TALE OF THE TAPE:
Game: Edmonton Oilers (14-18-2) at Winnipeg Jets (15-15-2)
Location: Rexall Place, Edmonton, Alberta
Time: 7:00 PM MT
Where to find it: TV: CBC – Radio: 630 CHED
Edmonton Oilers Preview:
You’re hot than you’re cold, you’re yes then you’re no.
The lines Katy Perry once sang in her hit “Hot ‘N Cold” (Yeah, I had it on my iPod) apply all too well to our Oilers. After winning the first six games of the month, the team has fallen to the hands of their opponent in their last three.
However, in the last three games one particular Oiler hasn’t been in the lineup. Oscar Klefbom.
As TSN’s Frank Seravalli pointed out in his #MondayMustRead, “you could make the argument that the Oilers have missed Oscar Klefbom has much as Connor McDavid.”
He also noted in the blurb that the Oilers have allowed an average of five (!) more shorts against and one more high-danger scoring chance against. Seravalli also noted that Klefbom could return to the lineup soon. I hadn’t really thought twice about the team’s performances sans McDavid, but it just goes to show how important he is to the team.
Klefbom is currently on pace for career high’s in Goals, Assists, Points and Time on Ice per game.
The season is still young, and this group is just finally getting it’s legs underneath themselves despite the last three losses. Mark Fayne, who was sent down to the Bakersfield Condors has been recalled and will draw into the lineup tonight.
Fayne’s play was so poor that it warranted his demotion and it showed this new management teams holds all players accountable. In five AHL games, Fayne had one assist.
The Jets have gone 5-5 in their last 10, compared to the Oilers who have gone 6-4 in their last 10. Both teams are on a bit of a cold stretch, so it will be interesting to see who comes out on top tonight.
The Otherside:
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is expected to start, but coach Paul Maurice has not confirmed. Winnipeg starts a stretch of seven of nine games on the road tied for the third-fewest road wins in the NHL (six). Having lost 10 of the past 13 road games (3-9-1), Winnipeg continue a two-game road trip Tuesday against the Calgary Flames. “It’s tough to explain sometimes,” defenseman Mark Stuart said of the road record, according to the Jets website. “You’re together as a team [on the road] and don’t have to worry about anything else but hockey and concentrating on the games. You can get on a roll. That’s what we need to do.”
Line Combos and Starting Goalies c/o Left Wing Lock:
Oilers (Cam Talbot):
Taylor Hall – Leon Draisaitl – Teddy Purcell
Benoit Pouliot – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Jordan Eberle
Matt Hendricks – Mark Letestu – Lauri Korpikoski
Luke Gazdic – Anton Lander – Iiro Pakarinen
Darnell Nurse – Justin Schultz
Andrej Sekera – Mark Fayne
Nikita Nikitin – Eric Gryba
Winnipeg Jets (Connor Hellebuyck):
Andrew Ladd – Bryan Little – Blake Wheeler
Mathieu Perrault – Mark Scheifele – Drew Stafford
Chris Thorburn – Alexander Burmistrov – Nikolaj Ehlers
Joel Armia – Andrew Copp – Matt Halischuk
Jacob Trouba – Dustin Byfuglien
Toby Enstrom – Tyler Myers
Mark Stuart – Ben Chairot
Any ideas on how to improve my game previews? Send me an email at zjlaing@gmail.com.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6eetEkubjE]
