Oilers C Gagner continues red-hot scoring pace
Edmonton beats Detroit to complete perfect 3-game homestand
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Sam Gagner continued his remarkable pace with two goals and an assist, and rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored the decisive goal in the sixth round of the shootout as the Edmonton Oilers completed a perfect three-game homestand with a 5-4 triumph over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
All-Star Jordan Eberle also scored twice and Devan Dubnyk made 35 saves for Edmonton, which halted a seven-game losing streak against Detroit with its fifth win in six home contests.
After collecting his 300th career tally, Todd Bertuzzi scored his second goal of the game with 3:41 remaining in the third period to give Detroit its first lead at 4-3. But Edmonton would not be denied as Eberle banged a loose puck past Joey MacDonald with 39 seconds left for his second tally.
Gagner was on the ice but did not figure in the scoring, ending his streak of 11 straight team goals with a point.
Gagner scored in the second round of the shootout and Bertuzzi kept Detroit alive by beating Dubnyk with a slap shot on his team's third chance. After two scoreless rounds, Nugent-Hopkins -- who was back in the lineup after missing 13 games with a separated shoulder -- beat MacDonald to the stick side.
Dubnyk denied Dan Cleary's attempt as Edmonton improved to 4-0-1 in its last five games.
Two days after matching a franchise record with an eight-point performance, Gagner picked up where he left off by burying a rebound less than three minutes into the game. He then set up Eberle's 21st goal three minutes later to give Edmonton a 2-0 lead.
Valtteri Filppula's weak shot from alone in the slot caromed off Oilers defenseman Ryan Whitney's skate and into the net with 37 seconds remaining in the first to get Detroit on the board. But Gagner deflected Ryan Smyth's shot past Ty Conklin with less than a second to go in the period, restoring Edmonton's two-goal advantage.
The Red Wings tied the game early in the third as Bertuzzi poked his own rebound between Dubnyk's pads at 2:18 and Drew Miller converted a pass from Darren Helm 3 1/2 minutes later.
Conklin yielded three goals on nine shots in the first period before being replaced by MacDonald, who finished with 22 saves.
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