Messier's number retired on night Oilers fall

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02/28/2007 - Edmonton, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Curtis Joseph made 26 saves to lead the Phoenix Coyotes to a 3-0 win over Edmonton on the night that the Oilers retired legendary Mark Messier's No. 11 at Rexall Place.

The Oilers were completely outplayed from start to finish, but it didn't seem to matter much to the home crowd, which stood and cheered throughout the 50- plus minute ceremony that concluded when Messier's jersey was lifted to the rafters.

Owen Nolan, Yanick Lehoux and Steve Reinprecht scored for Phoenix, which has won two of three on the heels of a six-game skid (0-5-1). Joseph notched his fourth shutout of the season and 51st of his career.

The selected game to honor Messier was not an accident, as current Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky was obviously in the arena and watched emotionally as his longtime friend and former teammate joined he and only four other players -- Al Hamilton, Jari Kurri, Grant Fuhr and Paul Coffey -- to have their numbers retired by Edmonton.

"I want to thank the Oiler organization for putting this date on the calendar when Phoenix was going to be in town because the night wouldn't have been the same without Wayne being here," Messier said. "Wayne was our leader. He was our inspiration. He was a guy that we leaned on and he never let us down and he never put himself above anybody. I certainly learned a lot from Wayne."

A native of Edmonton, Messier began his NHL career in 1979 with the Oilers and was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the playoff MVP when Edmonton won its first Stanley Cup in 1984. Messier went on to win four more Cups with the Oilers and is the second all-time leading scorer in NHL history with 1,887 points (694 goals, 1,193 assists), behind only Gretzky.

The other major news from the Oilers was the departure of longtime forward Ryan Smyth, who was dealt to the New York Islanders prior to Tuesday's trade deadline.

Smyth, who was traded in exchange for young forwards Robert Nilsson and Ryan O'Marra and a first-round pick in the 2007 draft, spent his entire career with the Oilers and was the club's leading scorer this season with 31 goals and 53 points. Smyth could return to the club when he becomes a free agent on July 1. He was one of the most popular players ever to play for Edmonton and has scored the fifth-most goals in franchise history.

Dwayne Roloson allowed three goals on 32 shots in the loss.

The visitors opened the scoring on Nolan's power-play goal at 13:52 of the first period. Shane Doan won a faceoff inside the left circle and the puck went back to Derek Morris at the right point. Morris then passed to Nolan inside the left circle and Nolan's wrist shot flew past Roloson, who was screened in front by Jeremy Roenick.

In the early stages of the middle session, Lehoux's first goal -- also a power-play marker -- made it 2-0. Defenseman Jeff Taffe held control at the right point and released a shot that deflected off Morris and caromed into the left circle, where Lehoux corralled the disc and lit the lamp with a wrist shot at the 4:34 mark.

Reinprecht's seventh goal of the season over four minutes later capped the scoring and Joseph shut the door the rest of the way.

The Coyotes were also busy Tuesday on the trading front. Phoenix sent veteran forward Georges Laraque to Pittsburgh for forward Daniel Carcillo and a third- round pick in the 2008 draft, shipped forward Oleg Saprykin to Ottawa for a 2008 second-round draft pick and acquired defenseman Brendan Bell and a second-round pick in 2008 from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for center Yanic Perreault and a 2008 fifth-round pick. The club also signed center Kevyn Adams to a one-year contract.

Game Notes

The Oilers are the second team to have retired Messier's number. The New York Rangers also raised his sweater to their rafters last year...Edmonton fell to 18-12-2 at home this season...Phoenix snapped a five-game skid on the road...The Coyotes were 2-for-3 on the power play and held the hosts scoreless on four power-play chances...Nolan has 15 goals this season...Morris and Doan both notched two assists...Attendance was 16,839.

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