Oil covered by Jackets, 3-2 in shootout

Oilers forward Ales Hemsky fires a shot on net during Monday night's game in Columbus (photo: Getty Images)

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PRE-GAME

Preview Game Notes Head-to-Head Stats Comparison Game Program Video interviews Audio Interviews

PHOTOS

Click here for the photo gallery

VIDEO

Post-game video highlights. Shawn Horcoff, Sheldon Souray, Dean Arsens & Pat Quinn talk about the game

AUDIO

Pat Quinn Sheldon Souray Shawn Horcoff Dean Arsene Audio Highlights at Columbus.

SHOOTOUT RESULTS

Edmonton: O'Sullivan - missed Penner - missed Hemsky - GOAL Brule - saved Columbus: Huselius - saved Tyutin - GOAL Nash - saved Voracek - GOAL

THREE STARS

Nik Khabibulin, EDM Mathieu Garon, CBJ Rick Nash, CBJ

UPDATE

The Oilers' record is now 8-10-3 which gives them 19 points - three back of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

WHAT'S NEXT

After spending 10 days on the road, the Oilers return home after Monday's game and get ready to face the Avalanche on Wednesday, November 18. The game starts at 7:00pm and will be broadcast on TSN.

by Marc Ciampa | edmontonoilers.com

Jakub Voracek's shootout winner was the difference as the Edmonton Oilers were edged 3-2 by the Columbus Blue Jackets, finishing a five-game road trip with a record of 1-2-2. 

FIRST PERIOD

With Sam Gagner unable to dress, Dean Arsene got the start on D for the Oilers. Tonight marks the first NHL game in Arsene's nine-year professional career.

Mike Blunden dropped the gloves with Zack Stortini, with Stortini completely hammering Blunden with some big rights off the faceoff a couple minutes into the game.

At the next faceoff, Tom Sestito and Jason Strudwick got into it. This fight was much longer and more even with both combatants getting some big punches in. Neither fell to the ice in what could be termed a draw.

Columbus took the game's first penalty when Ladislav Smid was upended by Rick Nash deep in the Oilers zone. Smid was shaken up on the play.

Edmonton was unable to capitalize on the man advantage and Nash had a great chance for the Blue Jackets after he came out of the box, breaking in alone on Khabibulin. However, his shot went wide of the net.

Jackets starting netminder Mathieu Garon had to be sharp midway through the first, making a pair of close-in stops on Andrew Cogliano keeping the game scoreless.

Edmonton had another man advantage late in the period and had some great chances on several goalmouth scrambles but were unable to take advantage of a bouncing puck to punch it in.

Just as the penalty expired, Nash broke in on a rush with Jason Chimera. Khabibulin made the initial stop on Nash but just as Chimera went to get the rebound he was held up by Stortini, sending the Oilers forward off for two minutes and giving Columbus their first power play of the night.

Edmonton allowed a pair of shots during the two-minute setback but Columbus was unable to score.

Shots on goal were 9-9 following the first period of play.

SECOND PERIOD

Columbus came out flying to start the second, outshooting the Oilers 6-0 through the opening three-and-a-half minutes of the middle frame.

Khabibulin's nicest save came off the stick of Kristian Huselius from in front of the net by extending his right pad along the ice.

Penalties to Steve Staios and Ethan Moreau put the Oilers down two men for 1:16 six minutes into the period.

40 seconds into the five-on-three, Columbus scored to take a 1-0 lead. Anton Stralman blasted a one timer after taking a nice cross-ice pass by Huselius. The puck just snuck in along the right post for the goal.

Liam Reddox used his speed to break in behind the Blue Jackets defence and get a shot on goal. Though he didn't score, he did draw a penalty on the play.

On the ensuing power play, the Oilers poured on a lot of pressure and ultimately converted when Hemsky "passed" the puck into the net, slipping between the legs of both Dustin Penner in front and Garon to tie the game at 1-1.

Columbus went on the attack with five minutes to play in the second. Khabibulin withstood a flurry of shots from several feet out as the Oilers were running around in their own end.

Shots in the second period were 14-4 for Columbus and 23-13 overall but each team managed to score a goal leaving it tied 1-1 after two.

THIRD PERIOD

Edmonton took a 2-1 lead 5:48 into the third period after scoring a power play goal. Sheldon Souray blasted a shot from the right circle that was kicked out by Garon but it went right to Visnovsky who one-timed it in for the goal.

Late on another power play, Ethan Moreau took a pass from Horcoff then rang the puck off the post, glove side behind Garon.

With 8:16 to play, the Oilers' Liam Reddox took a hooking penalty giving Columbus a chance to get back on even terms.

The Blue Jackets did just that as Antoine Vermette redirected a point shot from Fedor Tyutin past Khabibulin to tie things up at 2-2.

Nash broke in behind the Oilers defence but missed the net on his backhand deke attempt with just over a minute left in regulation.

OVERTIME

Edmonton carried the play territorially in the first half of the extra frame but could not generate a real dangerous scoring chance.

With 1:30 left, Huselius snuck in behind the Oilers defence and tried to go five-hole on a shot from the left faceoff circle. Khabibulin squeezed his pads together and made the save.

SHOOTOUT

Neither team was able to score in the first round of the shootout. First, Kristian Huselius was stopped by Khabibulin then O'Sullivan missed the net for the Oilers.

Penner also missed the net but Fedor Tyutin scored five-hole to give the Jackets the leg up. In round three, Rick Nash missed but Ales Hemsky scored on his former teammate to send it to sudden death.

In the next round, Jakub Voracek scored but Gilbert Brule's five-hole attempt went through Garon's legs but then slipped just past the left post to clinch the victory for the home side.