OILERS-HURRICANES GAME 3 LIVE BLOG

Hello out there, we're on the air, it's hockey night tonight! Tension grows, as the whistle blows, and the puck goes down the ice. The goalie jumps, and the players bump, and the fans all go insane . . .

Well, you've all had your storyline delivered to you: all hope is not lost for the Oilers, the Rexall Place crowd is going to make it too loud for Hurricanes to focus. Et cetera, et cetera.

By the way, Jussi Markkanen's still in goal for Edmonton. Just throwing that out there.

And by now, you know Out of Left Field's policy on photos: if at all possible, use a player in an out-of-date photo from his former team. By the way, the odds are 1-5 that Ron MacLean, at some point, is going to commit a horrible pun that plays on the fact 'Canes goalie Cam Ward (above) once played for the Lowell Lock Monsters, and is now turning in a monster performance?

Of course, with Mark Messier appearing for a pre-game interview, we just can't resist sharing this shocking photo. Question: who would've wanted wanted who's autograph more back in the early '80s, Messier or Gary Coleman?

What makes it so shocking? Who knew that Messier once had hair? (Thanks to Deadspin.)

Keep checking for updates.

FIRST PERIOD

Ten minutes after eight and they haven't dropped the damn puck. Drop it. Drop it already.

Ah, pure Canadiana: oil-drunk Albertans cheering while the sound system blares derivative hip-hop that samples the surf-guitar ramp of Misirlou.

Someone, somewhere, explain why Ron MacLean started riffing about Jann Arden. What the hell does Jann Arden have to do with hockey?

Don Cherry, on Markkanen: "I've never seen a kid be under as much pressure as this kid is." The "kid" in question is 31 years old.

Time of opening faceoff: 8:23 p.m. Eastern.

Sergei Samsonov gets the first good chance but is turned aside by Ward.

Goal for Edmonton! At 2:31, Jaroslav Spacek's point shot is deflected in by Shawn Horcoff. Edmonton's 9-3 when it scores first, but Carolina is 7-4 when it allows the first goal.

Looks like Edmonton is going to ride the Ryan Smyth-Horcoff-Pinto Hemsky line a lot tonight. Pinto assisted on the Horcoff goal.

Whoa, the Oilers got away with their D pulling a Berg-and-Belak routine, with Justin Williams skating in alone after a taking a long lead pass. But Williams shoots high and it stays 1-0.

Ethan Moreau, Oilers fourth-liner, draws an interference penalty on Carolina's Doug Weight, the ex-Oiler. At 6:03, Edmonton gets the first power play.

The Oilers PP? Well, it's now 1-for-14 in the series, but it showed more alacrity than it did in Raleigh. (Alacrity. What a great word.) Smyth and Jarrett Stoll get the only Oilers shots during the advantage. Neither man can buy a goal right now.

At 10:02, Pronger goes off for hauling down Rod Brind'Amour. Carolina, which hasn't sustained any pressure, is on the PP.

Edmonton just survives the penalty kill -- three bona fide chances for the Hurricanes, including a spinnerama shot from Brind'Amour with Markkanen down and out.

CBC's Harry Neale notes that for the seventh time in the first period, an Oilers winger has failed to move the puck up the boards. Bad sign for the Oilers, especially with Carolina's quick transition game.

At 12:30, Carolina's Craig Adams goes off for tripping, and 33 seconds later, Kevyn Adams gets a borderline penalty. (How come only one of the Adams wears an initial on the back of his sweater?)

Eighty-seven seconds or less of 5-on-3 hockey for Edmonton. But Carolina holds them off.

Can't imagine what my one-time high school coach with the Ernestown Eagles, Ron Swan, is thinking. Chris Pronger took two high-and-wide shots that ricocheted around the glass and helped Carolina clear the zone. It drove Swannie crazy when guys didn't keep their point shots low so there could be a rebound or tip-in chance.

At 15:53, Edmonton goes back to the power play. They're outworking Carolina and drawing penalties. But here's the problem. Each Oilers PP so far has looked less organized than the one that preceded it.

Just as the penalty ends, Radek Dvorak's whistled for high-sticking. Edmonton kills off the penalty without giving up a shot.

Edmonton's much better on the faceoffs tonight.

Is is time to wonder if there's more going on with Eric Staal, who just seems reluctant to shoot the puck? There's been talk about the kid hitting the "rookie wall," but with him being unable to get shots off, you wonder if there's an injury that's keeping from getting any zip on the puck. Not that Carolina would admit as much.

End of first: Edmonton 1, Carolina 0.
Shots: 9-6 for Edmonton.
Power plays: Edmonton 0/4 (1/17 series), Carolina 0/2 (4/17 series).

SECOND PERIOD

At 1:38, Stoll is tripped by Matt Cullen as he breaks in on Ward, who makes a good pad save. Penalty. Edmonton gets one good chance, but Ward's quick reaction on Raffi Torres' one-timer saves a goal.

Smyth mishandles the puck on a wraparound try. Smyth is really squeezing the stick.

On a 2-on-1, Aaron Ward makes a great play, diving to block a Horcoff pass.

Horcoff gets the rare playing with a broken stick penalty. Carolina, with only one shot so far in the period, goes to the PP.

Williams has left the Carolina bench, CBC reports.

The power play is short-lived, as Brind'Amour gets an interference penalty. During the minute or so of 4-on-4, Mike Peca walks in alone on Cam Ward but plays hit-the-logo.

Another fruitless power play for Edmonton. That makes it 0-for-6 on the night.

At 10:25, Oilers d-man Matt Greene gets a penalty. Greene, you'll remember, took a couple meatheaded penalties in Game 2.

Carolina's coming close -- don't be surprised if we end up with a 2-1 or 3-2 final in overtime. Markkanen is playing well, but the Oilers are also tying up the Hurricanes before they can get rebounds.

Still convinced Staal is playing hurt. When the puck came back to him at the point, he turned deliberately to handle it on his backhand rather than shoot.

Andrew Ladd and Ray Whitney get chances for Carolina, but Markkanen stops them.

After an icing call that prevents them from making a line change, the Oilers are penalized on the ensuing faceoff. At 16:04, Carolina gets its fifth power play. Edmonton wins the draw and clears the zone.

Edmonton kills off the penalty, and has a would-be short-handed goal waves off when a quick whistle by Mick McGeough stops play before Ethan Moreau can rifle the puck into the net. Here we go. If Edmonton should go on to lose, it'll be Game 4 of the 2004 final all over again -- when Kerry Fraser beat the Calgary Flames, not the Tampa Bay Lightning. It was clear from McGeough's vantage point that the puck seemed to be under Cam Ward. Don't make an issue of this, Oilers fans.

Dangerous omen for Edmonton: Ales (Pinto) Hemsky gets cute with the puck at centre ice instead of golfing into the Carolina zone. That allows Carolina's fourth line to get the puck deep and push around Edmonton for a full 30 seconds.

The Oilers end the period back on their heels a bit, but still ahead 1-0.

End of second: Edmonton 1, Carolina 0.
Shots: 11-8 for Edmonton, 20-14 overall.
Power plays: Edmonton 0/6 (1/19 series), Carolina 0/5 (4/20 series).
Edmonton's chances of winning: 60/40. Down from about 75/25 at the end of the first.

THIRD PERIOD

Carolina comes out strong -- Markkanen makes about five saves in the first two minutes of the period.

At 2:42, Carolina gets the short-man advantage: as in, Hurricanes d-man Bret Hedican is penalized for interference.

Pronger gets the best chance of the PP with a point shot off a faceoff, but Ward easily slides post-to-post to make a save.

Action is starting to pick up at the halfway point of the period nears. Edmonton gets a couple good chances to put Carolina down by two. On a scramble, Dvorak misses an open net.

That looms large, as do the missed power plays.

Cory Stillman centres to Brind'Amour. His shot is blocked by Jason Smith -- right in the throat. The puck falls right on Brind'Amour's stick and he rifles it by Markkanen. It's tied 1-1 with 10:51 left in regulation.

Likelihood of overtime: 90%.

Smith, who got hit in the throat a couple minutes ago, just blocked another shot.

2:15 left.... did you see Ryan Smyth's stick touch the puck? Hard to tell at normal speed, but they're likely going to count it.

Hemsky and Spacek, who assisted on the first goal, get the assists again.

It stands up as your basic ugly playoff winner after the Oilers keep Carolina from getting a good chance in the final minute. Edmonton wins 2-1, and gets back in the series.

Final: Carolina 2, Edmonton 1.
Shots: 11-10 for Carolina, 30-25 overall for Edmonton.
Power plays: Edmonton 0/7 (1/20 series), Carolina 0/5 (4/20 series).
Edmonton's chances of winning series: 20/80, up slightly from 15/85 after the first two games.

FINAL ANALYSIS

We all know Edmonton is the bestest team with the bestest fans, so just cede Game 4 to them and fly back to North Carolina right now. Just kidding. Edmonton was full value for the win tonight, but -- shades of Calgary in 2004 -- you wonder if the lack of production and the reliance on goaltending will be their ultimate downfall. The Oilers got goals from Horcoff and Smyth, who'd both endured scoreless droughts. So have Samsonov, Stoll and Peca.

Breakout guy for Game 4: Mike Peca.

Carolina: Seemed to have trouble counter-attacking tonight and making the good first pass out of its own zone. Cam Ward was very good again. Still, the big off-day question is what's happened to Staal -- didn't see him on the ice in the final minute. Odd, for a guy who was the big scoring star of the first three rounds.

Breakout guy for Game 4: Justin Williams.