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9-11-5, 0.92 p/g		10-10-4, 1.00 p/g
Western Conf: 13th		Western Conf: 1th
NHLN Share: 25th		NHLN Share: 24th

Top Story: The Avs are a different team with Ryan O`Reilly in the lineup, but he's not alone. The Avs were without Gabriel Landeskog and Erik Johnson for an extended period and they crashed hard in their absence. O'Reilly has 4 points in 5 games since his return to go with 16 shots. The Oilers are coming off of one of their now-patented back-and-forths with Chicago and while they looked great in the first period, they went into defensive shell like we've never seen and were out shot 31-13 in the 2nd and 3rd periods.

The Oilers are saying:

"The playoff cut-line is right about 54 points right now. Your mileage may vary – if there are a bunch more three point games, it could get up to 56 or even more. 54 points would require the Oilers to go something like 16-7-3 (or maybe even a little better) to come near eighth place. To put it even simpler, they have to win twice as many games as they have in the second half of the season as they did in the first."

--Jeff Chapman, Oil On Whyte.

The Opponent is saying:

"Yes, I do. Why? I think we have three good lines that can contribute, that can score goals."

--Landeskog, on the Avs now that they have a full compliment of healthy and signed players.

Key matchup: Magnus Paajarvi and Sam Gagner with either Nail Yakupov or Jordan Eberle against the Paul Stastny - Gabriel Landeskog line. Landeskog is not the same possession machine he was last season and O'Reilly's absence might have something to do with that. If Paajarvi and Gagner can get the edge on that line, the Oilers are in good shape up front, assuming Shawn Horcoff and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins don't allow Matt Duchene to skate freely around the ice.