Predators' struggles continue with loss to Oilers

The Nashville Predators probably can't wait to get back home, but they have one more stop to make before this frustrating road trip concludes.

Jordan Eberle had a goal and an assist as the Edmonton Oilers earned a 3-2 victory against the Preds at Rexall Place on Sunday.

Magnus Paajarvi and Lennart Petrell also scored for the Oilers (11-11-6), who have won three of their last four games.

"We've changed our style of play a little bit in these last four games, so it's good to see results," Oilers winger Taylor Hall said. "This was an important win."

Shea Weber and Roman Josi scored for Nashville (11-12-6), which has dropped the past three games of a five-game road trip that ends Tuesday at Columbus.

The Predators had the game's first good scoring chance seven minutes into the first period, but Oilers goalie Devan Dubnyk (29 saves) was able to rob Gabriel Bourque with a huge glove save.

Edmonton's best opportunity in the opening period came midway through as Eberle stole a puck deep in the Nashville zone for a breakaway, but wasn't able to get Predators goalie Pekka Rinne to bite on his deke attempt, the Oilers' first shot of the game.

Rinne finished with 18 saves.

"Tonight, we couldn't match the Oilers' desperation," Rinne said.

The Oilers broke a scoreless tie eight minutes into the second period as Eberle was able to flick the rebound from a power-play point shot to Paajarvi, who hooked it into a wide-open net for his sixth goal of the season.

The Predators tied the game on a power play of their own with just over three minutes to play in the second period as Weber ripped a point shot past Dubnyk to make it 1-1.

The Oilers restored the lead with nine minutes remaining in the third on a shorthanded goal, as Sam Gagner won a race to a lost puck to create a 2-on-1, dishing the pass off to Petrell, who beat Rinne with a quick one-timer for Edmonton's fourth shorthanded tally this season.

Edmonton got an insurance goal with four minutes left as Eberle was able to beat Rinne with a high shot from the top of the circle to make it 3-1. It was Eberle's seventh goal of the season and first since Feb. 23.

"It was nice to finally chip in with a goal again. It's been a while," Eberle said. "I'd been getting chances, but they weren't going in."

"I think we played a pretty good first two periods," said Josi, who made it a one-goal game at 19:50 of the third. "We really got on them and then in the third period, we just gave up two weak goals. That just can't happen. We're not finding ways to win games right now. We're finding ways to lose them. That's not good enough."

The Oilers -- 3-0-1 in their past four games -- next play host to the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday.

"There's been a different swagger," Edmonton coach Ralph Krueger said. "A different belief."

Material from wire services and team media was used in this report.