Oilers Pregame vs Philadelphia: Hunter v Gritty, But Where’s The Phanatic?

The Oilers are back in action tonight as they host the Philadelphia Flyers just one day after playing the Jets in Winnipeg. Because Winnipeg doesn’t have an airport, the team had to drive 6 hours to Fargo to fly home, so they’re probably pretty tired.

Keys to the Game

Edmonton

• It’s a good thing this is a home game; the Oilers need to keep Hunter safe, because in a battle between Hunter and Gritty, we all know who wins.
• They played decent last night, but tired legs are tired legs and Philly did not play last night, so it’s going to be important for the Oilers to get the jump early.

Philadelphia

• Capitalize on the Oilers having played last night and get the first goal, and maybe another one.

Players to Watch

Edmonton

• Caleb Jones makes his NHL debut tonight, and slides into the lineup next to Kevin Gravel.
• Connor and Leon have been making a bit of magic lately and maybe that’ll happen again.

Philadelphia

• Claude Giroux quietly had an incredible season last year, and somehow manages to fly pretty well under the radar. He’s got 38 points in 29 games, and is tied for 13th in league scoring. Look for him to have an effect on the ice tonight.

Projected Lineups

Edmonton

Philadelphia

Notes

The NHL Christmas roster freeze is almost here which means that we might see Caleb Jones up with the big club for a while. Hopefully he gets the kind of minutes he needs and isn’t in over his head, though this seems like less of a concern since Ken Hitchcock took over.

Hopefully the Oilers can keep playing the way they have been, and taking more than 50% of the points away from each week. If they do that, who knows what’s possible.