Tonight, a much-maligned former Oiler makes his return to Edmonton a Stanley Cup champion. Justin Schultz, an Oilers defenceman with Norris potential from 2013-2016 is back to play his first game in Edmonton, against the team whose fans ran him out of town last season.
“I have nothing bad to say about Edmonton. I needed a new start.I was fortunate getting traded to Pittsburgh. I’m having fun again.” Schultz
— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) March 10, 2017
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On top of Schultz’s return (for which there may or may not be a tribute video), there’s some significance to tonight’s tilt, as the Oilers need to win in order to stay ahead of the surging Flames. The Oilers 10-point lead on their provincial rivals has disappeared, and they need to make the most of this lengthy homestand to regain some of that advantage.
Keys to the Game
Edmonton
- Better starts. Last game, against the Islanders, the Oilers came out flat and were unable to really get any traction. Instead of being scored on in the first few minutes of a game, it’d be a lot better if the Oilers did the scoring.
- Get the puck to Connor, but only if he’s going to shoot.
- Dont’ take any bad penalties, which will be hard because Benoit Pouliot is back in the lineup.
Pittsburgh
- Just keep rolling. The Pens are riding a three-game win streak as they make their way to Rogers Place, and they have arguable the best 1-2 punch at C in the league. They’re a good club and they don’t need to do much more to keep winning.
- Try to outmatch the Oilers. Having to make the first change hampers this a bit, but if the Penguins can put together some line combos that challenge the Oilers high flyers, it’s going to be a pretty good game.
Players to Watch
Edmonton
- Connor McDavid is the best player in a generation. The stuff he does on the ice is mostly magical, and it’s obvious he’s jsut getting started. He’s already the fastest guy on the ice any night, and as he grows into his skill a bit more, it’s going to be a joy to watch.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyBsGYaQGhs]
Pittsburgh
- Sidney Crosby is the best player from the last ‘generation’, and is arguably the best in the league right now. He’s strong on the puck and there isn’t much he can’t do. Watching Sid score seemingly impossible goals is still fun, and it’s been good to see that he’s come back from the concussion he suffered early in the season.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE9qng8DBnQ]
Projected Lineups
Edmonton
Patrick Maroon – Connor McDavid – Leon Draisaitl
Milan Lucic – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Jordan Eberle
Benoit Pouliot – David Desharnais – Zack Kassian
Matt Hendricks – Mark Letestu – Iiro Pakarinen
Oscar Klefbom – Adam Larsson
Andrej Sekera – Kris Russell
Darnell Nurse – Matt Benning
Cam TalBot
Pittsburgh
Chris Kunitz – Crosby – Conor Sheary
Carl Hagelin – Evgeni Malkin – Phil Kessel
Scott Wilson – Nick Bonino – Jake Guentzel
Carter Rowney – Matt Cullen – John Kuhnhackl
Brian Dumoulin – Justin Schultz
Mark Streit – Ron Hainsey
Ian Cole – Chad Ruhwedel
Matt Murray
Notes
The Oilers enter tonight’s game with 78 points. This is more than they’ve had in any single season since 2008-09, and they still have 16 games left.
There’s a very good chance that they make the playoffs, but it’s not a certainty yet. The projected cutoff is about 90 points, and the Oilers only need to win 6 of their remaining 16 to hit that mark.
Point projections over the past fortnight. pic.twitter.com/nAQpDFaWHN
— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) March 10, 2017
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For the first time in a long time, playoffs are a real possibility. 6/16 (a mere 0.375 win %) is all they need to get to that threshold. It seems like it should be manageable, but the rest of their schedule should be a pretty good test of whether or not they can win multiple games against the same team. Among others, they have 3 games against LA, 3 against Vancouver, 2 against each of San Jose and Anaheim, and a home-and-home with Colorado.
The games against the Sharks and Ducks will most likely be the most important in terms of the standings, as giving up points to either team puts the Oilers playoff position in jeopardy.
As The Rock says in the most recent trailer for The Fate of the Furious: Hold onto your butts.
This stretch is going to be a wild ride. (Hopefully no torpedos, though.)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeKBMdYaM3U]Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
