Blue Jackets defeat Oilers for seventh straight victory

[December 14, 2016]  EDMONTON, Alberta -- The red-hot Columbus Blue Jackets scored three straight goals, two of them in the third period, to post a rare 3-1 road victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday for their seventh straight victory

The Blue Jackets usually struggle in Edmonton, winning only six of their previous 26 visits, but were too much for the Oilers and are off to the best start in franchise history (18-5-4).

Cam Atkinson and Matt Calvert scored 1:36 apart midway through the third period to blow open a 1-1 game. Sam Gagner also scored for Columbus.

Tyler Pitlick scored for the Oilers (15-12-5), who are 3-4-4 in their last 11.

Pitlick's seventh of the season gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead 10:06 into the first period, and the Oilers thought they had a second when a shot off Zack Kassian's leg went past Sergei Bobrovsky (33 saves) a few minutes later, but the goal was called back because of goaltender interference.

Edmonton lost its timeout and coach's challenge trying to get the call overturned, which would come back to haunt the Oilers in the second.

Ex-Oiler Gagner used his skate to redirect a puck past Cam Talbot at 7:59 of the second. It was questionable whether he made a kicking motion, but Edmonton was powerless to launch an appeal. The power-play goal tied it 1-1.

The NHL's No.1 power play struck again in the third when Atkinson scored on the man advantage at 7:10. Calvert scored at 8:46 to put it out of reach.

The Oilers, playing their 10th game in 17 days, had nothing left in the third, and didn't register a shot in the first 13 minutes of the period.

 Oilers forward Tyler Pitlick (15) scores a first period goal against Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergi Bobrovsky (72) at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

Edmonton received a four-minute power play late in the first period and into the second when Jack Johnson was sent off for high sticking Connor McDavid, but replays revealed it was teammate Milan Lucic who struck the Oilers captain the face.

NOTES: Jackets LW Nick Foligno returned to the lineup after missing two games with a stomach disorder. ... The Oilers, who've played 23 games in the last 43 days, already played five more games than Columbus this season. ... Edmonton D Brandon Davidson made his return after missing the last 30 games with a shoulder injury. His arrival comes a day after the Oilers announced that D Darnell Nurse will miss three months after surgery to repair bone and ligament damage in his ankle. ... Columbus RW Sam Gagner, who spent the end of last season in the minors after clearing waivers, is on pace for the best season of his career with 21 points in his first 26 games.

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