Normally, the first game of a seven-game series is the least important. There is so much time to recover that a loss isn’t that crippling. But . . . Edmonton’s Game 1 loss Monday may be different.
Not only did the Oilers watch a 3-0 lead disappear, but they lost starting goalie Dwayne Roloson to injury for the series with just less than six minutes left in a tie game and botched a handoff behind the net for an easy game-winning goal.
Full credit to Carolina, which has made a habit of coming from behind in the third period in the postseason, and the two natives of Edmonton who helped beat their childhood team.
Ray Whitney, who ran around the old Northlands Coliseum as an Oilers stickboy, scored twice in the third period for Carolina, and Cam Ward twice robbed Shawn Horcoff of clear goals.
