Oilers 5, Avalanche 1
Sam Gagner collected a goal and two assists and Devan Dubnyk turned aside 33 shots as the Edmonton Oilers cruised to a 5-1 road triumph over the reeling Colorado Avalanche on Saturday in a battle of Northwest Division rivals.
Andrew Cogliano recorded a shorthanded goal, Ryan Jones and captain Shawn Horcoff also tallied and Alexandre Giroux netted his first goal of the season as Edmonton (23-35-8) won its third straight and seventh in 10 outings.
With the win, the Oilers secured their 54th point of the season to move past the Ottawa Senators (22-34-9, 53 points) and out of the NHL's basement.
Gagner opened the scoring at 4:19 of the first period with his 15th of the season and second in as many games. Jones doubled the advantage nearly five minutes later and Horcoff and Giroux tallied nearly eight minutes apart in the second to essentially seal the win.
The offense was more than enough for Dubnyk, who recorded his second win over the Avalanche in 10 days. The 24-year-old Saskatchewan native turned aside 38 shots in a 5-1 triumph on Feb. 23.
Ryan O'Reilly collected his sixth goal of the season late in the second period for Colorado (26-31-8), which has dropped five straight and 15 of 16 (1-13-2).
Brian Elliott permitted four goals on 19 shots before being relieved by Peter Budaj, who finished with 11 saves.