EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- The Edmonton Oilers welcomed a Colorado Avalanche lineup missing Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic and prepared for easy pickings.

	Colorado's Chris Dury, right, gives Edmonton's Tom Poti some glove.

Alexander Selivanov scored his 18th goal of the season to help the Oilers beat the Avalanche 3-1 Wednesday night and snap a three-game losing streak.

"When we saw Forsberg was going to be out, nobody said it openly, but it was another boost in our direction," said Oilers center Boyd Devereaux, who had two assists. "You have to take advantage when those guys aren't in the lineup."

Forsberg sustained a hip pointer when slashed Tuesday night at Vancouver and is listed as day to day. Colorado was also without Sakic, who is out with a rib-cartilage strain.

The Avalanche were not using the absence of their teammates as an excuse.

"If they're not playing, we've got to play without them," said Chris Drury, who scored the only Avalanche goal.

However, goalie Marc Denis, who made 19 saves, admitted that playing without Forsberg and Sakic did not help the Colorado cause.

"Let's not kid ourselves, they're our two best players," Denis said. "We had a chance to take over first place in our division. But the effort wasn't the reason we lost the game."

Ryan Smyth and Bill Guerin also scored for the Oilers.

Drury opened the scoring 13:08 into the game when he lifted in a shot from the side of the net for his seventh of the season.

Smyth tied the game at 15:33 when he banged the puck in from the edge of the crease.

Selivanov gave Edmonton the lead at 15:14 of the second period when he jammed in a shot from the side of the net.

Guerin added an empty-net goal with 15 seconds left in the game to seal the victory.

"I think we played a good game," Oilers coach Kevin Lowe said. "It wasn't an exciting game that people like to see, but that's the style Colorado has played the last two weeks. We had to grind it out. The way they play is sort of the way Dallas plays, with five guys back."

Edmonton outshot Colorado 22-19.

Oilers defenseman Roman Hamrlik left with a hand injury early in the game and didn't return.