The Oilers are back in action tonight at the HP Pavilion SAP Center where they will face the Joe Thornton-less San Jose Sharks. (Thornton got hurt last week, but he says he’ll be ready for the playoffs.) What’s on the line tonight? HOME ICE ADVANTAGE in the playoffs.
In case you were wondering, that’s not something the Oilers have had since 1991. It has been 84 26 years since the Oilers started a playoff series at home. That’s a lifetime for most of the guys on the team, and almost a lifetime for this writer.
I still think we’re in the upside down, and I’m just looking for Barb.
Keys to the Game
Edmonton
- Jump on the Sharks early and don’t let go. Tuesday’s game in LA was Not Good, and even though the Oilers scored 4 goals, the Kings scored 6 and the Oilers looked Bad. Considering it was against a non-playoff team, that’s not promising.
- Keep the lanes in front of Talbot clear so he can see the puck. Might be easier for him to stop the puck. Maybe.
San Jose
- Get on the scoreboard first, and don’t let up. The Oilers have shown that they can be beat, and the Sharks could use a win to get themselves back on track.
- Don’t let Connor get behind the defence. He’s too fast and too good and that’s almost a sure thing.
Players to Watch
Edmonton
- Connor. I don’t really need to get into it, do I?
- Leon Draisaitl is on a hot streak (11-game point streak, in fact) and it has been a delight to watch him play this season. He’s big and strong and is the perfect compliment to Connor McDavid.
San Jose
- Patrick Marleau is my favourite Shark and always has been. I want him to win the Stanley Cup more than anyone else (yes, even including he-who-shall-not-be-named) in the NHL because he’s old and is going to retire one of these days.
Projected Lineups
Edmonton
Patrick Maroon – Connor McDavid – Leon Draisaitl
Milan Lucic – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Jordan Eberle
Benoit Pouliot – David Desharnais – Zack Kassian
Drake Caggiula – Mark Letestu – Iiro Pakarinen
Oscar Klefbom – Adam Larsson
Andrej Sekera – Kris Russell
Darnell Nurse – Matt Benning
Cam TalBot
San Jose
Melker Karlsson – Joe Pavelski – Kevin Labanc
Joonas Donskoi – Patrick Marleau – Joel Ward
Jannick Hansen – Tomas Hertl – Mikkel Boedker
Marcus Sorensen – Chris Tierney – Micheal Haley
Paul Martin – Brent Burns
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Justin Braun
Brenden Dillon – David Schlemko
Martin Jones
Notes
If the Oilers win the rest of their games and Anaheim only picks up 2 points in their last 2 games, the Oilers will win their division.
Just imagine that…. the Edmonton Oilers could be division champions for the first time in a million years.
Home ice.
What a world.
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