After a no good, very bad loss on Sunday in Edmonton, the Oilers look to go up 3-1 and put a stranglehold on the series tonight.
Game three was an absolute roller coaster of emotions, with Anaheim racking up a 3-0 lead before the first period was even over. Thankfully, Patrick Maroon (the man who is still collecting salary from the Ducks) popped one in before the period ended.
The Oilers went on to score two more in the second to tie up the game. By this point, Rogers Place was electric, and the Oilers were pouring on the pressure. To the dismay of the city of Edmonton, the Ducks netted three consecutive goals to finish out the game at 6-3.
It was a sloppy performance for the most part. It wasn’t Cam Talbot’s best game, but he can’t be relied upon to single-handedly carry this team to victory every night. The skaters in front of him weren’t exactly flawless, either.
Although his numbers weren’t bad (56.52 shot attempt % at 5v5), Darnell Nurse had a rough night to my eye. He was guilty of several poor decisions when he wasn’t under pressure, one that led directly to a goal against. He’s an excellent puck rusher and has a lot of physical tools, but I do wonder about his overall hockey sense sometimes.
Projected Lineups
Edmonton
Patrick Maroon – Connor McDavid – Leon Draisaitl
Milan Lucic – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Jordan Eberle
Drake Caggiula – Mark Letestu – Zack Kassian
Benoit Pouliot – David Desharnais – Anton Slepyshev
Oscar Klefbom – Adam Larsson
Andrej Sekera – Kris Russell
Darnell Nurse – Matt Benning
Starting Goalie: Cam Talbot
Anaheim
Rickard Rakell – Ryan Getzlaf – Corey Perry
Andrew Cogliano – Ryan Kesler – Jakob Silfverberg
Nick Ritchie – Antoine Vermette – Ondrej Kase
Chris Wagner – Nate Thompson – Logan Shaw
Cam Fowler – Sami Vatanen
Hampus Lindholm – Brandon Montour
Shea Theodore – Josh Manson
Staring Goalie: John Gibson
No sign of Patrick Eaves on the ice for Ducks practice. Corey Perry is taking rushes with Ryan Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell.
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) May 2, 2017
Patrick Eaves is doubtful for tonight after blocking a shot in game three, so look for Ondrej Kase to draw into the lineup for Anaheim. Corey Perry moving up the lineup takes away from the Ducks’ depth, which could potentially lead to some favourable matchups for the Oilers.
Looks like Todd McLellan’s lineup will remain the same for Edmonton, barring any last minute changes. There has been some conversation as to whether TMac should split up the trio of Lucic, Nuge and Eberle, so we’ll see if anything comes of that. Our own WheatNOil presented a case for why McLellan could opt to split up the Nuge line, so take a look at that here if you haven’t already.
Keys to the Game
START. BETTER. PLEASE. The boys in orange started game three in a horrible way, with Rickard Rakell scoring on a well-placed shot just 25 seconds into the game. The Oilers then proceeded to let in two more goals before they could stem the bleeding. This team can’t get themselves into a hole early tonight, or they risk completely wasting the advantage of playing on home ice.
Power play potency. The Oilers failed to capitalize on three power play opportunities on Sunday. It’ll go a long way if they can take advantage of the man advantage against a team that has struggled on the PK throughout the postseason.
Players to Watch
Cam Talbot. Look for Dadbot to have a bounce back performance, as we’ve rarely seen him post back-to-back poor outings. I expect he’ll be back to his usual rock-solid self tonight.
Anton Slepyshev. The Russian winger has been opening some eyes lately with his rambunctious play. He’s got two goals in his last four games. I’d love to see this guy get a chance on McDavid’s wing.
Connor McDavid. He scored a beautiful goal on Sunday where he (not literally) broke Sami Vatanen’s ankles. It was good to see him darting through the neutral zone the way we’ve grown so accustomed to. I have a feeling tonight will be one of those nights when we see a generational talent impose his will on the Ducks like the force of nature that he is.
Prediction
4-2 Oilers. Talbot holds down the fort. Lucic, McDavid and RNH score, with Draisaitl getting the empty netter and Connor notching three points. Silfverberg continues his goal streak for the Ducks, and Getzlaf grabs his sixth of the post season.
Enjoy the game!
You can find me on Twitter @SullivanJLarson
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