From: jca2@cec2.wustl.edu (Joseph Charles Achkar)
Subject: Blues beat Oilers 6-1  -- 1/5/93
Organization: Washington University, St. Louis MO
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 05:36:31 GMT

1/5/93
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By Dan O'Neill
Of the Post-Dispatch Staff
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    Laughs have been few and far between for the Bad News Blues this season.
But there was much  to entertain and amuse in a 6-1 ``laugher" over the
Edmonton Oilers at The Arena on Tuesday night.

    The victory, in front of 16,863, gave the Blues a modest 14 victories,
against 20 losses and six ties, in their 40th game. The fun came in a style
more familiar to more successful seasons.

    There was outstanding goaltending, as Guy Hebert defused Edmonton scoring
threats and kicked aside 23 shots.

    There was Brett Hull setting the tone with two goals. After a sluggish
start, Hull is on a more ``Golden" pace of late, with three two-goal games in
the last four. He now has 26 on the season and at this rate would finish at a
more-than-respectable 55 goals.

    Hull got the Blues' first goal, tying the game 1-1 and getting them
untracked late in a listless first period. He added a third- period goal.

    The Blues also spread the fun around. Nelson Emerson, once rumored to be
headed to Edmonton in a trade for Joe Murphy, gave the Oilers more reason to
cherish him with two goals (Nos. 15 and 16) and two assists. The four-point
game was the first of Emerson's career.

    Brendan Shanahan ended a seven-game scoring drought with his 19th goal.
Jeff Brown extended a seven-game scoring streak (two goals, five assists) with
his 13th goal. And playmaker extraordinaire Craig Janney added two assists to
increase his total to 43.

    The Blues, who play host to Calgary on Thursday, have not had consecutive
victories since beating Philadelphia for a third win in a row Oct. 31.

    The Blues enjoyed a 2-1 lead after the first period and quickly increased
the margin just moments into the second period. After Edmonton goalie Bill
Ranford made a skate save on a close-in try by Kevin Miller, Edmonton
defenseman Kelly Buchberger was penalized for interference 1 minute 43 seconds
into the period.

    Ten seconds later, Brown scored from the slot to make it 3-1. Shanahan and
Emerson assisted on the goal. Brown leads all National Hockey league defenseman
with eight power-play goals.

    Shanahan made it 4-1 at 6:48 of the period. Shanahan broke down the slot,
reached out with one hand and tipped Emerson's hard pass between Ranford's
legs.  Janney also got an assist on the play.

    In the meantime, Hebert made big stops on a break-ins by Shayne Corson and
Esa Tikkanen, keeping the Oilers at bay. Dan Currie tried to trim the deficit
with a slap shot from the left circle with just under eight minutes remaining.
But Hebert came out to make a pad save.

    With three minutes to play, Janney broke in alone on Ranford, but his shot,
which appeared to hit the crossbar, caromed into the crowd. Moments later,
Hebert sprawled to stop Currie on a close-in chance.

    The early moments of the game were considerably different. Neither team
posed much of an offensive threat in the first period until after Oilers
defenseman Dave Manson knocked forward Philippe Bozon past Ranford into the
Edmonton net.

    Manson received four minutes in penalties, two each for cross- checking and
roughing. The infractions paid immediate dividends -- for Edmonton. Just 28
seconds into the Blues' power play, Tikkanen caught the Blues napping and beat
Hebert on a clear breakaway. The goal, only the sixth of the season for
Tikkanen, gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead at 7:48 of the first period.

    Hebert had to be alert to stop Craig MacTavish's 12-foot wrist shot moments
later as the Blues didn't do much with the remainder of the power-play time.
But Brown had two opportunities, one from the right point and again from the
deep slot. Ranford kicked out a pad to stop both slap shots.

    Edmonton had the man advantage when Janney was penalized for interference
at 14:47. But the Blues, who have improved to ninth in the league in
penalty-killing, kept the heat off Hebert.

    Back at full strength, the Blues stormed Ranford for two quick goals before
the period ended to grab a 2-1 lead.

    After considerable pressure around the Oilers' net, Dave Lowry fired a shot
from the point. The puck was intercepted by Miller, who slid a backhand pass
across the slot to Hull. Wide open, Hull slammed a shot into the empty side for
his 25th goal of the season to tie it 1-1 at 19:12.

    Seconds later, the Oilers broke down three-on-two as MacTavish slammed a
shot wide of the net.

    The puck caromed around the boards to center ice where Janney and Shanahan
broke away.

    Janney used Shanahan as a decoy and smartly slid a pass to a trailing
Emerson, whose shot beat Ranford to make it 2-1 with 15 seconds remaining in
the period.

    Hull and Emerson added third-period goals. Hull overpowered Ranford with a
vintage-style slap shot from the slot. Emerson then broke in three-on-one and
looked to pass before lifting a shot over Ranford's shoulder.

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