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Smyth nets two, Oilers top Blues

Oct 31, 2011 - 4:27 AM Edmonton, AB (Sports Network) - Ryan Smyth scored twice and Ryan Nugent- Hopkins tallied two assists as the Edmonton Oilers posted a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Blues at Rexall Place.

Shawn Horcoff and Jordan Eberle also scored for Edmonton, while Nikolai Khabibulin made 28 saves in the Oilers' fifth straight win.

"We've got something going right now so it's a good feeling," Smyth said about his team's win streak.

David Backes and Alex Pietrangelo lit the lamp for the Blues. Jaroslav Halak stopped 26-of-30 shots in St. Louis' second straight loss.

The Oilers took advantage of an early slashing penalty to Matt D'Agostini to strike first. Nugent-Hopkins sent a pass from the right circle cross ice to a streaking Horcoff, who tipped the puck into the open net at the 5:38 mark of the first period.

The lead held until 3:58 into the second period when Backes' snap shot found the back of the net, but Edmonton took the lead right back 3 1/2 minutes later when Smyth stopped Alex Plante's one-timer from the right point by the right post and cut across the goal mouth before slipping the puck under the pads of a sprawled out Halak.

The Oilers then extended their lead when Taylor Hall's pass from the right point deflected off the skate of Eberle as he crashed the net and through the goaltender's legs. The goal was reviewed and upheld as Eberle did not use a kicking motion to advance to puck.

Smyth's second goal came on a power play when he was in perfect position to collect Tom Gilbert's rebound on a slap shot from the right point and stuff it back into the net with 2:45 left in the second.

St. Louis made it a two-goal game early in the third with a man advantage when Pietrangelo got the final jab in a scrum for the puck in front of Khabibulin, but that would be all the offense the Blues would muster in the contest.

"They came out hard and played a good game," Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said. "It seemed like we couldn't capitalize on our chances."

Game Notes

Oilers defenseman Cam Barker was scratched before the game with a sore shoulder...Edmonton went 2-for-4 on the power play, while St. Louis was 1- for-3 with the man advantage.