Game Thread: Avalanche at Oilers - Points Needed

The Oilers are back at home and once again playing the Avalanche. The Avalanche are more depleted than the Oilers so Edmonton needs to take advantage and get two points in regulation and stay healthy.

Team Reports

Oilers Report: The defensive depth isn't going to cure itself, and now both Justin Schultz and Jeff Petry are nursing "small" injuries - Schultz is struggling with a back injury and Petry hurt his upper leg - the Oilers are playing with fire on defense.

Avalanche Report: As mentioned above, the Avs are missing players left and right. Ryan O'Reilly is still holding out, Gabriel Landeskog still has a concussion, but now so does Erik Johnson. Ryan Wilson is out with an injury as well. The entire top of the roster has vanished.

Expected Line Combinations

Taylor Hall - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jordan Eberle

Teemu Hartikainen - Sam Gagner - Ales Hemsky

Ryan Smyth - Eric Belanger - Nail Yakupov

Magnus Paajarvi - Chris VandeVelde - Lennart Petrell

Justin Schultz - Nick Schultz

Ladislav Smid - Corey Potter

Ryan Whitney - Jeff Petry

Devan Dubnyk

Scratches: Ben Eager, Mark Fistric, Theo Peckham

Broadcast Information

By The Numbers

The Oilers second power play is scoring twice as much as the first: 2nd group - 18.75 p/60, 1st group - 9.75 p/60

The Oilers second power play group is outshooting the first, but the first is missing the net more often, so it all equals out.

Justin Schultz leads all rookies, forwards included, in shots and shots per game. Though his 11.8% shooting percentage will certainly fall, his ability to get shots on goal will help the Oilers score on tips and rebounds.