Oilers Gameday – Vs. Predators

The Edmonton Oilers have played every team in the west this season except for one, the Nashville Predators. Tonight, that changes as Edmonton and Nashville open their three game season series at Rogers Place. Tonight also marks the end of Edmonton’s six game home stand.

The Predators, like Florida on Wednesday, will be playing in their second game in as many nights tonight after a victory in Calgary on Thursday. The Oilers, meanwhile, will be opening a back-to-back set which will conclude tomorrow night in Calgary against the Flames.

Cam Talbot gets the start for the Oilers, while Pekka Rinne goes for the Predators.

Keys To The Game:

Edmonton: The Oilers need a good start tonight against this Nashville team. The Predators scored the first four goals last night in Calgary and have recently been better at the start of the game than the end of it. A good start and an early lead will put the Oilers in a good spot to earn two points tonight.

Nashville: The Predators have to find a way to impede the Oilers in the neutral zone. Edmonton has struggled in this area as of late, and nearly lost the game on Wednesday because of their ineffectiveness there. If Nashville can get the Oilers to turn the puck over, they’ll be set up nicely to take this game.

Players To Watch:

Edmonton: Jordan Eberle broke his slump with a huge goal against the Panthers, but can he take the next step and contribute more consistently? Eberle has been pretty good against Nashville throughout his career, so the opportunity will be there tonight. He’s worth keeping an eye on.

Nashville: PK Subban, after a 16 game absence, returns to the lineup tonight for the Predators. PK likely will need some time to regain his form after the lengthy break, but he’s such a dynamic player that you have to always be aware of him. I love watching PK and will be keeping my eyes on him tonight.

The Lines:

After being a late scratch due to illness on Wednesday, Matt Benning will return to the lineup tonight. He’s expected to replace Eric Gryba, who struggled against the Panthers. Up front, Jujhar Khaira will be out for the foreseeable future and Anton Lander was recalled from the AHL.

Edmonton Oilers Lines:

Patrick Maroon – Connor McDavid – Leon Draisaitl

Benoit Pouliot – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Jordan Eberle

Milan Lucic – Drake Caggiula – Anton Slepyshev

Matt Hendricks – Mark Letestu – Zack Kassian

Oscar Klefbom – Adam Larsson

Andrej Sekera – Kris Russell

Brandon Davidson – Matt Benning

Cam Talbot

Nashville Predators Lines:

Filip Forsberg – Ryan Johansen – Viktor Arvidsson

Calle Jarnkrok – Mike Ribeiro – James Neal

Austin Watson – Mike Fisher – Craig Smith

Cody McLeod – Derek Grant – Harry Zolnierczyk

Mattias Ekholm – PK Subban

Matt Irwin – Ryan Ellis

Anthony Bitetto – Yannick Weber

Pekka Rinne

Game Notes:

The Oilers have enjoyed a lot of success this season against the central division, posting an 8-1-2 record. The lone regulation loss came back on November 11th when the team hosted the Dallas Stars. The Oilers have already completed a regular season sweep of one team in the central, the Winnipeg Jets.

Edmonton has also collected points in 12 of their last 15 games, with ten of those decisions being victories. The club is looking for its second five game winning streak of the season and its first since October’s early run.

The Predators have made some roster changes lately, claiming Derek Grant off waivers from Buffalo and acquiring Cody McLeod from the Colorado Avalanche for an AHL roster player.

Prediction:

Edmonton has had some success against Pekka Rinne the last couple of years, but overall the club has struggled against Nashville this decade (shocking, I know). Tonight, a tired and inconsistent Preds team gives Edmonton a chance to flip the script.

I think the Oilers complete the home stand with five straight wins, topping a tired Nashville team 3-1. Maroon, Eberle and Pouliot get the tallies for Edmonton, while James Neal gets the lone goal for the Predators.