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Leafs @ Oilers Preview: Oilers Look To Avenge Early Season OTL

CONNOR MCDAVID NAZEM KADRI CONNOR MCDAVID NAZEM KADRI

By Jeff Chapman
John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports


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@
oilers logo black text
9-8-4, 22 points, 1.047 p/g- Ranks 12-9-2, 26 points, 1.131 p/g
Atlantic Division - 6th Pacific Division, 1st
19th P/G 14th
26th ST 10th
3rd S/G 5th
19th Goal 16th
7 PM MDT
TV -  TSN - MSNBC
Radio - 630 CHED
Rogers Place

The opposing view

PROJECTED LINES
FORWARDS

Milan Lucic - Connor McDavid - Jesse Puljujarvi
Patrick Maroon - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jordan Eberle
Benoit Pouliot - Leon Draisaitl - Drake Caggiula
Tyler Pitlick - Mark Letestu - Zack Kassian

DEFENCE
Oscar Klefbom - Adam Larsson
Andrej Sekera - Kris Russell
Darnell Nurse - Matthew Benning

GOAL
Cam Talbot
Jonas Gustavsson

Desert Dogs Dupe Oilers

Hands up if you had Arizona's Jamie McGinn with the GWG in Sunday afternoon's game.

McGinn's third period tally bumped the Coyotes to a 2-1 victory over the Oilers.  The Coyotes took four of four possible points from the Oilers over the weekend, while the Oilers limped out with only one by way of a shootout loss on Saturday night.  Oilers lobbed an encouraging 42 shots on Mike Smith, but it's all for naught when McGinn gets left in front of Cam Talbot from seven feet with no defenders.  Fertile Power Play™ went 0/3, which doesn't help.

NAZEM KADRI and the rest of the Toronto Maple Leaf Brigade are in Edmonton for tonight's matchup against an Oilers team who will need a win to keep afloat of the Pacific Division.

Let's go to the tape.

The Oilers are saying

"We had plenty of chances to win, plenty of chances...Their goaltender won them the game tonight in my opinion and we didn't find a way to get one across the line on some of our real good opportunities."

Source

That's Oilers head coach Todd McLellan on Edmonton's 2-1 loss to the Coyotes on Sunday.

SMALL SAMPLE SIZE ALERT

Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith's save percentage jumps to .923 after two solid games against the Oilers.

The Coyotes have earned at least a point against the Oilers in their last 25 (21-0-4) meetings.  Old habits die hard.

The opponents are saying

"We've been a different team at home than we've been on the road."  Source

That's Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock on his team's woes on the road.

FUN LEAFS FACT

Toronto has won just one game on the road this year.  Hey, they're in Edmonton tonight.

Have some of this

  • Auston Matthews is the goods.  He splashed onto the scene with four goals in his pro debut, and if you ignore media asking if he's in a slump a few weeks ago, he hasn't slowed down.
  • McDAVID - If there's any doubt as to how important Connor McDavid is to the Edmonton Oilers, check out this fun article by resident Copper and Blue analyst Sunil. Even if you don't like numbers (and who doesn't love numbers), the Oilers get 65% of their goals when he's on the ice. Connor McDavid doesn't just lead the NHL in scoring, he's dreamy too.
  • POULIOT: Lots of knives out for Pouliot right now.  Five shots, but no points in Sunday's game.  Hang in there, baby.
  • RNH: Nugent-Hopkins has three goals on the year, which isn't turning heads in a good way.  Relax, fam.  He's got a 4.4 S% right now.  Keep it loose.
  • FAYNE: Fayne is healthy. Naturally, the response was to send him to Bakersfield.  That puts him behind Davidson and Gryba on the depth chart, which is...deep.
  • Oilers turned the tables on Arizona in the shots department on Sunday, which is encouraging.  Thinking about it more, they should outshoot Arizona more often than not.  Maybe score some goals would help.  Just throwing it out there.
  • Cam Talbot (11-8-2, .921 SV% / 2.45 GAA / 3 SO) will likely go for the Oilers. The Leafs are likely to counter with Frederik Andersen (9-6-3, .911 SV% / 2.97 GAA)
  • Iiro Pakarinen (knee) and Brandon Davidson (upper body) will be out for the Oilers. Toronto will be without Josh Leivo (lower body).
  • #GOILERS