Oilers Gameday – Vs. Ducks

Hell week ends tonight. It’s the end of the toughest stretch of hockey during this 2014-15 season for the Edmonton Oilers. After splitting a home and home with the Sharks and losing a game to the Ducks on Wednesday, Edmonton concludes their stretch with a home date against those dreaded Ducks.

The Oilers will be without defender Nikita Nikitin and center Boyd Gordon tonight, and could be without defender Mark Fayne, who left the morning skate early today. The Ducks will be without forward Corey Perry tonight, who is expected to miss a few weeks with an injury. Ben Lovejoy, who had missed some time, returns to the lineup tonight.

Viktor Fasth starts tonight for the Oilers, while Frederick Andersen gets the go again for the Ducks.

Last Games and Last Meeting:

The Oilers and Ducks each played their last games against each other in a game where the Ducks dominated for the most part. Anaheim came out early and carried the pace of play, dominating the shot clock and getting the better of the chances. They were rewarded on a power-play as Matt Beleskey scored his team leading 14th goal of the season.

The Oilers came out much stronger in the second period and actually carried the play for a little bit, but Taylor Hall got caught defensively, allowing Ryan Kesler to get a break away and beat Viktor Fasth at the 10:26 mark to put the Ducks up two. Edmonton got a goal early in the third off of a turn over and a beautiful Ryan Nugent-Hopkins shot, but it wouldn’t mean much.

The Ducks shut things down, and Andersen stood tall, cementing a 2-1 Ducks win.

Keys To The Game:

Edmonton: All hands on deck tonight for the Oilers right from the start. In my mind, the Ducks are the best team in hockey, and if Edmonton wants a chance, they’ll need to bring it from the opening puck drop. The Oilers do have some offensive talent, and the Ducks are banged up. If they come out strong early, they may be able to snag this game.

Anaheim: Honestly, just show up. The Ducks are the best team in hockey, and the Oilers are a team that just can’t get anything right. If Anaheim shows up and just plays to their game plan, they will walk out of here with a victory by multiple goals.

Players To Watch:

Edmonton: Oilers forward David Perron has two goals in his last three games and has been playing very well recently. Perron has a chip on his shoulder, and knows he might be playing for a trade. I’ll say Perron’s work gets rewarded again tonight, and he gets another goal in what has been a strong weak for the gritty forward.

Anaheim: Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano has been sensational since a trade from Edmonton occurred a few summers ago. Cogliano has blinding speed and some real offensive ability, oh, and he has the ex-Oiler curse that always seems to work. Cogliano has been quiet the last few meetings between the teams, and is due for a bit of a break-out. I’ll say he snags a goal against his old mates.

Quick Hits:

Edmonton has lost 17 of their last 20 games, falling into 30th place in the NHL. Both Nikitin and Gordon are suffering from back injuries, and are “not close” according to Dallas Eakins. The Oilers won the last meeting between the teams at Rexall Place in April, a 4-2 decision where Taylor Hall, David Perron, Justin Schultz and Jordan Eberle all scored.

The Lines:

Edmonton Oilers Lines:

Taylor Hall – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Tyler Pitlick

Nail Yakupov – Leon Draisaitl – Jordan Eberle

David Perron – Mark Arcobello – Teddy Purcell

Luke Gazdic – Matt Hendricks – Steve Pinizzotto

Oscar Klefbom – Mark Fayne

Andrew Ference – Jeff Petry

Brandon Davidson – Justin Schultz

Viktor Fasth

Anaheim Ducks Lines:

Rene Bourque – Ryan Getzlaf – Devante Smith-Pelly

Matt Beleskey – Ryan Kesler – Kyle Palmieri

Andrew Cogliano – Rickard Rakell – Jakob Silfverberg

Patrick Maroon – Nate Thompson – Tim Jackman

Ben Lovejoy – Cam Fowler

Hampus Lindholm – Colby Robak

Clayton Stoner – Sami Vatanen

Frederick Andersen