Oilers Lose 4th in Row on Road, 5-2

The Edmonton Oilers’ long-awaited vacation--four days of rest and recreation--begins today at Phoenix. It probably should have started last Sunday.

The time off was to be a reward following a tough four-game trip. Instead, it figures to be a wake.

With Wayne Gretzky failing to make a point for the second game in a row, the Oilers were trounced by the Washington Capitals, 5-2, Friday night at Landover, Md. For the first time in three years, the Oilers lost their fourth game in a row.

The games haven’t really been close, either. In losses at Winnipeg, New Jersey, Pittsburgh and Landover, the Oilers, the best offensive team in the National Hockey League, have been outscored, 19-8.

Mike Gartner scored his club-record sixth short-handed goal of the season to lead the Capitals to their fourth straight victory and into a tie for third place with the New York Rangers in the Patrick Division.

Gartner, a 50-goal scorer in 1984-85, scored only 10 goals in his first 42 games this season. But he now has 23 in the last 18 games.

The Capitals had the game under control all the way, outshooting the Oilers, 38-17. Goalie Pete Peeters posted his seventh win in a row.