Stars Even Series With Oilers

When the Edmonton Oilers tied Dallas early in the third period Tuesday night, just as they did in the previous game, Star goalie Marty Turco started wondering what was going on.

Still smarting from Sunday’s third-period onslaught that gave the Oilers a come-from-behind win, Turco braced for another test of his mental toughness.

“It wasn’t so much deja vu,” he said after the Stars skated away with a 3-1 victory that tied the Western Conference series, 2-2. “It was more like somewhere the hockey gods were giving me a test.”

Turco, getting his first taste of the Stanley Cup playoffs, had taken some criticism over a couple of soft goals in Games 1 and 3. But he was solid Tuesday, stopping 27 shots at Edmonton, Canada.

Unlike Sunday, when the Oilers had a three-goal outburst in the final period, Edmonton was unable to capitalize on the momentum swing.

Sergei Zubov’s goal just 1:18 into the game staked the Stars to a 1-0 lead they nursed into the third period. But just after Shawn Horcoff scored his second goal of the playoffs, bouncing a shot off Turco’s ribs from the short side to tie the score, the Oilers were assessed a penalty and they never got back on track.

Stu Barnes banked a shot off Oiler defenseman Jason Smith from behind the net seconds after the penalty expired. Before that goal was announced to the 16,839 fans at the Skyreach Centre, Niko Kapanen had scored to seal the victory.

Tampa Bay 4, Washington 3 -- Vincent Lecavalier scored on a two-man advantage in overtime, ending 4 1/2 years of Lightning frustration in the nation’s capital.

With Jaromir Jagr and Ken Klee in the penalty box, Lecavalier poked in a rebound 2:29 into the extra period as the Lightning beat the Capitals. The victory reduced the Capitals’ first-round playoff series lead to 2-1 and ended an 11-game Lightning losing streak at the MCI Center.

After a game in which the Lightning again took too many needless penalties, it was the Capitals who were caught short. Jagr was called for roughing and Klee was caught elbowing Dave Andreychuk in the head in overtime.

After the winning goal, the fans vented their frustration at the officials by littering the ice with bottles and other items.

Boston 5, New Jersey 1 -- Dan McGillis scored twice and the Bruins finally beat Martin Brodeur, driving the goalie from the game and staying alive.

Brodeur allowed just three goals as the Devils won the first three games. But in Game 4, he was replaced by Corey Schwab with 3:37 gone in the third period after the Bruins scored twice in two minutes at Boston.

Boston’s Jeff Hackett allowed only a goal by Scott Niedermayer at 1:37 of the third period. Hackett stopped 24 shots.