EDMONTON - In 2008, Sam Gagner had a front row seat for Andrew Cogliano’s record setting run that started on March 7 and ended a hard-to-fathom three overtime games later.

When the tables turned this week, and Gagner was the talk of the NHL, Cogliano was keeping tabs from his new home in Anaheim.

“He actually texted me throughout the game,” said Gagner, before heading out for the Edmonton Oilers’ contest against the Detroit Red Wings. “First it was, ‘wow, five points’ then on it went.”

Back in 2008, Cogliano scored the deciding goal in the Oilers’ overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets then two nights later, on March 9, he put away the overtime winner against the Chicago Blackhawks. On March 11, in a yet another overtime contest, Cogliano again scored the winning goal.

No other NHL player had ever ­accomplished the feat.

Traded to the Anaheim Ducks in the off-season, Cogliano was in the news again after the all-star break for scoring his first career hat trick. He scored all three goals in the second period of a 4-1 win over the Phoenix Coyotes.

Two nights later, Gagner, his old linemate, had his eight-point night against the Chicago Blackhawks, ­becoming the first NHLer in 23 years to put away that many points in a game.

“I talked to him yesterday when I got up. He was talking about his hat trick and how I overshadowed it,” said Gagner with a chuckle.

“I got to be around for his record and I don’t think I’ve been in three overtime games in a row since that, let alone have the same guy score three. It was just an incredible run for him.

“I’m sure he wishes he could have been here for my night.”

Wings without Howard

Ty Conklin, who once manned the net for Edmonton, got the start for the Red Wings on Saturday, but didn’t make it to the second period. He was pulled in favour of AHL call-up Joey MacDonald after allowing three goals on nine shots.

The Wings are without all-star netminder Jimmy Howard, who broke his right index finger Thursday in Vancouver. He was told by doctors at the time that it would take four to six weeks for the digit to heal but said on Saturday that he has played with broken fingers before so he’s eyeing a two week layoff.

MacDonald was called up to back up Conklin, who has now played 11 games for the Red Wings. All 11 have been played on the road.

Barker aims to finish strong

There’s nothing he can do about the 38 games he’s missed, but Cam Barker figures he can at least do something about the 30 games he’s got left.

Barker played just 12 games on the Oilers blue-line before he went to the operating room to have an injured ankle tendon repaired. He was expected to be out for at least three months, but Barker trimmed that timeline considerably when he returned this week.

“I had the cast on for two weeks, it was supposed to be six,” said Barker, who is eight pounds leaner than he was back in November. “I went into a walking boot and I was able to do a lot of things I wouldn’t have been able to do had I still been in the cast.”

Aside from paying strict attention to his diet during the layoff, Barker was also the consummate rehab ­patient. During the all-star break, he stayed in Edmonton and even went looking for ice so he could get in ­extra skating sessions in an attempt to speed up his return.

“I just wanted to get back to playing and when you’re trying to come back, that extra five days off would have just set me back five more days. It was good to get those skates and workouts in,” he said.

“I don’t think anything has really changed (in terms of his approach), but I do feel that I’ve had a reminder that I am extremely fortunate to be doing something I love and that it could be done in a second.”

He also conceded he has something to prove.

Signed to a three-year, $9.25-million contract by the Blackhawks in 2009, Barker was later dealt to the Minnesota Wild, who bought out his contract after the 2010-11 season.

The Oilers signed him to a one-year, $2.25-million contract and will have to match that again if they want to retain his rights.

“I thought things were going pretty well to start the season so it was a tough injury, but I’m just looking forward to trying to build up from where I left off,” the 25-year-old said.

“You can’t prove too much when you’re injured, but I want to play my best these last 30 games. I feel like I did everything I could when I was injured to get back to his point so I could get back as quickly as possible. That was important to me.”

SHORT SHIFTS: Oilers defenceman Theo Peckham missed his second straight game on Saturday, but he did pass the concussion test. He was struck in the face by a stick in last Tuesday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche and then got pelted by a puck in practice the next day. Congestion issues are keeping him off the ice. … The Red Wings shelved an on-ice session on Friday in favour of a team-bonding session of broomball. Defenceman Brad Stuart stole the show and the MVP honours by not allowing a goal in three games.

jireland@edmontonjournal.com

Twitter.com/jirelandEJ