Oilers Gameday – @ Dallas

The Oilers are back in action tonight in Dallas, facing Ales Hemsky and the Stars.

This is the second game without Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who is having surgery on his broken hand as we speak (or maybe hours ago…. I got distracted while writing this). Andrew Ference is also apparently having surgery on his hip, and will be out for the season.

Last Games

Edmonton

The Oilers Oilered pretty hard on Tuesday night, but no one was as Oilery as Robert Anders Nilsson, who gave up the game winner on a failed attempt at a poke check against, of all people, Brian Boyle.

Usually, when the Oilers score 4 goals, they’ll win. But on Tuesday, they scored 4 and Tampa scored 6 and it was not a brilliant outing by any account. Taylor Hall got benched at the end of the second period, and it must have worked, because he got an assist. You know, because he’s good at hockey and stuff.

Dallas

Don’t know. Probably a win? Maybe? (I mean, they’re 2nd in the Central, so they must have won, right?)

Jamie Benn probably scored, because he is also very good at hockey.

Keys to the Game

Edmonton

Just win. In regulation. Play smart like they did in Florida, and score more goals than the other team, and for the love of god get some pucks to the net through the slot.

Dallas

*shrugs* Do what they’ve been doing most of the season, because it’s quite obviously working for them. (Also, screen the goalie. Seems to work well.)

Players to Watch

Edmonton

Taylor Hall.

Rob Klinkhammer is back up, and is going to be skating with Eberle and Pouliot, so that should be an adventure.

Dallas

Patrick Sharp. Why? Why not. 😉

Projected Lineups

Edmonton (this is from morning skate, so who knows….)

Rob Klinkhammer – Benoit Pouliot – Jordan Eberle

Taylor Hall – Leon Draisaitl – Teddy Purcell

Matt Hendricks – Anton Lander – nail Yakupov

Zack Kassian – Mark Letestu – Iiro Pakarinen

Andrej Sekera – Mark Fayne

Brandon Davidson – Justin Schultz

Darnell Nurse – Eric Gryba

Cam Talbot

Dallas

Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Patrick Sharp

Valeri Nichushkin – Cody Eakin – Jason Spezza

Antoine Roussel – Mattias janmark – Ales Hemsky

Colton Sceviour – Vernon Fiddler – Patrick Eaves

Alex Goligoski – John Klingberg

Johnny Oduya – Jason Demers

Esa Lindell – Jyrki Jokipakka

Antti Niemi

Final Thoughts

Stepping away from the Oilers for a minute…

When I get all wrapped up in my team because of whatever reason, I sometimes forget that they are not, in fact, gods. They are men, and men are fallible, and it will do us well to remember that fact.

I saw this today on Twitter, and I read through and I’m horrified. If what’s there is true, the league and the Blackhawks need to take a stand and do something about this.

(I don’t want to get into specifics, because this maybe isn’t the place, but the NHL is a league I have chosen to support, however indirectly, through watching my team. And it stings a bit to know that the league does not, in fact, care about the brand they’re selling. If they did, things would be different.)

Click that link above, and then click this one, if for nothing more than perspective.