Aw yeah! They’re bringing Seksi back! Is anybody else looking forward to the tribute video that the Oilers will be showing with the return of Andrej Sekera to Edmonton in his first game since being bought out by the team? I always liked Rej and it’s a shame that the hockey gods took him out Tonya Harding style.
Hey, just before we get going here. I want to thank all of you that took the time to read the Puljujarvi/Red Wings post from yesterday. If I read the numbers right, it broke the site record for views in a day.
This game is pretty important for the Oilers and the reason for that is, they’ll be heading out on a 5-game roadie after this that includes games against San Jose, LA, Vegas, Arizona, and Colorado. For me, I’d like to see them get on that plane to San Jose in a good mood having stopped the Stars from adding their name to the list of teams defeated in this current heater of theirs.
Now, I like the Oilers odds here despite Dallas being on a helluva tear right now (9-1-1 in their last eleven) because the Stars are only 5-5-1 on the road whereas the Oilers are 7-2-1 at home. That said, Ben Bishop has played Edmonton eleven times in his career and his personal record vs the Oilers is 7-2-1. So there is that to consider.
The Next Ten Games Part Three
The first ten games of the 2019/20 season went quite well for the Oilers, more so at the start than the end, mind you. The second ten games were equal to the first ten and it saw the team get a bit better from an analytical point-of-view. Now, the third installment might be the most important as we’ll pass American Thanksgiving (11/28) in this block. I think it was Elliotte Friedman that said 78% of teams who are in a playoff spot by this holiday tend to stay in that spot. I say the Oilers finish this segment of ten games with twelve points out of a possible twenty.
11/14 Colorado (11-5-2) (h): I like the Oilers’ chances against a third-string backup. Won’t be easy though. (WIN) WIN
11/16 Dallas (9-8-2) (h): The Stars are 8-1-1 in their last ten here and I don’t see Edmonton slowing them down. (LOSS)
11/19 San Jose (8-10-1) (a): Embarrassed from the spankings the Sharks have been giving them since last season, I think the Oilers bounce back here. (WIN)
11/21 Los Angeles (6-11-1) (a): The Kings don’t scare me. Easy points for the Oilers. (WIN)
11/23 Vegas (9-8-3) (a): The Golden Knights are a dangerous squad and this game could go either way. I’ll take Vegas here as their home advantage is massive. (LOSS)
11/24 Arizona (11-6-2) (a): Having already lost twice to the Coyotes, Edmonton will find a way to secure the two points here. (WIN)
11/27 Colorado (11-5-2) (a): I reckon by this time, the Avs will be healthier and that much more dangerous. (LOSS)
11/30 Vancouver (10-6-3) (h): The first game of a B2B with the Canucks on a Saturday night and on the eve of Jesse Puljujarvi’s signing deadline. I’ll take the distraction-free Canucks. (LOSS)
12/1 Vancouver (10-6-3) (a): Revenge is a dish best served ice cold… (WIN)
12/4 Ottawa (7-10-1) (h): Much like the Kings, the Senators don’t have a lot going for them. (WIN)
Records as of Nov.14th, 2019.
Three Players to Watch for the Stars
- #4 Miro Heiskanen – I was going to say Jamie Benn, but that guy’s production has gone straight to the shitter lately. Besides, Heiskanen is a much more exciting player to watch. He has twelve points in twenty games and is a constant threat every time he’s on the ice.
- #12 Radek Faksa – It’s a matter of Fak-sa, this fella has six points in his last five games (3g 3a) and, in my opinion, is one of the league’s more underrated third-line centers. I have a feeling Tippett might match Sheahan’s line with against Faksa’s and if that is the case, the Oilers shutdown line will have their work cut out for them.
- #8 Joe Pavelski – One of the Stars’ big free-agent signings over the summer is humming along at a point-per-game in his last five while centering relative nobodies Nicholas Caamano and Denis Gurianov. Pavelski has always been a pain in the ass for the Oilers and I don’t expect that to stop tonight.
I’ve read that Andrew Cogliano was dinged up in Dallas’ last game and I guess he’s out for this one. He’ll join a really long list of Stars that includes star defender John Klingberg, emerging no.1 center Roope Hintz, the always-injured Martin Hanzal, Darnell Nurse’s favorite punching bag Roman Polak, and Mattias Janmark according to DailyFaceoff.com. How in the world is this team winning so much?
This is how their lines looked against Vancouver. Expect changes.
Radulov-Dickinson-Perry
Cogliano-Faksa-Comeau
Benn-Dowling-Seguin
Caamano-Pavelski-GurianovLindell-Fedun
Heiskanen-Oleksiak
Sekera-Polak— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) November 15, 2019
Three(-ish) Players to Watch for the Oilers
- #82 Caleb Jones – Picked up an assist in his first game of the year and was largely invisible which is a good thing. It means he didn’t make any mistakes. I want to keep watching him because with the return of Adam Larsson on the horizon, if Jones keeps this up, he’s going to force Ken Holland to make a difficult decision.
- #18 James Neal – One goal in his last five and three in his last ten. I’d like to see him have a good game versus the team that drafted him.
- #29/97/44 McDraissian – What will these two do for an encore? Twelve points between the three of them in their previous game and THIRTY-THREE points combined in their last five. It’s bordering on insanity. Dallas has been playing very stingy defense lately, but can they stop what is emerging as one of the most dominating lines in NHL history?
Below is the lineup that Coach Tippett rolled with against the Avalanche. The only change I can see is in the net. I believe Mikko Koskinen is getting the start. Things could change though.
Here's how we're looking tonight. #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/vlIzbeuR7C
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 15, 2019
I look at the roster that Dallas is icing and considering the fact that their big boys aren’t scoring right now in addition to having so many key players injured and that makes me wonder if my previous prediction of a loss here might’ve been a bit hasty. I’m going to go against my earlier call and say the Oilers will pull out a win here and drive themselves to the top of the Western Conference.
Let’s go Oilers!
