Gage’s Return Worth a Long Wait

After a 4 1/2-year absence from the NHL, Joaquin Gage appeared to be an easy target for the expansion Minnesota Wild.

However, the Edmonton goalie made 23 saves and Bill Guerin had two assists as the Oilers rallied for a 5-3 victory Sunday over the Wild at St. Paul, Minn. It was Gage’s first victory since April 1, 1996.

“Joaquin really played solid right from the start,” Edmonton Coach Craig MacTavish said. “He was catching the puck well.”

Gage shuffled around in the minor leagues and spent most of last season with the Canadian national team before re-signing with the Oilers last summer.

“I calmed down in the third and made the saves,” Gage said. “I was a little bit shaky in the first and second.”

Gage was rarely challenged by the Wild’s sluggish offense after the first period, when the Wild had 14 shots and were in complete control in the offensive zone.

The expansion Wild (0-4-1) are still seeking their first win.

“We came out strong and played a great first period,” Wild Coach Jacques Lemaire said. “I think they were a little surprised at how well we played.”

Ryan Smyth and Doug Weight each had a goal and an assist for Edmonton, which won its third consecutive game.

Edmonton’s top line of Weight, Guerin and Smyth, which has 20 points in its last three games, came through at 8:53 of the second period when Smyth scored his third goal of the year.

“They’re going to have to do a lot of that all year for us,” MacTavish said. “We rely fairly heavily on them to carry the bulk of the offense.”

Calgary 4, Detroit 2--Cory Stillman scored two of the Flames’ three power-play goals, including the go-ahead tally late in the second period at Detroit.

Marc Savard had a goal and an assist and Jarome Iginla added two assists for the Flames, who won on consecutive nights after losing their first three games of the season.

Aaron Ward and Martin Lapointe scored for Detroit, which has lost its first two home games in a 2-3 start.

Stillman has eight goals and 14 points in 18 career games against the Red Wings. His only career hat trick came nearly three years to the day in Detroit.

“It’s fun coming here,” he said. “The big thing is when you come to Joe Louis, you know you’re in for a heck of a game.”

Flame goalie Mike Vernon made 28 saves against his former team.

“We said we have to start putting pressure on the puck, and when you do, you get a few breaks and a few goals,” Vernon said. “We just carried it over from last night.”

Stillman broke a 2-2 tie with 58.1 seconds left in the second period when, with Detroit skating two men down, he converted a pass from Savard for his second goal of the night.

Tampa Bay 5, Atlanta 2--Vincent Lecavalier and Brian Holzinger scored goals 1:29 apart early in the second period as the Lightning used four power-play goals to beat the Thrashers at Tampa, Fla.

Lecavalier scored from the high slot with a man advantage at 1:27 to snap a 1-1 tie. Holzinger made it 3-1 at 2:56 after Ryan Johnson’s shot ricocheted off the end boards.

Lecavalier, taken with the first pick in the 1998 draft, picked up his 100th career point by assisting on Pavel Kubina’s power-play goal in the third period.

Tampa Bay remains the only team not to allow a power-play goal this season as it has stopped all 26 chances while it converted on four of its 12 manpower advantages. Atlanta went zero for five on the power play.

Chicago 2, Columbus 1--Tony Amonte scored the go-ahead goal on the power play with only 8:25 remaining to give the Blackhawks a victory at Chicago.

Steve Sullivan also scored for the Blackhawks, whose two victories this season have come against the expansion Blue Jackets.

David Vyborny scored on Columbus’ first-ever penalty shot, but that was the only offense the Blue Jackets could muster.

Chicago reserve goalie Rob Tallas made the start and stopped 15 shots. Ron Tugnutt made 29 saves for Columbus.

Around the League

Ottawa, unbeaten in its first four games, could be without goaltender Patrick Lalime, who suffered a sprained knee ligament in Saturday’s victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Lalime will be reevaluated this morning, team officials said. . . . Montreal captain Saku Koivu will have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Tuesday and is expected to miss 12 weeks. . . . Judy Smith, the wife of Chicago General Manager Mike Smith, died of complications from cancer and Parkinson’s disease. She was 50.