Music: {allcanada} Oilers top Predators to end six-game skid

Sunday, January 26, 2014

{allcanada} Oilers top Predators to end six-game skid

The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2 - Justin Timberlake

EDMONTON -- Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle each had two points, helping the Edmonton Oilers snap a six-game winless skid Sunday night in a 5-1 victory against the Nashville Predators at Rexall Place.

Hall set up Jordan Eberle's goal, then added an assist on Ryan Smyth's power-play marker in the second period.

Justin Schultz, Nail Yakupov and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored the others for the Oilers.

David Legwand scored for the Predators, who are winless in their past two games.

They went into the contest having won four of their previous six games. They had two goals waved off against the Oilers.

Ben Scrivens made 34 saves to record his first win with Edmonton; Predators goalie Carter Hutton made 22 stops in the loss.

Schultz opened the scoring 2:59 into the first period, taking a feed from Jesse Joensuu in front and lifting a shot over Hutton.

Legwand tied the game at 15:25, breaking out on a 2-on-1 rush and snapping a shot past Scrivens.

Eberle restored the lead at 19:48 converting a cross-ice feed from Hall and tapping it past Hutton.

In the second, the Predators thought they had tied the game, but Taylor Beck was called for goaltender interference after bowling over Scrivens as the puck went into the net.

Smyth then went on to increase the Oilers' lead, scoring on the power play at 10:12. Smyth banged a rebound in past Hutton from the top of the crease. The goal was Smyth's 125th power-play goal with the Oilers, tying him for second in franchise history with Wayne Gretzky. Glenn Anderson holds the record with 126.

Yakupov made it 4-1 with his 10th goal of the season at 16:46. The Oilers left wing converted a Sam Gagner centering pass, firing it through Hutton.

The Predators had a number of quality opportunities to cut into the deficit in the second period on the power play, but were unable to beat Scrivens, making his third start for the Oilers since being acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings.

Craig Smith looked to have cut into the Oilers lead in the third period, converting off a scramble in front. However, Beck was again ruled to have interfered with Scrivens, lying on the Oilers goaltender as the puck was shot into the net.

Nugent-Hopkins added a fifth-goal for the Oilers, converting on the power play at 15:32. Nugent-Hopkins took a cross-crease pass from Eberle and lifted a shot over Hutton.

The Oilers travel to face the Vancouver Canucks on Monday; the Predators conclude their three-game road trip against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.

The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2 - Justin Timberlake