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Sharks @ Oilers Game 81 Preview

Goaltender Laurent Brossoit makes his NHL debut tonight for Edmonton

By Jeff Chapman
Walter Tychnowicz-USA TODAY Sports


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39-32-9, 86 points, 1.088 p/g Ranks 24-42-13, 61 points, .746 p/g
Western Conference - 11th Western Conference - 13th
20th P/G 28th
6th ST 25th
24th ES 28th
24th Goal 30th
7:30 PM MDT -  SN360
Rexall Place
The opposing view: Fear The Fin

In It To Win It

Richard Bachman overcame a very bad goal en route to a 4-2 Kings Oilers victory on Tuesday.  Matt Fraser scored his seventh goal of the year to get the Oilers on board early in the second period, later Benoit Pouliot to put the Oilers up 2-1 by the end of the second.  Tyler Pitlick scored Edmonton's third goal early in the third, and Fraser added an empty netter to seal the deal.  The victory puts a serious dent into Los Angeles' playoff hopes, and it helped push Calgary quite a bit.  I don't know how to feel anymore.

Two games remain for Edmonton in this year's Death March.  Tonight, they'll face a Sharks team who will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2002-03.  The Oilers...know a thing or two about missing the playoffs.

Goaltender Laurent Brossoit is slated to get his first NHL start tonight for the Edmonton Oilers.  Hope he's ready.

The Oilers are saying

"It feels good.  It's not something I've done before.  It's definitely new emotions.  Either way, I'm just excited."

That's Oilers goaltender Laurent Brossoit.

Brossoit was an emergency call up for the Oilers as Richard Bachman will be out for the birth of his son.  In Oklahoma City, Brossoit has put together a .916 SV% and 22 wins.   I've got high hopes for this one.   I'm hoping he can turn out to be at least as good as Devan Dubnyk.

The opponents are saying

"It stinks.  There's nothing else you can really say."
That's Sharks forward Logan Couture after the Sharks dropped their home finale by a score of 5-1.
Seeing the Sharks out of the playoffs is kind of strange.  The Sharks are out for the first time since 2003, and it'll be interesting to see if the club sheds some of the old guard in an effort to rebuild.  Joe Thornton still has some gas in the tank, but he turns 36 in July and has two more years on his deal.  Any move would require Thornton to waive his no-movement clause, so you can at least be thankful that no matter what MacTavish would trade to San Jose, it's not bloody likely that Thornton would waive to come to Edmonton.

Have some of this
  • GO GO LAURENT BROSSOIT - Good luck, kid.  We're pulling for you.  The Sharks are countering with Antti Niemi (30-23-7, .914 SV% / 2.62) who will be *the* unrestricted free agent goalie come July. Fourteen million a year for eight years.  Let's go.
  • EVERYBODY IS STILL INJURED - Boyd Gordon, Andrew Ference, Nikita Nikitin, Mark Fayne, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are all out.  Rob Klinkhammer will centre Luke Gazdic and Curtis Hamilton.
  • Last home game of the year.  Make it count.
  • UPDATE

Oilers will finish 28th in the league.  Here's hoping Pittsburgh misses the dance for an extra percentage point or two in the lottery.  Buffalo will clinch 30th if they lose in regulation or Arizona gets a point in their last two games.

  • GOILERS