Oilers quell comeback, undo Jackets 4-2

Edmonton's Gilbert Brule attempts to get the puck past Columbus' Steve Mason Thursday, March 3 at Rexall Place. (Photo courtesy of Andy Devlin / Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club)

 

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PRE-GAME

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

PHOTOS

Click here for the photo gallery

VIDEO

Watch all the highlights Hall's first Gordie Howe Gagner gets PPG Hall slips one by Hall dazzles & scraps IN FOCUS: Post-game comments from Hall, Gagner, Eberle & Coach Renney Head Coach Tom Renney's full post-game press conference The Other Side: RJ Umberger, Ethan Moreau & head coach Scott Arniel after the loss in Edmonton

AUDIO

Audio Highlights Taylor Hall Sam Gagner Jordan Eberle Head Coach Tom Renney

UPDATE

With the win, the Oilers record improves to 22-35-8.

MORE

Coming Soon: Under the Scope

WHAT'S NEXT

The Oilers embark on a five-game road trip that starts Saturday, Mar. 5 in Denver. The puck drops at 8:00pm MT and you can catch it live on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada.

42 penalty minutes, two fights, and six goals highlighted an action-packed contest in which the Oilers emerged victorious, defeating the Blue Jackets 4-2 on Fan Appreciation Night at Rexall Place.

But it wasn't all good news for Edmonton: after registering a Gordie Hall hat trick with a goal, assist, and fight, Taylor Hall suffered a left ankle injury and had to leave the game early.

FIRST PERIOD

Columbus tallied the game's first three shots and then three more on the power-play as Edmonton's Richard Petiot served an interference minor.

Devan Dubnyk turned them all away and then stepped aside as Jason Strudwick and Derek Dorsett decided to drop their gloves in his crease. Strudwick earned the decision and a resounding applause as he skated over to serve his fighting major.

One minute after the fight, former Oiler Ethan Moreau was called for interference. Edmonton was aggressive, testing goalie Steve Mason with four shots, but couldn't get the puck across the line.

Near the period's midway point, Petiot dragged down a streaking RJ Umberger, resulting in a penalty shot for the Jacket. Dubnyk made another save, his ninth of the game, to keep it scoreless.

The infractions kept coming and Edmonton finally made one count. With Dorsett serving a goaltender interference minor, Sam Gagner caught a perfect cross-ice pass from Magnus Paajarvi and wristed it past Mason to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead.

With 3:09 remaining on the clock, Edmonton got goal number two. Cutting in from the left wing, Taylor Hall bumbled the puck past Mason for his 22nd goal of the season and a 2-0 Oilers lead.

The score stuck until the buzzer.

SECOND PERIOD

It didn't stay the same for long, however. Only 14 seconds into the second period, Jordan Eberle surged up the left wing, powered in on Mason, and sunk a backhander to make it 3-0 Edmonton. The goal gave Hall and Shawn Horcoff two points on the game and Blue Jackets head coach Scott Arniel a reason to pull Mason in favour of Mathieu Garon.

The goaltending change inspired the Jackets. Just over one minute later, Matt Calvert spotted a loose puck and whacked it past Dubnyk to get his club back within two.

Despite taking two consecutive penalties after the goals, the Oilers held a 22-15 shot lead by the 13-minute mark of the second.

At that point, an incredible scoring chance for Hall prompted Dorsett to keep a close shoulder on the star rookie, and Hall took exception to the unwelcome attention. The rookie's first career fight was short and spirited but ended in awkward tumble to the ice, a fall that sent the young Oiler limping off to the dressing room. It was later announced that Hall had suffered a left ankle injury and would not return to the game. Linus Omark served his roughing minor and fighting major.

There was no further scrapping or scoring in the period, but a late Blue Jackets penalty ensured the Oilers would start the final frame with a two-goal, five-shot, one-man advantage.

THIRD PERIOD

The remainder of that infraction plus two more kept specialty teams busy early in the third.

Edmonton continued to dominate as the period progressed, but with 4:22 remaining in regulation, Columbus caught a break. With help from Umberger and Kris Russell, Scottie Upshall fooled Dubnyk with a quick release, getting his club back within striking distance.

The Jackets pulled Garon in the final minute, but a holding minor to Antoine Vermette quickly negated the advantage. The visitors pulled Garon again and Eberle seemed destined to score a empty netter. Officials, however, spotted some rule breaking and tagged the rookie with a tripping minor.

Despite the penalties, the Oilers eventually got their goal as Andrew Cogliano stole the puck in the neutral zone and forcefully fed it into the empty net. The goal sealed an action-packed 4-2 win for Edmonton.