Allgemeine Besprechung » after they relied on the running game

EDMONTON -- The Edmonton Oilers finally flipped the switch after stumbling at the start of the NHL season. Jordan Eberle and David Perron scored in the shootout as the Oilers rallied from a three-goal deficit for a 5-4 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Monday. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Andrew Ference, Perron and Taylor Hall all scored in the third period as the Oilers (1-2-0) earned their first win of the season. The victory helped Edmonton avoid its worst start to a season since the 1995-96 campaign when it went 0-4 out of the gate. "Its tough to explain, but Im glad we bounced back the way we did," said Perron. "To lose the first three would have been a pretty tough way to start the year. I know everyone was pretty eager to get that first win and now we can look forward to new things and keep moving." Ference, who was named the 14th captain in Oilers history, said the team just needed to get over the early-season jitters. "We just want to win so bad, you see it with teams at the start of the year, if you cant get in the win column right away," he said. "You cant be out there scared to lose. There is an element of fear in every person that plays sports, but that has to be out-weighed by the desire to win and you cant be paralyzed with the fear of losing." The first win of the season doubled as the first career NHL victory as a head coach for Dallas Eakins. "If you lose one game, its not hanging over your head, but I felt that they were feeling the challenge of us having lost two games and they didnt want to get it to three," said Eakins. "I just asked them to stay with it and believe in themselves and they did, they finally got rewarded for their hard work and their patience." Jaromir Jagr, Damien Brunner, Michael Ryder and Patrik Elias scored for the Devils (0-1-2), who are just one of five teams in the NHL yet to capture their first victory of the season. "Its a learning experience for us early in the season and weve got to be better, said Devils head coach Peter DeBoer. "I dont like leaving points on the table like that, especially after being up 3-0. "The puck bounced right for them in the third period, and they capitalized, to their credit. It was a strange game." Veteran Devils goalie Martin Brodeur said it is a rarity to let a game get a way like this one did. "We dominated for most of the game and then took a tough penalty and from there it got a bit chaotic. It was a tough one," he said. "Things like what happened tonight dont happen too often. We are a veteran team and we should be able to play better under that kind of pressure. They are a good, young team, but we had them exactly where we wanted them." New Jersey built a 3-0 lead in the first two periods before Nugent-Hopkins, making his season debut, scored after a mad scramble on a power play in front of Martin Brodeur in the Devils net. Nugent-Hopkins missed the first two games of the season as he recovered from shoulder surgery. The goal spoiled Brodeurs shutout bid. There are only three teams that the veteran goalie has not recorded a shutout against in his 21-season career -- Edmonton, Nashville and San Jose. Edmonton made it 3-2 with 9:28 into the third period as Ference scored on a point shot through traffic. The momentum shifted firmly in Edmontons favour as Perron plucked the puck out of a face-off in the Devils end and picked the corner for his first goal as an Oiler. He came to Edmonton in an off-season trade with St. Louis. After tying the game up 3-3 with eight minutes to play, the Oilers took their first lead of the contest two minutes later as Ales Hemsky chipped a puck off the boards to Hall, who was alone in front and slipped the puck through Brodeurs legs. However, the Devils were able to tie the game 4-4 with just 54 seconds left while shorthanded as Elias threw a puck on net that banked off Ferences skate and into the net with Brodeur on the bench to send the game to the eventual shootout. New Jersey scored on the games first shot three minutes in to the first period as Jagr brought it in himself and button-hooked into the slot before sending his first of the season past Oilers goalie Jason LaBarbera. Brunner made it 2-0 for the Devils fives minutes later on the power play. He faked a shot at the top of the circle and then elected to shoot, putting it stick-side past LaBarbera. Edmontons best chance in the first came with a man advantage of its own with two minutes to play when Hemsky had an open net to shoot the puck into with Brodeur going the other way, but defender Anton Volchenkov fished it to safety. The Devils surged ahead 3-0 at the 4:34 mark of the second period as a giveaway deep in Oilers territory led to a two-on-one with Ryder electing to shoot himself, rifling his second of the season in the top corner. The Devils are right back at it on Tuesday night in Vancouver against the Canucks in the second game of a five-game trip. The Oilers are off until Thursday when they host the Montreal Canadiens. Notes - The last time the Devils and Oilers played each other, New Jersey pulled out a 2-1 overtime win at Rexall Place on Jan. 11, 2012a Damien Brunner scored three of the New Jerseys first five goals this seasona With games on back-to-back nights, Brodeur was given the start for the Devils so that off-season trade acquisition Cory Schneider could get the nod against his old team, the Canucks, on Tuesdaya Nugent-Hopkins, the first overall selection in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, made his season debut after having shoulder surgery last Aprila The Devils started their road trip with a completely healthy lineupa Edmonton had veteran forward Ryan Smyth sitting out as a healthy scratch, opting to inject recent call-up Ryan Hamilton into the lineup. Custom Seahawks Jerseys . Spencer Abbott and Trevor Smith scored third-period goals erasing a 2-1 deficit giving Toronto a late 3-2 lead. Cheap Seattle Seahawks Jerseys Online .500 ball against teams with winning records, so they needed a huge lift from somebody Tuesday night in a matchup of division leaders. http://www.cheapseahawks.com/ . Portland won Game 4 Sunday night at the Moda Center and are now up 3-1. The last time the Blazers won a playoff series came in the 2000 Western Conference semifinals against the Utah Jazz. Seattle Seahawks Jerseys Outlet . At 11:06 of the first period, Neal struck Marchand with his knee when Marchand was down on the ice. Marchand remained in the game. Neal was assessed a kneeing penalty for his hit on Marchand. Authentic Seattle Seahawks Jerseys .James scored 29 points, including 16 in the first quarter, and the Cleveland Cavaliers broke a four-game losing streak with a 106-74 win over the Orlando Magic on Monday night.FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Tom Brady didnt have to throw much or especially well for the New England Patriots to get their sixth straight win.He figures to play a bigger role when they go for their seventh.One week after they relied on the running game — 37 carries for 201 yards and four touchdowns by Jonas Gray — in a 42-20 win over Indianapolis, the Patriots face the NFLs top-ranked run defence on Sunday when they meet the Detroit Lions.And Brady is determined to play better than he did in the first half against the Colts when he threw two interceptions with no touchdowns and completed just 10 of 19 passes for 84 yards.When youre there at halftime and I didnt play as well as Im capable, then Ive got to do a better job, Brady said Wednesday. It always starts with me, and thats where my focus is. Hopefully, I put together four quarters of good stuff this weekend, not just two.He rebounded in the second half, leading touchdown drives on the Patriots first four possessions — two scoring passes and two short runs by Gray.New England (8-2) ran more than it passed for just the third time this season — 45 running plays and 30 passes.Whether were balanced or not, well do whatevers going to get us a win, tight end Michael Hoomanawanui said.With the Lions (7-3) allowing a league-low 68.8 yards rushing per game, the Patriots best route to success should be through the air. That means their vastly improved offensive line might not do as much of what it prefers, block on running plays.Its just the mentality of linemen, left guard Dan Connolly said. We like the physical nature of football and you get that more in the run game.The Lions also have an outstanding pass defence, the fifth stingiest in the NFL, and have given up the fewest overall yards and points in the league.These guys do a great job on first down, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. They create more neggative runs than any other team in the league.dddddddddddd They get teams in a lot of second- and third-and-long situations. Those are usually not only very difficult, but thats also where they get some turnovers, too, strip-sacks and tipped balls and interceptions.The Patriots, though, have been getting offensive contributions from more players as the wins have piled up.Brady looked to Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski for most of his passes early in the season. Since then, Brandon LaFell and Tim Wright have been targeted more often, and Gronkowskis contribution has grown after a slow start coming off knee surgery.The more of those guys that can be involved, the better were going to be as an offence, Brady said. Who knows who its going to be on a particular week? You really have to see how the game plays out, and if things are working like they were last weekend, then youve got to stay with it.On the first possession at Indianapolis, Gray ran four times for 30 yards and a touchdown. On the second, he ran just once for 20 yards before Brady threw an interception on the next play.New England has routed the other three AFC division leaders, 43-17 over Cincinnati and 43-21 over Denver before the 22-point win over Indianapolis.Next up is the co-leader of the NFC North.Last week doesnt mean anything, so I dont really care about that, Belichick said. That has no impact on the game. What we have to do is figure out how to play against Detroit and its hard. Theyre good at everything.Defensively, at least.On offence, the Lions are 21st in yards gained and tied for 30th in rushing. Only six teams have fewer points.But the way their defence has dominated, they dont have to score a lot.Theyve got a lot of guys up front that make big plays, Connolly said. 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