![\"Oilers](\"http:\/\/wp.usatodaysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/95\/2018\/02\/img_1293.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe Oilers are back in action tonight as they take on the Western Conference leading Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In the two previous meetings between the clubs, the Oilers have won both games and outscored Vegas 11-4.<\/p>\n
Those games don’t tell the real story, though.<\/p>\n
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What’s true is that the Vegas Golden Knights are a pretty good team, and the Oilers aren’t.<\/p>\n
The Oilers have played under 0.500 for most of the season, while the Golden Knights have winning records at home and away.<\/p>\n
Vegas is 24-7-1 against the West, while the Oilers have won 10 fewer in-conference games.<\/p>\n
The only place the Oilers are close to Vegas is in the division record, where they are an astounding 10-5-0 (VGK is 13-1-1, with both losses at the hands of the Oilers).<\/p>\n
With 78 points in 56 games, it’s entirely possible that Vegas currently has more points than the Oilers will end up with.<\/p>\n
On paper, this game isn’t close.<\/p>\n
Edmonton<\/span><\/p>\n Vegas<\/span><\/p>\n Edmonton<\/span><\/p>\n Vegas<\/span><\/p>\n Edmonton<\/span><\/p>\n Patrick Maroon – Connor McDavid – Ryan Strome<\/p>\n Milan Lucic – Leon Draisaitl – Michael Cammalleri<\/p>\n Anton Slpyshev – Jujhar Khaira – Jesse Puljujarvi<\/p>\n Iiro Pakarinen – Mark Letestu – Zack Kassian<\/p>\n Darnell Nurse – Brandon Davidson<\/p>\n Oscar Klefbom – Kris Russell<\/p>\n Yohann Auvitu – Matt Benning<\/p>\n Cam Talbot<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Vegas<\/span><\/p>\n Reilly Smith – William Karlsson – Jonathan Marchessault<\/p>\n David Perron – Erik Haula – James Neal<\/p>\n Oscar Lindberg – Cody Eakin – Alex Tuch<\/p>\n Tomas Nosek – Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – Ryan Carpenter<\/p>\n Brayden McNabb – Nate Schmidt<\/p>\n Deryk Engelland – Shea Theodore<\/p>\n Colin Miller – Brad Hunt<\/p>\n Marc-Andre Fleury<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Andrej Sekera is on injured reserve.<\/p>\n Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is on injured reserve.<\/p>\n Adam Larsson is out of the lineup indefinitely.<\/p>\n None of these things are good for the team, but yesterday I found myself following an interesting Twitter debate regarding Larsson’s efficacy at defending. Turns out it’s not as good as once hoped. He’s a serviceable defenceman, but on top of taking a number of penalties (13 minors in 41 games so far), he’s not been that great at preventing the puck from getting to the net.<\/p>\n Quick, non-fancy math: In the 14 games Larsson's missed this year, the Oil are 5-8-1, with 52 GF and 55 GA. (0.95 GF\/GA) Neither of those ratios are good.<\/p>\n — Megan (@mig14) February 14, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n
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Players to Watch<\/h3>\n
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\nIt’s actually been pretty amazing watching a team of 2nd and 3rd liners play in front of a billion different goaltenders and win 37 games. Who knows. Maybe George McPhee knew what he was doing all along?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nProjected Lineups<\/h3>\n
Notes<\/h3>\n
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In the 41 games he's played, they are 18-20-3, with 105 GF and 129 GA. (0.81GF\/GA) (SO\/EN included)<\/p>\n