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Oilers deal Blackhawks second straight setback

Mar 11, 2013 - 3:42 AM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Sam Gagner tallied twice on Sunday, as the Edmonton Oilers handed the Chicago Blackhawks their second straight regulation loss with a 6-5 decision at United Center.

Taylor Hall and Ryan Whitney posted a goal and an assist apiece, while Shawn Horcoff and Mike Brown each scored once to help the Oilers put the brakes on a five-game skid.

"This was huge for us," Hall said of the win. "We know that we're going to have to start winning some games and stringing together some wins if we want to get a playoff spot."

Devan Dubnyk stopped 11-of-13 shots before suffering an upper-body injury near the midpoint of the second period. Yann Danis replaced Dubnyk and saved 21 shots to earn the victory.

Patrick Kane scored twice and added an assist, while Brent Seabrook, Sheldon Brookbank and Marian Hossa each lit the lamp once for the Blackhawks, who had gone their first 24 games of the season without a regulation loss before falling in Colorado on Friday.

"It was weird after [losing] the first one," Kane admitted. "Now we've got to be careful not to get too down on ourselves, especially after the start we've had."

Blackhawks goaltender Ray Emery was lifted after giving up three goals on nine shots in the first frame. Corey Crawford took over between the pipes and stopped 13-of-16 shots in the setback.

Chicago seemed to carry the effects of its first regulation loss of the season into Sunday's contest, as the Oilers struck four times in the first to build their lead.

The first two came just 36 seconds apart, as a Chicago turnover in its own zone ended up on the stick of Brown, who fired a low wrister off the post and in at the 2:24 mark.

Gagner followed shortly after, as he took a nice feed from Magnus Paajarvi and one-timed a blast past Emery to make it 2-0 at the 3:00 mark.

Whitney's one-timer from the low left side at the 9:19 mark pushed the margin to 3-0 and chased Emery from the contest.

With Crawford between the pipes for Chicago, Gagner capped the four-goal flurry when he charged in on a breakaway off a nice feed from Whitney before beating Crawford on the backhand for a 4-0 lead at 12:22.

The Blackhawks came to life in the second, with Kane and Hossa scoring just over two minutes apart to trim the margin in half.

Horcoff answered with a re-direct at the 10:28 mark to make it 5-2, but Brookbank notched a shorthanded marker with just under five minutes left to again bring the Blackhawks within two.

With Edmonton still on the power play just 51 seconds later, Hall re-directed a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins shot into the back of the net to give Edmonton a three- goal cushion.

Seabrook's heavy slapper from above the right circle snuck through Danis to bring the Blackhawks within two heading after 40 minutes before Kane provided a power-play marker just over seven minutes into the third to trim Chicago's deficit to just one.

Chicago continued to pour on the offense throughout the final 13 minutes, but Danis was able to keep the Blackhawks off the board by stopping 10-of-11 shots in the final frame.

Game Notes

The loss was Chicago's first in regulation at home this season (11-1-1) ... Chicago defeated Edmonton 3-2 in overtime on Feb. 25 ... Edmonton improved to 5-7-3 on the road this season ... Edmonton went 3-for-4 on the power play, while Chicago finished 1-for-2 with the man advantage.