Markkanen, Oilers blank 'Canes to force Game 7

Edmonton, AB (Sports Network) - Jussi Markkanen made 16 saves to record his first career playoff shutout, and the Edmonton Oilers scored three times on the power play to force a seventh game in the Stanley Cup Finals with a 4-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes at Rexall Place.

"Well, (Markkanen) like all of us has one more job to do," Edmonton head coach Craig MacTavish said. "He's been very impressive in the way that he's played, obviously, and to get the shutout tonight, he had to make some good saves tonight too. It wasn't a gimme. They missed some opportunities, I thought, in the first period to get back in the game."

Fernando Pisani tallied a goal and an assist, and Raffi Torres, Ryan Smyth and Shawn Horcoff added a goal each for the Oilers, who became the third team in the past 18 seasons that trailed three games to one and forced a Game 7 in the finals. Jaroslav Spacek notched two assists for Edmonton.

For the third consecutive season, the Stanley Cup Finals will have a Game 7, which will be in Raleigh on Monday.

Cam Ward made 30 stops for the Hurricanes, who are still searching for the elusive win that would give them the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. The Hurricanes lost Game 5, 4-3, on Pisani's overtime goal Wednesday, and couldn't muster any offense in Game 6 against a team trying to win the Cup for the first time since 1990.

"For me it's pretty simple," Carolina head coach Peter Laviolette said. "They out skated us in all three zones tonight. The puck was on their stick and we were trying to get it back and they out jumped us. They out-quicked us to the loose pucks, they quicked us off the rush, they quicked us off the backcheck. They had their legs under them. "

Carolina lost center Doug Weight and defenseman Aaron Ward to injuries in the third period of Game 5, and Weight did not play Saturday. However, Aaron Ward and left wing Erik Cole, who was not supposed to play again this season, took the ice for the Hurricanes in Game 6. Cole suffered a serious neck injury in early March and hadn't played since.

"It just came about on the plane ride out," Cole said. "I didn't know the status of Doug until we got on the plane. Kind of made the comment in passing that, you know, if Weight can't go does that mean I am in? And it was kind of cast aside by our assistant coach, Jeff Daniels when we stopped in Des Moines I told him to run it by Peter. And we got to thinking and kicking it around and decided it was certainly worth a look to get another CT scan and see how much more progress had been made in the healing process. We found a way to get it done but it was a long day yesterday."

"Well, after further examinations from the doctors that have been looking at him, the healing process is probably gone as far as it's going to go," Laviolette said. "It didn't matter if he waited anymore until next training camp."

Edmonton was 2-for-33 on the power play in the series prior to going 3-for-9 in Game 6.

The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs were the only team to come back from a 3-1 series deficit to win the Stanley Cup. They were actually behind 3-0 before beating Detroit. Vancouver (1994 against NY Rangers) and Philadelphia (1987 against Edmonton) rallied from 3-1 deficits, but both of those clubs dropped Game 7 on the road.

Edmonton drew first blood while on the power play 1:45 into the second period after Pisani threw a backhand shot on goal from the slot that deflected off Carolina defenseman Glen Wesley and over the left shoulder of Cam Ward.

The Oilers upped their lead with 10:06 left in the second stanza when Steve Staios' slap shot from the right point deflected off a scrum in front and through Ward's five-hole for a 2-0 margin. Torres and Hurricanes' defenseman Frantisek Kaberle were tied up in the slot in front of Ward, and the puck was redirected by Torres into the net.

Edmonton continued to dominate Carolina in third with another power-play tally. Just 3:04 into the frame, Smyth gained the offensive zone down the left wing before faking a pass and skating into the slot. He unleashed a backhander that beat Ward stick side for a 3-0 advantage.

The Oilers capped the scoring with 6:55 left in regulation while on the power play when Horcoff finished a give-and-go with Radek Dvorak by beating Ward with a one-timer that fluttered over his left shoulder.

Game Notes

Carolina has lost consecutive games in the playoffs for the first time since losing to Montreal in its first two games of the opening series...Markkanen has stopped 100 of the 111 shots he has faced in the series...Carolina left wing Cory Stillman had his 13-game points-streak snapped.....Cam Ward allowed more than three goals for only the fifth time in 20 playoff starts...Pisani leads all playoff scorers with 13 goals...Carolina finished 0-for-6 on the power play.