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Khabibulin gets the start, the team lack centre and defensive depth and the fans are defending bad but physical players. This dive is just like all of the freefalls before!
The Oilers are in a freefall, but it's nothing we can't handle. Lose two of the next three and Bob Stauffer starts pumping the tires of Darnell Nurse. I think Katz should leave Lowe in place until he kicks off this rock, just to see if the Oilers can wander the desert for longer than Moses and the Israelites.
Team Reports
--Lowetide
Oilers Report: Eric Belanger re-injured his groin last night against Nashville, extending the Oilers streak of injuries at centre to forever. There are no call-ups, and Jussi Jokinen, if they claim him, is at least a day away. That moves Ryan Smyth back to centre, a place that hasn't been kind to him or the Oilers. Belanger's injury means Lennart Petrell draws in, so at least Ralph Krueger has someone to play in place of Nail Yakupov all lined up already.
Blues Report: After smacking the Oilers around three days ago, the Blues went out and lost to the Flames. Ken Hitchcock has been juggling his lines, and looks like he's done with his soft minutes killers line of Perron - McDonald - Tarasenko.
Expected Line Combinations
Taylor Hall - Shawn Horcoff - Ales Hemsky
Magnus Paajarvi - Sam Gagner - Nail Yakupov
Ryan Jones - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jordan Eberle
Mike Brown - Ryan Smyth - Lennart Petrell
Ladislav Smid - Jeff Petry
Nick Schultz - Jeff Schultz
Ryan Whitney - Corey Potter
Nikolai Khabibulin
Scratches: Theo Peckham, Lennart Petrell, Mark Fistric
Broadcast Information
By The Numbers
Nikolai Khabibulin has allowed 5 goals on 23 shots on the penalty kill.
St. Louis is 2nd in Fenwick close, Edmonton is 27th.
Edmonton is last in even strength goals for.
Edmonton is 22nd in even strength goals against.
Edmonton is 25th in shots for.
Edmonton is tied for 29th in shots against.
Edmonton is 30th in shot differential. Even Alex Ovechkin's 4.25 shots per game wouldn't get the Oilers back to even.