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Oilers @ Wild Game 66 Preview

Oscar Klefbom, Viktor Fasth to make Oiler debuts tonight.

By Jeff Chapman
Viktor Fasth had better be ready.
Viktor Fasth had better be ready.
Derek Leung



Oilers3

@
Minnesota
22-35-8, .800 p/g Ranks 34-22-8, 1.188 p/g
Western Conference: 14th Western Conference: 7th
29th P/G 9th
26th ST 27th
28th ES 9th
29th Goal 6th
6:00 PM MDT - Sportsnet West
Xcel Energy Center
The opposing view: Hockey Wilderness


Fat, Drunk And Stupid Is No Way To Go Through Life, Son

The Oilers yielded fifty shots in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Kings. It's their fifteenth game of the season where Edmonton has allowed 40 or more shots. While Ben Scrivens was very good, the Oilers aren't going to win the lion's share of anything when they're allowing fifty shots and scoring two goals. Since joining the Oilers, Ben Scrivens has faced 372 shots in ten games (or just over 37 per game), nearly five more per game than the Oilers season average of 32.6. The fact that Ben Scrivens is playing lights out right now is a welcome sight. It's the only thing that keeps a 50 shot game from going completely off the grid.

The Oilers are saying
"We want to get a look at this young man and let him get his feet wet"

That's coach Dallas Eakins on defenceman Oscar Klefbom.

"It's very exciting...it's a dream come true so I will work hard every day to get my debut and I'm just looking forward to the first game"
That's Oilers defenceman Oscar Klefbom on getting in his first NHL game tonight.

We all have high hopes for Oscar Klefbom. We've waited nearly three years to see him. I'm afraid that playing on the Oilers defence is like flirting with some contagious disease, and once you've been on an Oilers defence, your game is never quite right. Here's hoping for an injury-free debut, one where we can all nod our heads in agreement that Klefbom might be a cornerstone of the future we've waited so long to see.

THE DEEP END

Speaking of getting your feet wet, the Oilers might want to hand Viktor Fasth a life jacket, a snorkel, and a tank of oxygen, he's going in tonight. Fasth has appeared in 28 NHL games, never facing more than 38 shots per game. Any takers on 39 shots or more allowed tonight?

FUN FACT

The Oilers have yielded 40 or more shots fifteen times this year (they've had three where they've yielded 50 or more). Fun facts aren't always fun. I should've warned you.

The Opponent is saying

"It wasn't like we were that bad...we were competing, we had a couple shifts in the offensive zone, I think they thought they were going to take it to us physically. I think our guys responded to that. Our guys started being physical with their defencsemen and we really started to get our game"

"IT WASN'T LIKE WE WERE THAT BAD"

The Wild held St. Louis to 22 shots on Sunday, so Coach Yeo is right, it wasn't that bad. Minnesota was only able to amass nineteen shots, and that rap that the Wild get about playing boring hockey seems to ring...true...hang on a second, let me just rest my head on this pillow for a second. The Wild are good at...*yawn*...Suter....hang on a second.
Yakupov
Matt Cooke is scheduled to play in his 1000th career NHL game tonight. Maybe if he gives Nail Yakupov another concussion, someone will do something about it. Hey, Luke Gazdic was dressed for that game.

Deterrence doesn't work.

Points Ales Hemsky Has Since Being Traded
  • 6 (0-6-6)

The Edmonton Oilers

Nail Yakupov - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jordan Eberle

Taylor Hall - Sam Gagner - David Perron

Matt Hendricks - Boyd Gordon - Jesse Joensuu

Luke Gazdic - Ryan Smyth - Ryan Jones

Philip Larsen - Justin Schultz

Martin Marincin - Jeff Petry

Oscar Klefbom - Andrew Ference

Viktor Fasth

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Minnesota Wild

Zach Parise - Mikael Granlund - Jason Pominville

Matt Moulson - Mikko Koivu - Charlie Coyle

Matt Cooke - Kyle Brodziak - Nino Niederreiter

Dany Heatley - Erik Haula - Cody McCormick

Ryan Suter - Jared Spurgeon

Marco Scandella - Jonas Brodin

Clayton Stoner - Nate Prosser

Darcy Kuemper