TALE OF THE TAPE:
Game: Edmonton Oilers (30-42-7, 67 pts. 4-6 in their last 10) vs Calgary Flames (32-40-6, 70 pts. 4-5-1 in their last 10)
Location: Rexall Place, Edmonton, Alberta
Time: 8:00 PM MT
Where to find it: TV: CBC – Radio: 630 CHED
THANK YOU!
Thank you all for reading my work throughout the course of this season. To know some of you seek out my work over others is very kind, and keeps me doing what I do.
Edmonton Oilers Preview:
Just like that, 82 games will have come and gone.
In a season filled with disappointments, it cannot be lost the success the Oilers have seen this year. I will be taking a look at these success over the next few days, and will have a post coming shortly.
Through all of the highs, and all of the lows it sucks to see the Oilers season go.
This season, the Oilers have fared very well against the Canucks outscoring them 10 – 4 and winning three of four games. Darnell Nurse, who took a puck to the throat during Wednesday’s game against the Flames, could return to the lineup tonight.
“Doctors have, from what I understand, cleared him, so if he is ready to play, we’ll play him,” coach Todd McLellan said. “He is a tough customer and that’s part of what makes him an attractive player.”
This article is tough to write, and I must say I don’t even know what to say. The season is over, and to tell you the truth I have been checked out of this season a few weeks ago.
When you have followed the Oilers for 11 years and the team has missed the playoffs in 10 of those, it is difficult to stay interested.
To be fair though, I really hope the Oilers come out and kick the snot out of Vancouver.
Predictions for tonight:
- Oilers win 69-0.
- There are 420 penalty minutes tonight.
- CONNOR MCDAVID HATTRICK!
Canucks Preview:
Vancouver didn’t practice Friday coming off back-to-back games, which included the loss to the Oilers and a 7-3 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday. The Canucks called up forward Mike Zalewski from Utica of the American Hockey League on Friday. It is the second call up for the 23-year-old since signing a contract in January; he had one assist in two games and is expected to replace defenseman Andrey Pedan, who had been playing as a forward, on the fourth line. Vancouver is 3-10-1 in its past 14 games going into the season finale. “This is the worst I’ve ever been a part of since I’ve been here,” forward Jannik Hansen, who has played nine NHL seasons for the Canucks, said after the loss in Calgary. “It hasn’t been very fun.”
— NHL.com
Line Combos and Starting Goalies:
Oilers (Cam Talbot):
Taylor Hall – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Iiro Pakarinen
Patrick Maroon – Connor McDavid – Jordan Eberle
Lauri Korpikoski – Leon Draisaitl – Nail Yakupov
Matt Hendricks – Mark Letestu – Zack Kassian
Andrej Sekera – Mark Fayne
Jordan Oesterle – Griffin Reinhart
Darnell Nurse – Adam Pardy
EDM Injuries: Oscar Klefbom (leg infection), Andrew Ference (hip), Eric Gryba (knee), Benoit Pouliot (shoulder), Brandon Davidson (knee).
Vancouver Canucks (Jacob Markstrom):
Daniel Sedin – Henrik Sedin – Alex Burrows
Michael Zalewski – Markus Granlund – Jannik Hansen
Ronalds Kenins – Brendan Gaunce – Jake Virtanen
Emerson Etem – Bo Horvat – Derek Dorestt
Dan Hamhuis – Chris Tanev
Ben Hutton – Nikita Tryamkin
Matt Bartkowski – Alex Biega
Any ideas on how to improve my game previews? Send me an email at zjlaing@gmail.com. Follow me on Twitter.
