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 Colorado has won eight of nine, including five straight at home. The Avalanche own the division lead outright for the first time since Dec. 18.
Peter Budaj had a relatively light night, stopping 23 shots. He started over Jose Theodore thanks to his stellar record against the Oilers. Budaj is 5-0 this season and 9-1-2 in 12 career appearances against Edmonton.
The Oilers, who had won three straight overtime games, are 1-5 against Colorado this season with two games left to play.
Jeff Finger, David Jones and Wojtek Wolski also scored for Colorado. Sam Gagner accounted for Edmonton's lone goal.
Joe Sakic had an assist on Arnason's power-play goal in the second period, leaving him two shy of becoming only the 11th NHL player with 1,000 career assists.
Hlinka and Arnason scored early in the second, giving Colorado a 3-0 lead and chasing Mathieu Garon from the game just 4:26 into the period. He had 11 saves before giving way to Dwayne Roloson.
Hlinka stole the puck near the blue line and beat Garon with a wrist shot 18 seconds into the second period.
It was the quickest goal to start a period this season for the Avalanche, eclipsing Ryan Smyth's mark of 19 seconds on Dec. 1 at Los Angeles.
Finger scored his seventh goal with 1:08 remaining in the first period when he beat Garon with a slap shot.
The banged-up Avalanche were without forwards Peter Forsberg and Smyth, and defensemen Jordan Leopold and Adam Foote.
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Smyth missed his sixth straight game due to a concussion and a shoulder injury, and Forsberg sat out his third with a strained groin.
Leopold is recovering from a head injury sustained in Dallas when he took a blow from Steve Ott. The NHL suspended Ott three games for the hit.
Foote has missed three of four games due to a hip injury.
Colorado had Ruslan Salei back on the ice after he sat out a game after taking a punch to the right eye against Dallas. He had his 23rd assist of the season on Arnason's goal.
Notes: Oilers F Andrew Cogliano will send his stick to the Hockey Hall of Fame after becoming the first NHL player to score an overtime goal in three straight games. The rookie will also donate his gloves at the end of the season. ... Edmonton D Joni Pitkanen was a scratch due to an illness. ... Colorado is 17-2-2 in March the last two seasons. The team set a franchise record with 11 wins last March. ... Jones has two goals and two assists in two games. ... Arnason has four goals and three assists against the Oilers this season.
[Associated Press; By PAT GRAHAM]
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
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