clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Game Preview: Oilers at New Jersey Devils - It's Martin Brodeur Night

Looking to put an awful weekend behind them, the Oilers pay a visit to the New Jersey Devils, who will be honouring Martin Brodeur tonight.

Al Bello/Getty Images

We've now had a couple of days to deal with whatever that was on Sunday afternoon, and Saturday as well, now we can all get back to the business watching the Oilers play hockey; starting tonight with a game against the New Jersey Devils. Dwelling on the past doesn't do anyone a lot of good, what's done is done, but when your team gets embarrassed in back-to-back games by a combined score of 13-2 not dwelling on the past is likely easier said than done. The players had a quick chat amongst themselves following the loss, hopefully whatever needed to be said was said on Sunday and we can go back to watching a team that at least looks like they're trying to win games.

The Basics

Puck Drop: 17:00 MST
TV: Sportsnet Oilers
Radio: 630 CHED
The Opposition's View PointAll About the Jersey

The Oilers

Something you probably won't find surprising, the Oilers are going to make a couple roster changes tonight. I guess this is what you after an 8-1 loss. Everyone's favourite whipping boy Justin Schultz will get a chance to watch from the pressbox tonight, as will Griffin Reinhart who was a very impressive -4 on Sunday afternoon. Up front it'll be Iiro Pakarinen joining Taylor Hall and Leon Draisaitl on the top line, with Teddy Purcell spending some time on the third line.

The Devils

In New Jersey tonight the biggest story won't be the game but rather the team's retiring of Martin Brodeur's jersey. Brodeur, who you might know better from his time with the St. Louis Blues, spent 21 seasons with the Devils winning almost everything you can win in the NHL: three Stanley Cups, four Vezina Trophys, the Calder, and over 800 games. In 18 career games against the Oilers he posted a 9-6-2-1 record to go along with a very average 0.900 save percentage, numbers not really reflective of his career as a whole. And not once did he shut the Oilers out. Considering that he's the NHL's all-time leader in that category, and all the plugs who have shutout the Oilers over the years, I find that remarkable.

Final Thought

So this happened today. Another very solid move by the Leafs. I hate saying that.