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Oilers even up playoff series with Red Wings

Edmonton Oilers' Raffi Torres, right, tries to score as Detroit Red Wings' Robert Lang defends in game two of their first-round playoff match at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan, Sunday. PHOTO: EPA

Brad Winchester and Fernando Pisani scored less than a minute apart late in the second period to rally the Edmonton Oilers over the top-seeded Detroit Red Wings 4-2 and tie their first-round NHL playoff series on Sunday.

Dwayne Roloson made 33 saves for the Oilers, who also got goals from Chris Pronger and Jarret Stoll to even the best-of-seven Western Conference matchup 1-1.

Edmonton trailed 2-1 before Winchester and Pisani connected.

Detroit's Manny Legace, who gave up three goals on 16 shots through two periods, finished with 20 saves.

Henrik Zetterberg put the Red Wings ahead 2-1 midway through the second period, but they could not hold on against the pesky Oilers and then failed to force a second straight overtime. Jason Williams scored the other Detroit goal.

Lightning 4, Senators 3

At Ottawa, Martin St. Louis scored his second goal of the game early in the third period and Tampa Bay battled from behind twice to beat Ottawa, evening the Eastern Conference series at a game each.

John Grahame made 22 saves for his first win in four career playoff games and Tampa Bay captain Brad Richards had three points, including his first goal of the series to give the Lightning a 2-1 lead in the second period.

St. Louis tied it at 1 in the first and put the Lightning ahead for good 55 seconds after Tampa Bay defenseman Dan Boyle scored to make it 3-3.

Rookie Ray Emery stopped 32 shots for Ottawa, which has yet to take a 2-0 lead in 13 playoff series.

Martin Havlat scored a tying goal for the second game in a row, then made a sensational play to set up Peter Schaefer's goal which put Ottawa up 3-2 early in the third.

Sharks 3, Predators 0

At Nashville, Tennessee, San Jose cleaned up its act after giving up four power-play goals in the playoff opener, and Jonathan Cheechoo had a goal and two assists to get the Sharks even with Nashville in the first-round series in the Western Conference.

The Sharks quickly neutralized this season's best home-ice advantage by scoring three power-play goals in the first period, including two on 5-on-3s.

Patrick Marleau also had a goal and assist, and Mark Smith got his second goal of the postseason. Vesa Toskala stopped 25 shots for his first playoff shutout in his second postseason game.

Nashville won a NHL-best 32 games at home this season, including five in a row and 12 of 14. But this is only the second postseason appearance for the Predators and they came out sluggish and sloppy.

Outshot 37-25, they gave little help to goaltender Chris Mason.

Mighty Ducks 4, Flames 3

At Calgary, Alberta, Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 22 saves in his return to Anaheim's lineup, helping the Mighty Ducks pull even with Calgary in the Western Conference series.

Giguere, the Conn Smythe winner as the playoff MVP in 2003 when Anaheim reached the Stanley Cup final, sat out the Mighty Ducks' series-opening overtime loss on Friday because of a lower-body injury.

Chris Kunitz, Scott Niedermayer, Joffrey Lupul and Samuel Pahlsson scored for Anaheim, while Jarome Iginla, Kristian Huselius and Dion Phaneuf countered for Calgary. Miikka Kiprusoff made 16 saves for the Flames.
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