by Aaron Portzline, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH , The Columbus Dispatch

Pahlsson was a Duck for seven seasons before he was traded to Chicago in March. After signing as a free agent with the Blue Jackets this summer, he'll make his first appearance in the Honda Center as a visitor tonight.

It's going to be exciting, he said, but only to a point.

Pahlsson figures to match up frequently with Getzlaf's line, if the Blue Jackets get their wish.

"It's going to be tough," Pahlsson said. "I've never played against him, but I've seen what he can do and how good he is. "He's got that Rick Nash combination of being big and strong and skilled, which is really hard to play against."

Getzlaf had three goals, three assists and a plus-4 rating in four games against the Blue Jackets last season.

"Lots of memories here," said Pahlsson, who was on the Ducks' 2007 Stanley Cup winner. "But I have a big responsibility tonight."

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Tough way to lose

The Blue Jackets had a 4-1 lead midway though the second period Thursday at Edmonton. They had a sold-out crowd grousing and cursing.

But only 17 seconds after Jason Chimera gave the Jackets a three-goal lead, the Oilers began a stunning comeback. Dustin Penner and Ales Hemsky led the way to a 6-4 Oilers win.

Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock was cursing more than his luck even 24 hours later.

"When you have a 4-1 lead halfway through a Hockey game on the road, there's no reason you should give up the goals we gave up," Hitchcock said. "No reason.

"The goal that bothered me the most was the one right after we scored to go up 4-1, and then our response to them scoring was to take three minor penalties in a row. That really bothered me."

Kris Russell (high-sticking), Chimera (hooking) and Marc Methot (holding) went to the penalty box in the final 6:17 of the second period.

"We had them out of the game, and then we allowed them to get right back into it," Hitchcock said. "We allowed their best players to score that goal, and then we put their best players back out on the ice for power plays."

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Slap shots

Nash, the Blue Jackets' captain, was held without a shot on goal at Edmonton, only the sixth time that has happened in 245 games since the start of the 2006-07 season. ... Defenseman Fedor Tyutin has a minus-8 rating, tied with three others for the second worst in the NHL. Only defenseman Brendan Witt (minus-9) of the Islanders has a worse rating. ... The Ducks will be without right-winger Evgeny Artyukhin, who was suspended three games by the NHL for slew-footing Dallas defenseman Matt Niskanen.

aportzline@dispatch.com

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