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Devan Dubnyk tampers with another tussle of top picks

Devan Dubnyk, Tyler Seguin

Edmonton Oilers goalie Devan Dubnyk, right, reaches to cover the shot as Boston Bruins center Tyler Seguin looks for a rebound during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Boston, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

AP

Earlier this season, Devan Dubnyk (sort of) ruined a match between the first two picks of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft with his great play. He also (sort of) spoiled a battle of the top picks of 2010 tonight, but this time around, the Edmonton Oilers aren’t as pleased with the results.

It’s still fair to say that Tyler Seguin “beat” Taylor Hall tonight - and not just because the Boston Bruins notched a 6-3 win. Sure, Hall assisted Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on a nice goal in the first period, but Seguin had two points in the second. Seguin earned the individual and team accolades for at least one game.

Dubnyk’s struggles are probably a bigger story to the Oilers, though. The over-sized goalie dropped to 2-4 on the season, with his last two appearances being the most troubling. He’s allowed nine goals in those two defeats, pushing his 2011-12 results below his numbers from last season (in a much smaller sample, of course).

Oilers fans might wave off those worries because Nikolai Khabibulin is still putting up amazing results, but at 38 years old, “The Bulin Wall” can only stand up to so much. It’s easy to fall in love with a matchup like Seguin vs. Hall - especially since it really extends to Seguin/Brad Marchand vs. Hall/RNH - but the Oilers will need more from their backup if they want to avoid being a fad on skates.