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Oilers pull away from Jets to halt skid

Dec 24, 2013 - 6:54 AM Edmonton, AB (SportsNetwork.com) - Taylor Hall recorded a goal and two assists and helped lead a three-score barrage in the third period that carried the Edmonton Oilers to a much-needed 6-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets at Rexall Place.

Hall set up David Perron's goal with 3:20 left in the second period that snapped a 2-2 tie, and the Oilers erupted in the third en route to halting a season-high six-game losing streak.

"We stuck with it and were finally rewarded for our hard work," Edmonton head coach Dallas Eakins said of his team's perseverance. "We had a good start and we were able to maintain it."

Perron, Jordan Eberle and Nail Yakupov each had a goal and an assist to support 18 saves from Ilya Bryzgalov.

Mark Stuart and Andrew Ladd each scored for Winnipeg, which received 24 saves from Ondrej Pavelec in defeat.

"We didn't play very intelligent, we didn't play the right way," Winnipeg head coach Claude Noel said "We got pretty much what we deserved playing that way."

With the game squared at 2-2, Hall sent a backhand pass from behind the net that Perron blasted past Pavelec 3:20 prior to the second intermission to send the Oilers in front.

After killing off a penalty to Jesse Joensuu early in the third period, Edmonton got some insurance on Jeff Petry's first goal since Oct. 22. The defenseman raced into the Winnipeg zone to fire in a Yakupov feed that provided the Oilers a two-goal cushion at the 4:28 mark.

A power-play marker just over four minutes later ended any Winnipeg comeback hopes, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins blocking a clearing attempt and sliding the puck to an uncovered Hall for an easy one-timer.

Hall had a hand in Edmonton's final goal of the night as well, forcing a turnover in the neutral zone that created a 2-on-1 with Yakupov that ended with the 2012 No. 1 overall pick burying the puck into the top left corner of the Winnipeg net with 3:44 left.

Edmonton capitalized on a Jets penalty to draw first blood 8:40 into the contest, with Eberle redirecting a puck sent from the boards by Ales Hemsky.

Winnipeg pulled even less than three minutes later, however, as Stuart fired a shot from the left circle that went through Bryzgalov's pads with the Jets on a transition rush.

Sam Gagner put the Oilers back ahead with 3:53 left in the first period, skating into the slot to knock in Eberle's well-placed pass across the crease, but the Jets tied it again with a power-play tally just past the midway mark of the second.

Bryan Little skated up the right side and fed the puck for Dustin Byfuglien, whose attempt from the point was tipped in by Ladd to forge a 2-2 deadlock.

Game Notes

Yakupov's goal was only his second in his last 16 games ... The Oilers went 2- for-7 on the power play after an 0-for-14 stretch with the man advantage during their skid ... Nugent-Hopkins posted a pair of assists ... Bryzgalov improved to 6-2-1 in nine all-times games against the Winnipeg franchise ... Oilers forward Mark Arcobello missed a third straight game with a rib injury, while teammate Ryan Jones was held out after colliding with teammate Andrew Ference during Saturday's morning skate ... Winnipeg defenseman Grant Clitsome sat out for the second consecutive day due to illness ... The Jets fell to 0-4-1 in the second game of back-to-backs this season.