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Blue Jackets make a stop in Edmonton

Mar 3, 2011 - 4:45 PM (Sports Network) - Aiming for the first victory of a five-game road trip, the Columbus Blue Jackets will try to notch a point for the eighth time in their last nine games as they visit the Edmonton Oilers and Rexall Place.

The Blue Jackets have lost the first two games of their swing, following Sunday's loss at Nashville that snapped a three-game winning streak with a 2-1 shootout defeat in Vancouver. Columbus fell to 5-1-2 in its last eight games and is five points back of a playoff spot.

Scottie Upshall scored in his Blue Jackets debut versus the Canucks, one day after being acquired from Phoenix along with defenseman Sam Lepisto for blueliner Rostislav Klesla and a minor league player.

Rick Nash and Antoine Vermette scored shootout goals, but Steve Mason was bested three times in the eight-round tiebreaker after making 25 saves through overtime against the NHL's top team.

"It would have been nice to finish that off with both points, but I thought we played a heck of a hockey game against a really good team and a tough goalie [in Vancouver's Roberto Luongo]," said Blue Jackets head coach Scott Arniel.

Edmonton also played some extra time on Tuesday versus Nashville, winning a 2-1 shootout decision. Linus Omark had the game-winner in the breakaway session and Jim Vandermeer scored the Oilers' only regulation goal as the club halted a two-game slide with its fifth victory in eight games.

With Nikolai Khabibulin out with an eye injury, Martin Gerber got the call over Devan Dubnyk and made 34 saves in his first start since Nov. 29. Gerber is 3-0 with a 1.30 goals-against average in three starts this season.

"He was outstanding. He was the only reason we are talking about a win tonight." Oilers head coach Tom Renney said of Gerber.

Edmonton, which is still last in the NHL with 50 points, improved to 1-2-0 on a four-game homestand one day after trading forward Dustin Penner to the Los Angeles Kings and could also be without forward Ales Hemsky tonight. He left the Oilers' last game with an undisclosed injury and had an MRI on Wednesday.

It is unknown if Gerber or Dubnyk will get the call tonight. Gerber is 1-3-0 with a tie and 2.44 GAA versus Columbus, while Dubnyk is 0-2-1 with a 3.28 GAA.

Whoever gets the start will have to slow down Columbus forward Kristian Huselius, who has five goals in two games versus the Oilers this year, including a hat trick in a 6-3 loss at Edmonton on Dec. 16. Overall, Huselius has points in six straight against the Oilers, logging nine goals and six assists for 15 points.

Huselius and R.J. Umberger scored twice and the latter added two assists in a 4-3 victory in the last meeting at home on Feb. 5. The Blue Jackets have won five of their last six overall versus the Oilers, but have dropped six of eight and 12 of the past 16 in Edmonton.

Mason is 5-2-0 with a 3.27 GAA in his career when facing the Oilers, while Mathieu Garon is 4-6-1 with a 3.27 GAA versus them.