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BOX SCORE
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- The Edmonton Oilers made team history.
Eric Brewer scored with 3:43 left in overtime as the Oilers won
for a franchise-record ninth consecutive time with a 5-4 victory
Tuesday night over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
"That's the biggest (goal of my life)," Brewer said. "This is
quite the ride we're on right now. We're nothing short of ecstatic
about it, especially when each game presents new challenges.
Results are what count, and we got them tonight."
Brewer lifted a shot over goalie Kevin Weekes from in-close
after Mike Grier was stopped on a wrap-around attempt.
The Oilers had won eight in a row five other times -- the last
was Jan. 19-Feb. 3, 1985.
"To put nine games together, it's pretty amazing," Edmonton
center Doug Weight said. "I think it's something that we'll all
remember. The way we did it, the fashion that we've played hockey
in the last nine games."
Rookie scoring leader Brad Richards had two goals and an assist
for Tampa Bay, which was looking for its first four-game winning
streak since February 1997.
"You don't like losing, especially in overtime, but you have a
positive feeling about this hockey club," Lightning coach John
Tortorella said. "It was a great point."
Rem Murray put the Oilers, who scored the game's first three
goals, up 4-3 early in the third period. Tampa Bay tied it with
5:14 left on Brian Holzinger's power-play goal.
Weekes entered allowing just two goals on 85 shots during a
career-best, four-game winning streak. Edmonton scored three times
on its first nine shots.
"It was a good matchup between two teams that have been playing
extremely well," Weekes said. "We get a point for our effort, but
it's still a tough way to lose a hockey game."
Sergei Zholtok scored just 16 seconds into the game. The Oilers
lead grew to 3-0 when Ryan Smyth and Mike Comrie scored power-play
goals five minutes apart midway through the first period.
Oilers goalie Tommy Salo stopped 195 of 204 shots over
Edmonton's previous eight games. After making nine saves in the
opening period, Salo gave up three goals in 78 seconds early in the
second.
Richards scored twice, including a power-play goal, in a
47-second span. Ben Clymer then got the equalizer with his first
goal in 54 games.
Game notes
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman attended the game. ... Tampa
Bay acquired center John Emmons from Ottawa for defenseman Craig Millar. The
Lightning also sent defenseman Grant Ledyard to Dallas for a 2001
seventh-round draft choice shortly before the NHL trading
deadline Tuesday.
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NHL Scoreboard
Edmonton Clubhouse
Tampa Bay Clubhouse
RECAPS
Philadelphia 5
St. Louis 2
Anaheim 2
Washington 0
Vancouver 2
Detroit 2
Edmonton 5
Tampa Bay 4
Dallas 3
Chicago 0
New Jersey 6
Colorado 3
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