Canadiens  2    Oilers  3

Recap: Edmonton vs. Montreal

Sports Network | October 11, 2009

Edmonton, AB (Sports Network) - Nikolai Khabibulin was solid between the pipes, stopping 33-of-35 shots, as the Edmonton Oilers held on to edge the Montreal Canadiens, 3-2, at Rexall Place.

Patrick O'Sullivan, J.F. Jacques and Mike Comrie each scored a goal for the Oilers, who finished a season-opening four-game homestand with a 2-1-1 mark.

Brian Gionta and Roman Hamrlik had one goal apiece for the Canadiens, who ended a five-game road trip with a 2-3-0 record, including three straight losses. Carey Price turned aside 16-of-19 shots in defeat.

Down 3-1, the Canadiens lit the lamp with 3:22 remaining to cut the gap to one. After having a goal called off, Montreal gained control of the puck on the ensuing faceoff. Hamrlik fired a wrister from the left point that deflected off a Edmonton player and into the net.

The Canadiens were unable to tally the equalizer, however, and Edmonton skated away with the win.

Comrie's goal with 1:20 left in the first period gave Edmonton the early edge. Sam Gagner slid a perfect pass from his own end to Comrie, who collected the puck at mid ice and made his way to the left circle before firing a shot past Price's glove.

Jacques deflected a Ladislav Smid wrister past Price at the 3:32 mark of the second to put the Oilers ahead, 2-0.

Edmonton used an O'Sullivan goal at the 8:10 mark to build a three-goal margin. After Montreal turned the puck over along the right boards in its own zone, O'Sullivan collected the disc and fired a shot past Price.

The Canadiens finally got on the board with 50 seconds left in the second. Gionta led a 2-on-1 break for Montreal and took things into his own hands with a slap shot from the right point.

These two clubs split a pair of meetings last year, with each team winning on home ice. The Canadiens, though, have lost three straight and seven of their last eight in Edmonton...Montreal will make its home debut on Thursday versus Colorado in the first of six straight as the host for the Habs. Edmonton starts a two-game road trip with a matchup against Nashville on Monday.