There comes a point when a team gets tired of getting sand kicked in their faces.

The Edmonton Oilers reached that point Sunday, doing some kicking of their own in a surprising 5-1 win over the San Jose Sharks.

“We want to come out to battle and we’re looking to play hard and we still want to win every game that we’re in,” said Oilers winger Zack Stortini. “This is about pride and character and we have a ton of that in here. It’s just a matter of going out and battling hard each and every night and that’s what we have to do.”

Stortini got the party rocking when he took out Sharks defenceman Dan Boyle behind the net, then pounded on Brad Staubitz in an ensuing fight.

The hit and the fight set the tone for the game.

“They have a big, physical team over there, they play hard and they like being physical,” said Stortini. “It’s important for us to match that and try and better that, especially a guy like me who brings that physical element out there. It’s important for a guy like me to try and establish myself. But we had lots of guys stepping up, not only physically, but offensively as well.”

Stortini stepped up again in the third period, taking on Douglas Murray after the Sharks defenceman ran Theo Peckham into the end boards. Peckham separated his shoulder on the play and is most likely done for the season.

“Theo does a great job, he plays physical and he would do the same for any one of us,” Stortini said.

Later in the third, Mike Comrie got into the fray, dropping the gloves with Scott Nichol.

“I think sometimes even though you’re in a situation that we’re in, as a professional you always want to compete,” Comrie said. “Games like this are fun. When you’re playing against a good team and quality players, it brings the competitiveness out in our group.”

With some fight, the Oilers proved they can match up against the best.

“We’re not just going to roll over and just give a team points,” said Fernando Pisani, who finished with a goal and an assist and was the third star of the game. “We want to win, we want to compete and we want to play hard. Those are the things that we need to focus on in these last few games. We want to create a positive environment around the rink. It’s no