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Oilers double-up Blue Jackets

Mar 4, 2011 - 7:22 AM Edmonton, AB (Sports Network) - Taylor Hall registered a goal and an assist to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Rexall Place.

Sam Gagner and Jordan Eberle also scored for the Oilers, who concluded their four-game homestand with a 2-2 mark and won for the sixth time in their last nine games overall.

Devan Dubnyk was solid with 26 saves in the victory.

"We scored two [early] goals and kept the puck out of our net; so for the most part we played pretty well," Eberle said.

Newcomer Scottie Upshall, who was acquired by the Blue Jackets from Phoenix at the trade deadline on Monday, scored his second goal in as many games for his new team. Matt Calvert also tallied for Columbus, which is now winless in its last three games (0-2-1) on the heels of a three-game win streak. The Blue Jackets will continue their five-game road trip in Calgary on Friday.

Goaltender Steve Mason started for Columbus but was pulled inside the opening minute of the second period after he allowed three goals on 14 shots. Mathieu Garon stopped all 23 shots he faced in relief.

"It was an ugly, rough 60 minutes. We didn't come to compete," Blue Jackets head coach Scott Arniel said. "We did a lot of ugly things tonight."

The Oilers opened the scoring with a power-play goal at the 12:06 mark of the first period. Magnus Paajarvi held control of the puck inside the left circle and fired a pass through heavy traffic across the low slot for a successful wrister by Gagner from the opposite circle.

Hall's 22nd goal of the season with 3:08 to play in the first gave the hosts a two-goal edge. Hall hustled down the left-wing side, used his speed to skate around Columbus blueliner Marc Methot and lit the lamp with a wrist shot from a sharp angle from the bottom of the circle.

Only 14 seconds into the second period, Eberle's 15th goal -- assisted by Horcoff and Hall -- pushed the Edmonton advantage to 3-0, but the Blue Jackets responded 80 seconds later.

Samuel Pahlsson, from behind the net at the right post, poked at the puck several times before it finally squirted loose and into the goal mouth, where Calvert swiped it past Dubnyk from in close at 1:34. It was Calvert's 11th goal.

With 4:22 remaining in regulation, Upshall's 18th goal drew the visitors within one. R.J. Umberger held control along the rear boards to the left of the net and flipped a pass into the near circle for Upshall, whose low wrister beat Dubnyk.

Columbus pulled Garon in the final minute-plus, but Andrew Cogliano's empty- netter with 12 seconds to play sealed the win.

Game Notes

Midway through the first period, Umberger hit the crossbar on a penalty shot attempt...Oilers forward Shawn Horcoff notched two assists and now has 400 career points...Upshall tied his career high for goals in a season...Hall left the game with a left ankle injury and did not return...It was Cogliano's 10th goal...The Oilers ended 1-for-5 on the power play, while Columbus failed on all five of its chances with the extra skater...Attendance was 16,839.