Coffey’s 2 Goals, 3 Assists Power Oilers Past Jets for 2-0 Series Lead

Paul Coffey scored two goals and had three assists Saturday night to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 5-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets, giving the defending Stanley Cup champions a 2-0 lead in the final of the best-of-seven Smythe Division series.

The series shifts to Winnipeg for Games 3 and 4 Tuesday and Thursday nights.

Coffey has 10 points in five playoff games to tie him with Ken Linseman of Boston and Peter Stastny of Quebec for the lead in playoff scoring. His five points Saturday night also tied him with three players for most points in a playoff game by a defenseman. Ed Bush set the record in 1942, and it was in later years tied by Bob Dailey and Denis Potvin.

Edmonton goalie Grant Fuhr was again outstanding, blocking 30 Winnipeg shots.

Wayne Gretzky’s wrist shot put the Oilers ahead, 1-0, at 8:21 of the first period. It was the Oilers’ first power-play goal of the playoffs in 14 attempts.

The Jets tied the score with a power-play goal at 10:17 by defenseman Robert Picard. The Oilers wasted little time regaining the lead as Kevin McClelland took Glenn Anderson’s pass from behind the net and put a backhander past Brian Hayward at 11:33.

The Oiler power play struck again at 14:11 as Coffey put in a shot while falling to give the Oilers a 3-1 lead after one period. Coffey opened the second period with a shorthanded goal at 1:03 on a shot from the blue line.

Edmonton’s Mark Messier and Winnipeg’s Thomas Steen traded goals in the third period to close the scoring.