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Blue Jackets welcome lowly Oilers to Columbus

Feb 5, 2011 - 4:30 PM (Sports Network) - The Columbus Blue Jackets will try to build off an impressive road win when they return home to Nationwide Arena for tonight's battle against the Edmonton Oilers.

The Blue Jackets ended a two-game slide on Friday, as they notched a 3-0 victory in Detroit. The win improved Columbus to 4-2-2 in its last eight games.

Columbus has 53 points on the year and is tied with St. Louis for last in the Central Division, but the Blue Jackets were able to down first-place Detroit thanks to Steve Mason's second shutout of the season. Mason made 34 saves to help his club end a five-game road losing streak against the Red Wings.

"These games are easy to get up for," said Mason. "First off, it's Detroit and coming off a poor performance personally. These are games you want to bounce back with. We have alot of work to do the rest of the season and this was just one game of alot more."

It's unclear if Mason will get the start on back-to-back days this evening or if Mathieu Garon will man the crease instead.

Andrew Murray and Antoine Vermette each had a goal and an assist while Jared Boll scored the other for the Blue Jackets, who are six points out of a playoff seed in the Western Conference.

Blue Jackets defenseman Rostislav Klesla missed his third straight game Friday with a lower-body injury and is questionable for tonight.

Columbus is 12-12-1 as the host this year, but has lost two straight and three of its last four on home ice.

The Oilers, who are last in the NHL with 38 points, began a three-game road trip Friday in St. Louis and was handed a 5-3 setback by the Blues. It was Edmonton's third straight loss and the club's eighth defeat in nine games (1-7-1).

Since a season-high four-game winning streak from Nov. 29-Dec. 4, the Oilers have posted a miserable 5-16-4 record in their last 25 games.

Taylor Hall, Theo Peckham and Sam Gagner scored for the Oilers in Friday's loss. Devan Dubnyk was torched for all five goals on 26 shots.

"The talk between the second and third was about us and what we needed to do," said Hall. "We wanted to force the puck deep and keep them playing in their own end, but we weren't able to do that and it cost us."

Oilers forward Dustin Penner missed Friday's game with flu-like symptoms and is questionable for tonight's test. Penner is tied with the rookie Hall for the team lead in points with 32.

The setback in St. Louis dropped the Oilers to 7-12-4 as the guest this season. Edmonton will complete its swing Monday in Nashville before returning to Rexall Place for a six-game homestand.

The Oilers and Blue Jackets have split a pair of meetings this season, but Columbus has won five of the last seven encounters overall. Edmonton has also dropped three straight and four of its last five in Ohio.

Nikolai Khabibulin is expected to get the start in net for the Oilers tonight. He is 9-8-4 with a tie and a 3.13 goals-against average in his career against Columbus.