RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – The Edmonton Oilers beat three higher-seeded teams to reach the Stanley Cup finals. They weren’t going out that easy.

Fernando Pisani stunned Carolina with a short-handed goal 3:31 into overtime, giving the Oilers a 4-3 victory in Game 5 on Wednesday night and sending the series back to Alberta.

The Hurricanes still lead 3-2, but the Oilers have life. Game 6 is Saturday night in Edmonton.

Carolina had the upper hand when Steve Staios dragged down Mark Recchi breaking toward the Edmonton goal 3 minutes into the extra period. But Cory Stillman, a star of the playoffs, made a lazy cross-ice pass for Eric Staal as the Hurricanes set up a rush.

Pisani stole it at the blue line, broke in all alone on Cam Ward and beat the 22-year-old rookie with a high shot into the corner of the net over Ward’s glove.

Staal scored two of Carolina’s three power-play goals.

Staal, who broke out of an eight-game goal slump and added an assist, shoved a shot between Jussi Markkanen’s pads 9:56 into the middle period as the Edmonton goalie tried to pin the puck at the right post. Stillman earned an assist to stretch his point streak to 13 games.

That left the hard-charging Hurricanes one goal away from the championship in their eighth season in North Carolina and 26th overall in the NHL, dating to their days as the Hartford Whalers.

Ray Whitney almost notched the decisive goal, but his redirection off a pass in front from Matt Cullen hit high up the left post as Markkanen was facing the other way with 7:47 remaining. Despite controlling play in the third period, the Hurricanes recorded only two shots to the Oilers’ five.

Staal said the Hurricanes, who held a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, had no intention of changing their full-throttle offensive style.

“I think we’re going to keep going at them,” he said. “We have an opportunity to go for the Stanley Cup.”

Todd Harvey, inserted into the Edmonton lineup following a six-game absence, had a great chance in the final 3 minutes of regulation, but was stopped at the left post by rookie Cam Ward.

Ales Hemsky scored a rare power-play goal for Edmonton, and Michael Peca added goals for the Oilers in the first period. Pisani scored in the first minute, and Peca snapped a tie in the final minute of the frame in which they led 3-2.

Pisani deflected in Chris Pronger’s point shot only 16 seconds after the opening faceoff – 6 seconds short of matching the finals record – but the Oilers were down 2-1 exactly 10 minutes later following power-play goals by Staal and Ray Whitney.

Edmonton was only 1-for-25 in the series on the power play when Hemsky sent a fluttering shot over Ward’s left shoulder, tying it 2-2 with 6:25 left in the period.

Peca got to a loose puck that bounced to him in front off the skate of Hurricanes captain Rod Brind’Amour and knocked it in as the teams skated 4-on-4 with 18 seconds remaining.

That capped a frantic period of offense that produced more goals than each of the two previous games in Edmonton. After scoring five goals in each of two home wins to open the series, the Hurricanes split a pair of 2-1 decisions in Canada to set the champagne on ice and get the Stanley Cup in their building Wednesday night.

The storm clouds that dumped about 8 inches of rain on Raleigh all day followed the Hurricanes into the game as they fell behind before gaining control of the puck.

The remnants of Tropical Storm Alberto couldn’t help the team from Alberta when the Oilers began a parade to the penalty box soon after they grabbed the lead.

Edmonton killed Hemsky’s tripping penalty that came at 2:27, but Matt Greene’s consecutive infractions 4:03 apart turned the Oilers’ lead into a quick deficit.

Markkanen blocked Staal’s first try, but couldn’t deny the rebound as he sprawled on his stomach in the crease at 5:54. For the 21-year-old Staal, it was his first goal in eight games.

Whitney gave the Hurricanes the lead at 10:16 when his shot from the right circle beat Markkanen, left standing with his arms outstretched as Weight jumped in front to screen him.

Carolina was 5-for-26 on the power play in the first four games of the series but only 1-for-11 in the previous two. The Hurricanes also scored three power-play goals in their 5-0 victory in Game 2.

Hemsky tied it at 13:25 for the Oilers, who yielded six power plays through regulation and held a 24-22 edge in shots. Edmonton was 1-for-5 with a man advantage through 40 minutes.

The Oilers were trying to mount a comeback that has been accomplished just once. Of the 27 finals that were 3-1, only the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs rallied to win the Cup. The 2002 Hurricanes were the last team to face the deficit in the championship round that adopted a best-of-seven format in 1939.

Of the 210 teams to trail 3-1 in all NHL playoff series, 20 have come back to win – but Edmonton has done it twice in its storied postseason history. All five clubs in that position this year were eliminated in Game 5.

The eighth-seeded Oilers’ never faced a knockout game in their three consecutive series wins over higher-rated opponents.

AP-ES-06-14-06 2308EDT