Monday, November 10, 2014
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Pouliot nets game winner as Oilers defeat Rangers

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[November 10, 2014]  Pouliot nets game winner as Oilers defeat RangersNEW YORK -- Left winger Benoit Pouliot spent just one season with the New York Rangers, but it was a memorable one, as the team reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2014 before falling just short of a title.

Pouliot signed a five-year, $20 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers during the offseason and in his first game back at Madison Square Garden, he made his former team pay.

Pouliot's second goal of the season was the winner as the Oilers emerged from a dominant performance with a 3-1 victory Sunday night.

As much the Oilers controlled play -- they outshot the Rangers 33-21 -- it didn't hurt that Pouliot got a little lucky on his goal.

"I actually fanned on that shot and it was perfect to the five-hole," Pouliot admitted. "I wasn't going there at all. (Goalie Henrik Lundqvist) got surprised with that one and it surprised myself too. It's tough to score on that guy and I got a lucky bounce."

When asked if he intended to shoot to the glove side, Pouliot said: "Yeah, but he was already there so I'm actually glad I fanned on that one."

The Oilers have won two straight and are 6-4-0 since starting the season 0-4-1. Goaltender Viktor Fasth has been in net for the past two wins and stopped 20 shots on a relatively easy night.

"The boys played incredible tonight," Fasth said. "I think we played a really good game. It's nice to see. I felt really good out there."

Oilers coach Dallas Eakins was particularly pleased with how his team protected a lead. Pouliot put the Oilers ahead 2-1 at 8:29 of the second period and continued to assert themselves until right winger Teddy Purcell scored into an empty net with 1:27 to seal the victory.

The Oilers held the Rangers without a shot on goal for 13:59 between the second and third periods.

"We had success throughout the game playing an aggressive game and other than tweaking it just a tiny bit, our guys stayed with that aggression," Eakins said. "When you start getting a result like that, there's not that negative thought in your head like something bad is going to happen."

The Rangers delayed the opening of their locker room following the game for several minutes. Players were unhappy with their performance coming off a 5-4 road loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Despite trailing throughout the second half of Sunday's game, they couldn't muster much of an attack.

"Our team game was horrible tonight," Rangers defenseman Marc Staal said.

"We wanted to respond better. We came out flat and then they kept coming at us. We were playing a lot of shifts in our own end and when we got it out, we were dumping it and they were coming right back at us with speed."

"When the energy is not there, it's hard to play this game," said Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who kept his team close by making 30 saves. "We need to get ourselves going."

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Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins put his team on top 1-0 early in the first period with his fifth goal of the season. Both Nugent-Hopkins and Pouliot had a goal and an assist, with each setting up the other's goals.

Rangers left winger Carl Hagelin answered later in the first period with his fourth goal of the season, snapping a shot that deflected off the stick of Oilers center Boyd Gordon and past Fasth to make it 1-1.

But the Oilers' territorial dominance led Pouliot's second-period goal and kept the Rangers (6-6-2), who have lost four of five, at bay for most of the third period.

Pouliot wasn't looking for revenge or anything like that; all he wanted was the victory.

"I always loved playing here and last year was awesome," Pouliot said. "Coming back here and playing against those guys that I had a great time with is going to push you a little more. We want to do well. We came out with a win, so that's huge for us.

"Two wins in a row. We have to keep it going."

NOTES: Oilers D Andrew Ference returned after a league-imposed three-game suspension. He was plus-3 in 22:13 of ice time. ... To make room for Ference, the Oilers scratched D Martin Marincin. ... Oilers LW Taylor Hall (knee) missed his fourth consecutive game. It's possible he could resume skating as early as Monday. ... After going to Nashville on Tuesday, the Oilers will begin a five-game homestand. ... Rangers D Ryan McDonagh (shoulder), D Dan Boyle (hand) and D John Moore (suspension) did not play. Moore will be eligible to return Tuesday for a home game vs. Pittsburgh. ... This game begins a stretch of five of six games at home for the Rangers.

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