Sharks 3, Oilers 1
EDMONTON, Alberta -- A pair of rookies playing their first NHL games had nights they'll never forget Thursday at Rexall Place.
Edmonton Oilers goalie Laurent Brossoit turned in a sensational performance, making 49 saves and being named first star, but San Jose Sharks rookie Bryan Lerg laughed last, scoring the winning goal late in the third period of a 3-1 win.
"I have no words, honestly," said Lerg, a 29-year-old center who has been toiling in the minors since 2008.
"It was an unbelievable game to play in. I was kind of shocked I was thrown out there (on a line with Logan Couture), but I tried to make the most of it.
"He made a great dish there to get it on my stick and I knew I had to get it up on that guy."
It was a disappointing end to what was shaping up to be a fairy tale beginning to Brossoit's Oilers career.
"Obviously not the way I wanted to end the game considering how it was going for me," said the 22-year-old netminder. "But I have to take out the positives. I wanted to show well and show what I could do and I think I did that."
His teammates certainly think he did.
"We were all talking about how impressive it was," said Oilers right winger Ted Purcell. "For a guy playing his first game, he was very calm in net. He made the first save and we weren't doing a very good job clearing rebounds. They were getting second and third chances and he was shutting the door."
The game meant nothing to either side. Edmonton has been out of the playoffs since November and can't move up or down in the draft lottery. The Oilers will finish the season 28th overall.
The Sharks, meanwhile, will miss the postseason for the first time since 2003, but they played hard and down to the wire, overcoming a 1-0 deficit with three third period goals one of them into an empty net.
"It's been a tough year, but things like (Lerg's goal) make it fun," said Couture. "It's great to see a guy who has battled in the minors for so long and never had the opportunity to play in the NHL get his shot and then score. It's pretty awesome. It is as good as it gets."
Sharks could Todd McClellan couldn't agree more.
"I thought it was a really good thing for him as an individual and for our whole team," he said. "He has put a lot of time in, and for him not only to get that goal, but to play the way he did, that was great.
"He was 100 per cent in the circle, had eight shots on goal and scored the winning goal. He was all over the rink. It was really nice to see."
The Oilers wanted to turn in a solid effort in their final home game of the regular season, but didn't. They gave up 19 shots in the first period, 14 in the second and 19 in the third.
But Brossit kept them in the game.
"He played amazing," said Oilers left winger Taylor Hall. "It was one of those things where you're happy to see a goalie play that well and make all those saves, but at the same time you don't want to give up those Grade A chances.
"He made so many miraculous saves tonight that it was just a weird feeling to watch."
The Oilers took a 1-0 lead when right winger Nail Yakupov scored his 13th goal of the season at 12:30, but Brossoit couldn't hold off the Sharks forever.
They broke the shutout when Oilers defenseman Justin Schultz wiped out in his own zone, turning the puck over to Sharks center Patrick Marleau for an unexpected breakaway midway through the third period.
Then Lerg scored the clincher 17:08 and left winger Matt Nieto sealed it into an empty net at 19:31.
"Naturally I'm upset I didn't get the win, just because it was so close," said Brossoit. "But I have to take the positives out of this."
NOTES: Oilers G Laurent Brossoit started in his first-ever NHL game and made 49 saves. ... G Viktor Fast, who has been out the last two months with a knee injury, likely will return for the final game of the season on Saturday in Vancouver. ... Oilers C Boyd Gordon (back) is definitely done for the season. ... C Bryan Lerg, who was signed out of college by the Oilers in 2008, made his NHL debut Thursday at age 29 with the Sharks and wound up scoring the winner late in the third. ... The Sharks will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2003. ... San Jose D Marc-Edouard Vlasic's lower-body injury, suffered March 26, will keep him out for the rest of the season. ... San Jose D Scott Hannan missed the game with a facial injury but could be back in the lineup Saturday.