Oilers top Predators in OT

Chris Pronger’s slap shot and the Edmonton Oilers’ power play both clicked at the right time.

Pronger got Edmonton even in the third period and then scored 4:17 into overtime to lift the Oilers to a 3-2 victory Sunday over the visiting Nashville Predators.

The defenseman netted both goals on the power play as Edmonton used three man-advantage tallies to win its second straight following a four-game losing streak.

“We want to keep teams back on their heels,” Pronger said.

Eighth-place Edmonton won three of four against Nashville to move to within four points of the Predators in the Western Conference postseason race.

“This is playoff hockey,” Edmonton coach Craig MacTavish said.

Blues 4, Canucks 1: At Vancouver, British Columbia, rookie Jay McClement had three assists to complete St. Louis’ unlikely season sweep of the Canucks.

Despite trailing Vancouver by 30 points in the Western Conference standings, the last-place Blues went 4-0 against the Canucks, outscoring them 16-4.

Wild 5, Avalanche 3: At St. Paul, Minn., Marian Gaborik’s short-handed goal in the third period helped Minnesota beat Colorado.

Wes Walz scored twice and Wild coach Jacques Lemaire earned his 400th NHL win.

Alex Tanguay had three assists for the Avalanche, who lost for the second time in two nights.

Stars 7, Blackhawks 2: At Chicago, Jason Arnott scored twice and Jere Lehtinen and Brenden Morrow each had a goal and two assists as Dallas extended its unbeaten streak against the Blackhawks to 13 games. The Stars have won two straight since.

Blue Jackets 3, Mighty Ducks 2 (SO): At Anaheim, Calif., Rick Nash scored the only goal of the shootout and Columbus ended a four-game losing streak with a victory over the Mighty Ducks.

The Blue Jackets had lost four straight, including the first three games on a four-game road trip that ended Sunday.

Carolina’s Cole out

Carolina left wing Erik Cole will miss at least the rest of the regular season with a compression fracture in a vertebra in his neck caused when he was driven headfirst into the boards by Pittsburgh’s Brooks Orpik during a 7-5 Hurricanes victory Saturday night.

Cole, tied for second on the team in scoring, will be out at least 6 to 8 weeks – a major loss for what currently is the team with the NHL’s best record. The Hurricanes have not ruled out Cole returning for the playoffs, which begin in mid-April.