The Oilers started off with a bang in Calgary on Sunday night, but fizzled out as time wore on. Benoit Pouliot scored Edmonton's first two goals helping the Oilers take a 2-0 lead into the dressing room after one. Johnny Gaudreau made it 2-1 with his sixteenth goal of the season, but Teddy Purcell helped Edmonton regain a two goal lead with his ninth of the season midway through the second.
After that, the wheels fell off. Matt Stajan scored his second goal of the season while the Flames were shorthanded, Mark Giordano scored a PPG to tiie it up, and Johnny Gaudreau scored his second of the game with less than a minute remaining in the second period to give Calgary a permanent lead. Giordano would later have an empty netter, and the Oilers cough up one they really should've had by a 5-3 margin.
The Oilers take just one point in a weekend back-to-back. Tonight, they'll face off against a Kings club that's atop the Pacific Division. Let's go to the tape.
The Oilers are saying
"I just want to help the team with whatever they need help with.."
That's Oilers defenceman Brad Hunt on getting the call-up. Hunt is a likely addition to the Oilers defence tonight.
THAT TIME AGAIN
Brad Hunt leads the Condors in scoring (6-17-23 in 26). He'll be asked to get pucks on net, a seemingly rudimentary enough task. As long as it isn't this, I won't be able to complain too much.
The opponents are saying
"We're in a pretty good position, and if we want to be there, we have to push the other teams back, and obviously no better way to do it than beat them." Source
That's Kings forward Anze Kopitar dropping knowledge on how to keep atop the Pacific. Winning, you say?
Kings are running wild on the Pacific right now. The Pacific looks kind of like a muddy peanut butter, but the Kings are the top of the pops with a nine point lead over the rest of the mess. Los Angeles disassembled the Canucks last night by a 5-0 score, so maybe the Oilers will get lucky and half of the club got left at the Sheraton last night.
Have some of this
The Oilers traded Ben Scrivens to Montréal for Zack Kassian yesterday. Nobody likes Zack Kassian after that shit he pulled with Sam Gagner a few years ago, but this is a fairly good deal for t- he Oilers. Why is it a good deal? Edmonton acquires a player for a goaltender who was likely to never have played for the Oilers again. If Kassian can show that he's ready to be back in the NHL and become a useful bit player, then this deal is a win for Edmonton. If it flames out, Kassian is set to become UFA at the year's end.
FULL HAB - Scrivens has been a member of the Canadiens for about a day, and he's starting tonight against the Panthers. Go get 'em, Ben.
B-DAVY - Brandon Davidson (ribs) is skating, but isn't quite ready to come back. Don't worry you guys, Brad Hunt is here.
I've got Cam Talbot (5-9-2, .904 SV% / 2.93 GAA) getting the nod for Edmonton tonight. The Kings will likely counter with Jonathan Quick (19-9-1, .919 SV% / 2.20 GAA / 3 SO)
Connor McDavid (clavicle), Andrew Ference (undisclosed), Nail Yakupov (ankle), Oscar Klefbom (hand), Rob Klinkhammer (ankle) and Brandon Davidson (ribs) are out for the Oilers. For the Kings, forwards Jeff Carter (upper body), Kyle Clifford (uper body), Dwight King (foot) and defenceman Matt Greene (shoulder) will all miss tonight's action.
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