NHL Update: Columbus Blue Jackets overcome Edmonton Oilers, 4-3
R.J. Umberger and Kristian Huselius both lit the lamp twice to give Columbus Blue Jackets a 4-3 victory against Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.
In addition to his two goals, Umberger also assisted twice. Steve Mason gave up three goals on 26 shots, but got the win for Blue jackets, which moved out of a tie for last place with idle
St. Louis Blues in the Central Division. Kris Russell added two assist for the victors.
Magnus Paajarvi found the net twice for Edmonton, which has dropped four consecutive games. Dustin Penner also tallied a goal and Nikolai Khabibulin turned aside 30 shots in the losing effort.
Paajarvi got Oilers on the board first to give 1-0 lead just a little more than two minutes into the opening period, and Penner staked Oilers to 2-0 lead just five minutes later.
Columbus opened its scoring to make it 2-1 game with 5 ½ minutes left in the first period scored, as Umberger rushed and knocked the puck into the net.
"We had a lot of jump on our team. You could see it in our energy level," Umberger said. "We knew it was a must-win game and we didn't think that we deserved to be down 2-0."
Columbus needed more than twenty minutes before Huselius knotted the game at 2-2 with a one-timer in the middle stanza.
Paajarvi put Oilers ahead again with 3-2 lead just 5 ½ minutes into the final session, as he swept the disc under Mason's legs from goalie’s left side.
"We handed it back to them. We handed it right over," said Edmonton head coach Tom Renney.
Umberger pulled Columbus even at 3-3 with 6 ½ minutes left in the third period. He showed the puck to Oilers’ Linus Omark, slipped it through his legs, then got it back between the winger’s
skates and blasted a shot past Khabibulin from the left circle.
Huselius then scored the go-ahead goal to account for the final scoring 4-3 with four minutes to play in the game. The goal came when Umberger sent a pass to Huselius on a 2-on-1 rush. Huselius
then fired a wrist shot from the slot past Khabibulin, and Columbus was able to hang on.
“He had a hat trick when last time and I was hoping he would have that warm feeling against that team,” Blue Jackets coach Scott Arniel said of Huselius. “He was outstanding. He held onto
pucks, had patience and made plays. I’m glad the way he responded. He took control of the situation and was upset about last night and was a big difference in the hockey game.”
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