Oilers Gameday – Vs. Toronto

After two straight snoozers against Arizona, the Oilers return to the ice for the final game of this brief two game home stand tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. This is the second and final meeting between the sides this season, who met back on November 1st in Toronto.

The Oilers need to be better tonight, full-stop. They simply were not good enough on Friday or Sunday against a Coyotes team that is tied for dead last in the NHL. They made life too easy for Mike Smith and didn’t generate many quality chances. That simply cannot be the case tonight against a Toronto squad that, quite frankly, is weak defensively.

Cam Talbot gets the nod for Edmonton yet again, while Frederick Andersen will start for Toronto.

Keys To The Game:

Edmonton: The Oilers need to play physical tonight and make life difficult for Toronto’s skilled youngsters. Players like Milan Lucic, Patrick Maroon and Darnell Nurse need to make Matthews, Marner, JVR, Nylander and friends feel every play they make. If Edmonton can push the Leafs around tonight, they should be able to pick up two points.

Toronto: Playing a matchup game is huge for the Leafs. They’ll need to do their best to get guys like Nazem Kadri and Morgan Rielly out there against Connor McDavid. If they can do that while playing within their system, they’ll be in this game and have a chance to win.

Players To Watch:

Edmonton: Connor McDavid was held pointless in the first meeting, but he’s ready for this one. You know it, I know it, the Maple Leafs know it. McDavid is on a tear right now and was clearly frustrated after that November 1st game. I suspect he’ll put on a show tonight against his hometown team and in his first ever US National game.

Toronto: William Nylander didn’t play on Saturday and is slated to start on the fourth line tonight, but he’s my pick for the Calder so far and has been simply sensational for the Maple Leafs. I love watching him play, his skill game is incredible, and I look forward to seeing him up close against the Oilers.

The Lines:

Milan Lucic, as per Bob Stauffer, did not skate this morning at practice. That said, Jason Gregor reports over at OilersNation that, via Todd McLellan, Lucic is expected to play tonight. The lineup below reflects that. If that’s the case, Tyler Pitlick and Anton Slepyshev will be the healthy scratches up front along with defender Eric Gryba.

Edmonton Oilers Lines:

Milan Lucic – Connor McDavid – Jesse Puljujarvi

Patrick Maroon – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Jordan Eberle

Benoit Pouliot – Leon Draisaitl – Drake Caggiula

Matt Hendricks – Mark Letestu – Zack Kassian

Oscar Klefbom – Adam Larsson

Andrej Sekera – Kris Russell

Darnell Nurse – Matt Benning

Cam Talbot

Toronto Maple Leafs Lines:

James Van Riemsdyk – Tyler Bozak – Mitchell Marner

Zach Hyman – Auston Matthews – Connor Brown

Leo Komarov – Nazem Kadri – Nikita Soshnikov

Matt Martin – William Nylander – Ben Smith

Morgan Rielly – Nikita Zaitsev

Jake Gardiner – Connor Carrick

Matt Hunwick – Roman Polak

Frederick Andersen

Game Notes:

A win tonight would put the Oilers at 14 points for the month. With fifteen games on the slate, that would mean Edmonton left 16 points on the table. It’s not a great month, but considering all things a 14 point month wouldn’t be bad for this club. It also sets them up for a December in the chase, which is a nice change of pace.

Connor McDavid added yet another point on Sunday afternoon, giving him 29 on the season. Those 29 points have him all alone atop the NHL’s scoring chart, three points ahead of Tampa’s Nikita Kucherov. McDavid, as mentioned above, was held pointless in the first meeting, although I doubt that will be the case tonight.

Cam Talbot has started 21 of Edmonton’s 23 games this season. With another road trip coming up and a chance for some rest, I suspect Jonas Gustavsson will see a heavier workload during the month of December. I also wouldn’t rule out Laurent Brossoit getting a few looks.

Prediction:

After dropping two straight, the Oilers desperately need to get back into the win column to stay atop the Pacific Division. A home game against a young team with severe defensive issues SHOULD be just what the doctor ordered. I believe that’s exactly how things will play out.

Led by McDavid going supernova, the Oilers win this one 5-1, dominating the Maple Leafs. McDavid, Puljujarvi, Caggiula, Hendricks and Nurse score for Edmonton, while Brown gets the Leafs’ lone tally.