Game Thread: Oilers vs Flyers - Looking to Rebound

After a couple of days off, which I assume were spent trying to understand how the winning goal got past Cam Talbot on Saturday night, the Oilers are back in action tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers. With the Flyers travelling to Edmonton just once a season now, and this being the Oilers final season in Rexall Place, thonight will be, unless the two meet in the Stanley Cup Final, the Flyers last game in this arena. An arena where twice they were able to watch first hand as the Oilers celebrated a Stanley Cup win. Fond memories for the older generation of Flyers fans, I’m sure.

How To Watch

Puck drop: 7:00PM MST
TV: Sportsnet West, Sportsnet Oilers
Radio: 630 CHED

What To Watch For

Matt Hendricks and Griffin Reinhart return to the Oilers’ lineup tonight. Hendricks, who spent some time on the Oilers’ top line earlier in the season, missed seven games with an ankle injury after blocking a shot in Calgary; Reinhart missed six games with an injury still listed an undisclosed, let’s assume it was hemorrhoids. Will there be any lingering effects and/or rust as they see their first game action in about two weeks? Hendricks will be on the third line tonight with Mark Letestu and Teddy Purcell. Reinhart will skate alongside Eric Gryba on the Oilers third defence pairing.

The Opposing View

From Broad Street Hockey:

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Evgeny Medvedev will be a healthy scratch for the second straight game, as the Flyers plan to dress the same defense corps as they did in Vancouver. It's a questionable decision, especially after Brandon Manning singlehandedly caused three odd-man rushes against last night, including one that ended with a Canucks goal.

The decision to bench Medvedev in the first place was a bit mystifying, as we broke down yesterday. Medvedev's play had regressed during the Flyers' three-game losing streak, but he was still statistically outperforming other members of the defense, such as Manning and Nick Schultz. A second straight game out of the lineup makes the benching even more inexplicable.

Tonight the Oilers are sitting Mark Fanye for a second straight game. The similarities are uncanny.

Projected Line Combinations