Edmonton returns home to Rogers Place tonight after a challenging 5 game road trip. Their last game against the Penguins was a heartbreaker that saw the Oilers drop the game in the dying minutes of regulation, due to a bad bounce that went off Pouliot’s stick and into his own net. The Oilers were in the game through all 3 periods and although it was a difficult loss to swallow, there are still some positives to take away from this road trip. Edmonton finished the 5 game stretch with 5 of a possible 10 points, and technically played .500 hockey (if you don’t count the OT losses). They still sit 1st in the Pacific Division with a 2 point lead on Annaheim and 2nd overall in the Western Conference. I don’t need to point out to anyone that this is a huge improvement from previous years, and if this team remains competitive, a spot in the playoffs is still very much a possibility.
Tonight, the Oilers take on the Dallas Stars. The game is on at 7pm MT and you can catch the action on Sportsnet West.
Keys to the Game:
Edmonton: The Oilers powerplay has finally started clicking, and Connor McDavid has broken out of his mini-slump. Edmonton will need offense out of the other lines tonight as the only line that seemed to be generating goals against the Penguins was McDavid’s line. The team has had a bad habit lately of coming out of the gate slow and playing from behind. They need to solve that issue against the Stars and an early lead would help immensely.
Dallas: The Stars have struggled out of the gate and sit 2nd last in the Central Division. They only have 5 wins this year (there last win coming against Calgary last night) and are having trouble with even strength scoring. If they can play a disciplined game and draw the Oilers into taking penalties it will make things much easier on them. They’ll need to pace themselves on this back to back and will be relying heavily on their goalie. Niemi is expected to get the start, and comes in with a .892 save percentage, so the Stars will need their goaltending to step it up a notch against the potent offense of the Oilers.
Players to Watch:
Oilers: McDavid had a great outing against the Penguins and notched 3 points after a brief dry spell. He’s well rested and I’m guessing he’ll be flying tonight. Patrick Maroon had a big game as well and he and Eberle have both looked rejuvenated after McLellan shook up the lines a bit. Eberle in particular interests me after he seemed to be snake bitten for a 6 or 7 game stretch. I’m curious if he’ll pot another goal tonight now that the monkey is off of his back.
Stars: I’ll be watching Niemi closely. He hasn’t exactly been a wall for Dallas, but it wouldn’t be the first time that a struggling goalie comes into Edmonton and stands on his head against the Oilers. Jamie Benn is another player to watch after having a strong game against the Flames in which he scored 2 goals. He’s been off to a somewhat slow start (for Benn, anyways) and only had 2 goals before last night’s win.
The Lines:
No lineup changes are expected for Edmonton, and the injured reserve list remains status quo (although Matt Hendricks did skate today). Talbot gets the start for the Oilers.
Lines courtesy of http://www.dailyfaceoff.com
Game Notes:
Tonight will be the 3rd game in 4 nights for Dallas (and the 2nd half of a back to back). Edmonton is well rested after having 2 days off and will need to pounce on a tired team early. The Stars only have 2 wins in the month of November (the first coming against the Blues back on Nov.3rd, and the last one against Calgary last night). This is a beatable team if the Oilers don’t try to get into a track meet with the Stars forwards, and play a structured game. The Oilers will need to close the gaps and limit the opposition’s time and space.
Prediction:
I’m hesitant to predict a win here, because every time I do the Oilers turn around and lose the game, but I have a good feeling about this one. It’s a game the Oilers “should” win in theory, so I’ll say they beat the stars 5-3.
Goals for the Oilers from McDavid (x2), Eberle, Pouliot, and RNH. Benn, Seguin, and Hamhuis tally for the Stars.
Enjoy the game, folks 🙂
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