Antoine Vermette is having a career season with the Blue Jackets, but there will be no celebrating. For the first time in six seasons, Vermette's team will miss the Stanley Cup playoffs.

"I won't lie. It's a tough situation to be in," Vermette said. "I remember last season coming to Columbus (from Ottawa at the trade deadline). That was so much fun.

"I didn't have as many points at the end of the season, but it was a much more rewarding season."

Thanks to a big night by Vermette and Kristian Huselius, the Blue Jackets earned a 5-3 win last night over the Edmonton Oilers before 13,603 in Nationwide Arena, a showdown between the two worst clubs in the Western Conference.

It was a much-needed burst of skill, with captain Rick Nash out of the lineup because of lower body injuries and the stomach flu.

For Huselius, this is nothing new. He had one goal, three assists and a plus-3 rating, but he has been a proven point producer in the NHL for many seasons.

Vermette, on the other hand, is thriving in Columbus since the trade from Ottawa, where he struggled to crack the top six and most often played on the wing.

With one goal and two assists last night, he set a career high with 55 points. His 33 assists are a career high, and his 22 goals are three short of a personal high.

"My role has definitely increased here," Vermette said. "It's better quality minutes, more offensive hockey. I get to play with more gifted players, and it makes a big difference.

"I feel very, very comfortable at center. That's my natural position. I feel free there, like I can express myself and manage my speed better at center."

The Oilers could not check Vermette's line last night, even with checking winger Derek Dorsett subbing on the right wing for Nash.

The Oilers couldn't check the Blue Jackets' No.2 line, either. In a rare glimpse, the Blue Jackets got to flash some of their skill.

At 14:35 of the first period, Derick Brassard sent a cross-zone pass to Jake Voracek for a brilliant one-timer that Edmonton goaltender Devan Dubnyk couldn't cover.

The Blue Jackets' first period was their best period, but they never trailed.

"The worst thing you can do is compliment your team between periods," interim coach Claude Noel said, "because then we came out and got cute in the second period.

"We were loose at times when we needed to clamp down."

Chris Clark put the Blue Jackets up 2-1 at 4:30 of the second when he snapped a shot off Dubnyk's glove. This would be a recurring theme.

Only 40 seconds into the third period, the Blue Jackets' Marc Methot one-timed a feed from Vermette through Dubnyk, similar to Voracek's goal. It was 3-1.

"I had my eyes closed the whole time," Methot joked. "It was a great pass from Vermette. I just had to be ready."

The Oilers kept pushing back, but the Blue Jackets kept pulling away, thanks in part to Dubnyk's shoddy play.

Huselius put a slap shot off Dubnyk's glove into the net at 6:36 of the third period to make it 4-2, and Vermette scored an empty-net goal with 55 seconds left to cap the scoring.

"Vermy is one of those guys who plays really fast both ways," Huselius said. "He's working hard, and it's good to see him get rewarded like that."

aportzline@dispatch.com