(SportsNetwork.com) – The Edmonton Oilers look to avoid a seventh straight
setback on Friday night when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Despite a spirited effort on Thursday night, the Oilers could not complete a
rally past the Pittsburgh Penguins and lost 6-4. Edmonton trailed 4-0 1:01
into the second period, but battled back to tie the game on goals by Derek
Roy, Jordan Eberle, Anton Lander and Benoit Pouliot.
Roy and Eberle also had assists to contribute to the rally, but the Penguins
scored twice in a 1:06 span late in the third, starting with Steve Downie’s
tally with 5:22 to play.
“It showed a lot, coming back down 4-0 in a town like Pittsburgh,” said
Pouliot.
Edmonton, though, fell to 0-5-1 over its last six games as Ben Scrivens
allowed four goals on 13 shots in the game’s first 21 minutes. Richard
Bachman halted 19-of-21 shots in relief.
The Oilers are wrapping a five-game road trip tonight as they take on a Blue
Jackets club that has won three of its past four games. That includes a 3-1
victory on Thursday night over the Detroit Red Wings.
Scott Hartnell, Fedor Tyutin and Cam Atkinson all had goals, while Sergei
Bobrovsky was excellent in net with 41 saves.
“I thought we were involved and invested in the game early and we were
defending well,” Columbus coach Todd Richards said.
Nick Foligno, who had an assist, returned after missing Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout
win over Carolina with the flu, but forward Brandon Dubinsky missed this game
due to an illness.
Columbus also activated defenseman Ryan Murray from injured reserve prior to
the game, but he did not play. Murray, the second overall pick of the 2012
draft, has been limited to only seven games this season. His latest setback, a
lower-body issue, has held him out of the lineup since Feb. 6.
Tonight marks the first of two meetings this season between the Blue Jackets
and Oilers, who are set to clash in Edmonton on Wednesday.
The Oilers have won seven of their past 10 versus the Blue Jackets, but have
won just twice in their last nine trips to Columbus.
