EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Jesse Puljujarvi had two goals and an assist and the Edmonton Oilers snapped a six-game skid with a 5-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.
Derek Ryan, Brendan Perlini and Warren Foegele also scored for the Oilers, who also ended a five-game losing streak at home. Stuart Skinner stopped 36 of 38 shots.
Gustav Nyquist and Justin Danforth scored for the Blue Jackets, who have lost eight of their last 10 games. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 25 of 29 shots, while Joonas Korpisalo stopped all 15 shots he faced.
Edmonton’s run of allowing the first goal of the game — which had happened in 15 of their last 18 games — came to an end when they scored two goals in a 46-second span on a 5-on-3 man advantage nearly eight minutes into the first period.
The first goal came after Tyson Barrie’s point shot came off the backboards to Puljujarvi, who sent a backhand past Merzlikins.
Puljujarvi added a second goal, tapping in a nice feed from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins into a wide open net for his 10th of the season.
Edmonton is 10-0 this season when scoring first in a game.
Perlini stripped a puck and sent it on net at the 11-minute mark of the first. Ryan tucked the rebound through Merzlikins’ legs.
Perlini blasted home a rebound from the slot at 16:41 of the third for his first of the season.
Korpisalo started the third period in the Columbus net.
The Blue Jackets spoiled Skinner’s shutout bid on their 30th shot, 6:28 into the third period as Nyquist chipped in a rebound.
Columbus closed within 4-2 when Danforth gathered a rebound and scored on the backhand with just over three minutes left.
Edmonton secured the victory when Foegele scored into an empty net.
NOTES: Out with injuries for the Oilers were Mike Smith (lower body), Slater Koekkoek (lower body), Kris Russell (upper body) and Zach Hyman (undisclosed); while Devin Shore joined Ryan McLeod and head coach Dave Tippett on COVID-19 protocol. ... Missing from the Columbus lineup were Dean Kukan (upper body), Patrik Laine (upper body) and Adam Boqvist (upper body).
UP NEXT
Columbus: At Buffalo Sabres on Monday in the last of a four-game trip. The Blue Jackets had their scheduled game in Calgary on Saturday postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak among the Flames.
Edmonton: At Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
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