Edmonton hand Avalanche first home loss, 5-3

DENVER, — Ryan Potulny and Dustin Penner scored two of Edmonton's four power-play goals and also had assists, and the Oilers handed the Colorado Avalanche their first home loss of the season, 5-3 on Sunday night.

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Edmonton Oilers defenseman Taylor Chorney, right, is tended to by an unidentified trainer after Chorney used his head to stop a shot against the Colorado Avalanche in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Denver on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009.

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Patrick O'Sullivan and Tom Gilbert added power-play goals, Andrew Cogliano also scored, and Nikolai Khabibulin (7-7-1) made 34 saves to help Edmonton (8-8-1) end a three-game losing streak. The Oilers were 4 for 7 on the power play

Marek Svatos, T.J. Hensick and David Jones scored for Colorado, and Craig Anderson made 27 saves. The Avalanche (12-4-2), tied for NHL lead with San Jose with 26 points, opened the season with six straight home wins.

Potulny converted a cross-ice pass from Gilbert to put the Oilers ahead 4-2 at 4:44 of the third period, but Jones answered for Colorado at 7:27 when Khabibulin was caught away from the crease. Cogliano finished the scoring with 3:20 to go.

Edmonton converted its first three power-play opportunities to take a 3-1 lead into the first intermission.

Comrie sent a backhander past Anderson 23 seconds into a boarding penalty on Svatos, who then tied it for the Avalanche at the 8-minute mark.

Gilbert's slap shot from the slot through a screen and between Anderson's pads gave Edmonton the lead at 14:48, while Ryan Wilson was off for a delay-of-game penalty.

Penner beat Anderson with 58 second left in the period to make it 3-1.

Hensick cut it to 3-2 with a rebound goal at 4:46 of the second period.

NOTES: Edmonton D Ladislav Smid was held out with the flu. ... LW Liam Reddox and C Ryan Potulny were in uniform for the Oilers after being recalled from Springfield of the AHL on Saturday. ... The Avalanche penalty kill ranked second in the NHL entering the game. ... Colorado D Scott Hannan left the game midway through the second period because of a bloody nose. He returned at the start of the third period. ... Anderson shut out the Oilers 3-0 on Oct. 27 in Edmonton.