Oilers ready for Sharks challenge as they return to playoffs

EDMONTON, Alberta Melker Karlsson scored the biggest goal of his career Wednesday night, burying a pass from Patrick Marleau to give the Sharks a stirring 3-2 overtime win over the Edmonton Oilers in the playoff opener for both teams. "I want to get a good nap in so I figured get a little work in this morning", explained McDavid. In a seven-game series, I like those numbers. It was a half-breakaway.

Milan Lucic and Oscar Klefbom scored for the Oilers before 18,347 fans at sold-out Rogers Place.

The Sharks had a first period to forget but found a rhythm in the second period, with Joel Ward's power play goal helping to change the momentum. Along with Joe Pavelski, although he had a bit of a down year to last season the 32-year-old, scoring forward will yet again prove his worth in the playoffs.

You better start warming up to the idea, and consider picking them in your Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge. They were forcing pucks to one another and seemed disjointed off the rush. They played in our zone. The Sharks dominated the shot clock 44-19, but still went into the extra frame tied at 2. While the Sharks were sure-handed and managed the puck well, the Oilers were a mess.

But all that time in the penalty box took a toll, according to Eberle. The guys who kill are wasting a lot of energy, and the guys who aren't (are) sitting on the bench.

Despite an overtime loss, two Edmonton Oilers fans left the team's first playoff game in more than a decade with smiles on their face.

Sharks: Joe Thornton (left knee) is doubtful.

Couture's mouth and teeth were smashed in late March by an errant puck, but he returned Wednesday with a full-face cage. And the Oilers should be coming away from the opening contest with the realization that if they want to emerge from the first round victorious, winning a series against a team that almost climbed the mountain one season prior, something's going to need to be done about the lack of discipline. The Oilers were red hot, winning 12 of their last 14, while San Jose had dropped nine of 13.

The Edmonton Oilers know the secret to beating the San Jose Sharks on the ice is to start by finding a way to get off the ice.

"We don't have home-ice advantage and we're not going to chase matchups, so, whoever's on the ice has to get the job done", said DeBoer. We saw the same out of Milan Lucic a year ago in the first round against L.A. That stuff, you know what, you've got to play through that stuff.

McDavid passed the puck to Mark Letestu, who rifled it off Jones' pad right to Lucic.

WORKHORSE GOALIES: Edmonton's Cam Talbot and San Jose's Martin Jones were two of the most worked goalies in the regular season. The reason we went so far a year ago is because we kept coming back in the second and third periods.

San Jose tied the game just over five minutes into the third period when Martin jumped on a rebound off a Tomas Hertl wraparound shot and put the puck in. San Jose had only won once in 24 games when trailing after two periods this season; the Oilers had only lost three in 32 times when leading heading into the third.

"The more we won, the crazier it got on the street", he said. "We'll see tomorrow and we'll keep taking those steps".