Oilers in trouble

RALEIGH, N.C. – A group of Edmonton players swarmed around Ty Conklin, peppering him with rubber and looking to expose any vulnerability. Upper left corner. Lower right post. Stick side. Glove hand. Between the pads.

At the other end of the rink, Jussi Markkanen faced a similar barrage, managing to stop some of the shots with various parts of his heavily padded body.

This was a crash course in Stanley Cup 101, an off-day practice that took on the look of a tryout with the Oilers trying to decide which obscure goalie will take over the most important position on the ice.

Either Conklin or Markkanen will start for the Oilers in Game 2 of the finals tonight, well aware that their team is already down a game to the Carolina Hurricanes and reeling from the loss of playoff star Dwayne Roloson.

“The way Roli has been playing, it’s really unfortunate what happened,” Conklin said after the hourlong practice. “But, on the flip side, it is a good opportunity for whoever plays.”

Until now, Conklin and Markkanen had spent the entire postseason watching Roloson pull off one miraculous save after another, leading the eighth-seeded Oilers to the brink of their first Stanley Cup title since 1990.

Now, it’s all on their shoulders because of Roloson’s right knee, which was wrenched in a goal-mouth collision during the closing minutes of Game 1. The 36-year-old starter is out for the series with a sprained medial collateral ligament.

Conklin, who played only 18 games during the regular season while battling injuries and stinging criticism, was the first guy off the bench after Roloson was injured Monday night.

The backup didn’t exactly instill a lot of confidence when he botched a clearing attempt behind the net, allowing Carolina’s Rod Brind’Amour to score into an open net with a half-minute remaining for a 5-4 victory.

Markkanen, who wasn’t in uniform for the opener, is the other option. Coach Craig MacTavish isn’t saying which goalie he plans to start in Game 2, though some might wonder if it really matters.

Both goalies struggled during the regular season. Conklin was bothered by a strained groin and made two trips to the minors trying to get back into playing shape. Markkanen handled most of the games early on, but he didn’t make nearly enough big saves. The since-traded Mike Morrison also figured in the mix as the Oilers flailed around in their search for a reliable No. 1 goalie.

MacTavish got downright desperate at times.

In late October, Markkanen was lifted after he gave up three goals on 13 shots. Conklin took over in the nets, only to give up four goals on 11 shots in the second period. Markkanen returned to play the final 20 minutes of a 7-1 loss to Colorado, with both goalies hearing plenty of boos from the home crowd.

MacTavish is confident that his team can overcome Roloson’s devastating injury. He looked no farther than Carolina, which appeared down and out in its opening-round series against Montreal.