Final
  for this game

Hall records a hat trick, Oilers rout Blackhawks

Nov 20, 2011 - 6:34 AM Edmonton, AB (Sports Network) - Taylor Hall notched the second hat trick of his career as the Edmonton Oilers dominated the Chicago Blackhawks, 9-2, at Rexall Place.

Jordan Eberle and Tom Gilbert each had a goal and three assists while rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had the best game of his young career with five assists for the Oilers, who snapped a four-game slide.

"The one thing we always want to do is play solid defense," said Nugent- Hopkins. "As long as we play solid defense the offense will come and that was the case tonight."

Nikolai Khabibulin made 33 saves in the win.

The last time the Oilers scored nine goals in a game was a 10-1 win over Calgary in November of 1996.

Patrick Sharp and Dave Bolland each had a goal for the Blackhawks, who have dropped their past two games.

Ray Emery started and was tagged for seven goals on 27 shots. He was briefly relieved in the first period by Corey Crawford, who gave up two goals on seven shots.

"It's embarrassing to have a game like that," said Emery. "It's personally embarrassing and I want to play better. That's it."

It wasn't Chicago's night from the start as Ales Hemsky roofed a shot from down low just 48 seconds in to give the Oilers the lead.

Sharp scored two minutes later on a wrist shot off a rebound to briefly tie the game, but the Oilers scored the next six goals.

Ryan Jones gave his team the lead at the 5:47 mark when he slammed in a Shawn Horcoff feed at the right side of the net and Ryan Smyth tallied his 11th goal of the season two minutes later.

Skating on the power play, Horcoff blasted a shot on net from the right point that saw Hall slam home the rebound from the right side with 7:21 to play in the first.

A 2-on-1 break into the Chicago end saw Nugent-Hopkins slide a pass over to the right side where Eberle wristed it home with 4:19 left in the first for a 5-1 lead.

It was 6-1 5:32 into the second courtesy of Gilbert's third of the season while Hall banked in a rebound off a Gilbert shot that went wide at the 12:09 mark.

Both of the goals came on the power play while Bolland stopped the bleeding with his sixth of the season on the power play.

Horcoff's power-play marker with 1:07 left in the second made it an 8-2 contest.

Hall capped the hat trick at the 9:21 mark of the third when his heavy wrister from the top of the left circle beat Emery over the glove.

Game Notes

The last time Edmonton scored five goals in one period was in February of 2004 against Phoenix...Edmonton starts a four-game road trip in Dallas on Monday...Chicago continues its six-game road trip in San Jose on Wednesday...Chicago had won three straight against Edmonton...Edmonton was 4- for-7 on the power play while Chicago was 2-for-6.