period and overtime.

This one was a head-scratcher

Games like this are hard to get a handle on.

You look at the scoreboard and see the Oilers won 3-2. But out on the ice, for much of the game, you saw a team playing disorganized and lacklustre hockey until they finally found their legs in the third period, tied the score and sent the game into a wild overtime that featured chances at both ends.

The two goal posts the Coyotes rangin overtime certainly helped the Oilers' cause, as did stellar play by goaltender Cam Talbot.

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It allset the stage for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to score a breakaway goalhis ninth of the seasonlate in the extra period.

"I had a lot of time to think about it and I didn't want to overcomplicate it, especially late in the game.Just kind of got my best angle there and shot low blocker," he said.

ZackKassianfinally getsgoal

It's a win, and they all count the same, no matter how pretty or plain. With it, the Oilers improve to 10-13-2 on season.

Fresh off a five-game road trip that saw them win two and lose three, the Oilers hit the ice Tuesday and went head over heels. They looked lifeless from the opening face-off and, after the first 15 minutes, were being out-shot 6-3. Three shots just won't get it done.

The Rogers Place crowd started to get the jitters early, when too many passes hit teammates' skates, when too many decisions were made a split-second too late. Overall, the Oilers looked about as organized as a kindergarten class during a fire drill.

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The Coyotes scored first at 6:22, when Darnell Nurse was late clearing the front of the net. That gave Christian Fischer a few whacks at the puck before he finally knocked it past a sprawling Talbot.

Fourteen minutes into the firstperiod, the Oilers got their first chance on the power play. They didn't manage a single shot, and by then some fans were booing. Edmonton crowds know good hockey when they see it, and they weren't seeing it early in this one.

Speedy Zack Kassian got the Oilers even late in the period when he broke in alone and scored his first of the season. Earlier this year, Kassian seemed to have a break-away every night, but he just couldn't score. This time the cheer seemed a little louder than normal, as if Oilers fansfelt a weight lift from their shoulders.

"I think it was 27 games without a goal last year for me," Kassian said. "So I was trying to get it before then. I found him deep in his net, shot this time, and it went in."

At the end of the day, it's a win

McLellan said he and his staff will talk to the players Wednesday at practice and review what went right and what went wrong.

But when they talk, I have a feeling coach ToddMcLellanwill be walking a fine line with his plays. He'll want to point out the bad parts and praise the good parts.

McLellanwas asked about the two different Oilers teams he saw from the bench.

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"I'd like to say we found some legs," he said. "Because I didn't think we had legs earlier in the game. We were out-skated in a number of different areas. That happens sometimes when you come home from a long road trip."

The Oilers tried to be "too cute with the puck" early in the game, he said, and tried to make too many passes when they had chance to shoot the puck, he said.

But, at the end of the day, it's a win.

"It gives us a chance to come and play on Thursday and try to extend the winning streak," he said."It can't hurt, it can only help.

To build momentum, they'll have to play better Thursday with Toronto in town, or the Maple Leafs will rip the bandage off and the Oilers will start bleeding again.

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rick.mcconnell@cbc.ca