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Khabibulin blanks Rangers

Oct 23, 2011 - 6:40 AM Edmonton, AB (Sports Network) - Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 19 shots for his first shutout of the season as the Edmonton Oilers took a 2-0 win over the New York Rangers at Rexall Place.

Rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist and Corey Potter also scored for the Oilers, who snapped a two-game slide.

Henrik Lundqvist allowed both goals on 24 shots, but left in the third period with cramping. Matrin Biron played his first hockey of the season and stopped three shots the rest of the way for the Rangers, who had a two-game winning streak snapped.

"We sucked from head to toe," a blunt John Tortorella said of his team's effort. "We need to move by it."

After a scoreless first period that saw Lundqvist stop 11 games and Khabibulin make just four, the Oilers got on the board midway through the second.

With the puck in the New York end, Taylor Hall left a drop pass from the right circle over to the slot and Nugent-Hopkins wristed the puck into the left corner for his fifth goal of the season.

Khabibulin made seven saves in the second and his team gave him some breathing rook early in the third.

On the power play, Nugent-Hopkins held the puck at the right circle and faked a shot before sending it back to the right point where Potter blasted a one- timer past Lundqvist.

"We work on getting shots and chances on the power play all the time," said Potter. "To get one on the advantage tonight was nice."

Khabibulin stopped eight shots in the final frame to cap the 44th shutout of his career.

Game Notes

The Rangers play in Winnipeg on Monday...Edmonton hosts the Canucks on Tuesday...New York had won the previous two games in the series...New York went 0-for-4 on the power play while Edmonton was 1-for-4...Nugent-Hopkins has five goals and two assists over his first seven NHL games.