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Preview: Game 76 Edmonton Oilers @ Arizona Coyotes

Oilers embark on late season three game road trip

By Jeff Chapman
McDavid's assist gives him 40 points in 38 career NHL games. Might be a keeper.
McDavid's assist gives him 40 points in 38 career NHL games. Might be a keeper.
Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports


Edmonton

@
Phoenix
29-39-7, 65 points,  .866 p/g- Ranks 31-34-7, 69 points, .958 p/g
Pacific Division - 7th Pacific Division - 4th
30th Points per Game 23rd
21st Special Teams 20th
22nd Shots per Game 29th
21st Goal 25th
8:00 PM MDT
TV - Sportsnet West
Radio - 630 CHED
Gila River Arena
The opposing view:  Five For Howling

Too Little, Too Late

Colorado's two goals in the second period kept Edmonton at bay long enough for Blake Comeau to score the game winner midway through the third.  Gabriel Landeskog and Tyson Barrie each had a goal for the Avalanche in the second period.  Matt Hendricks would slice that lead in half early in the third period with his fifth goal of the season, but a PPG tally by Blake Comeau would seal the deal for the Avalanche.  Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored with eight seconds remaining in the third, but it was too little, too late for the Oilers.

Some fast-paced high flying action is sure to take place at Gila River Arena, as two teams who are clearly out of the playoffs will do battle for draft position.  Let's go to the tape.

The Oilers are saying

"When you're on a power play, if one is making a bad decision and one is making poor reads, (it) affects the mindset of the power play.  Now, (Sunday) night it was one at a time, it wasn't just one individual.  They were taking turns making poor reads, but continuing to work it to get them to understand why certain things happen on the power play is important, and we'll continue to do that."

Source

That's Oilers head coach Todd McLellan on the power play.  It's pretty loafy.

Another 0-fer drops Edmonton's season power play to 17.1%, or a fairly dismal 22nd in the league. (sad harmonica)

The opponents are saying

"We're not making the simple plays.  Sometimes the best play is just a 15-foot pass, but that has to be tape-to-tape.  It can't be bobbled.  Makes you look slow.  Makes your power play look slow.  That's what happened".  Source

That's Original Coyotes member Shane Doan on why the Coyotes are fowling up the division with the Oilers.

I have nothing nice to say about Shane Doan.  So I won't.

Have some of this

  • I don't care how they win, as long as they win.  They're still not winning.  And Adam Cracknell was on a line in practice yesterday with McDavid and Eberle.
  • Cam Talbot (19-24-4, .919 SV% / 2.50 GAA / 3 SO) will start tonight for the Oilers, while Mike Smith (12-10-1, .912 SV% / 2.78 GAA / 2 SO) will get the nod for Arizona.  Please recall Smith, who shutout the Oilers after a four month injury way back on March 12th.
  • TEN YEARS! It's been ten years since this club has made the playoffs.  Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Avalanche puts the nail in the coffin on the 2015-16 season.  Oh man, we couldn't have done it without everyone's help.  I'd like to thank first and foremost Kevin Lowe, Craig MacTavish, Steve Tambellini, that asshat who wrote a letter to the paper saying that the Oilers fans weren't good fans, this calamity of an interview when Dallas Eakins was hired, Scott Howson, Nikolai Khabibulin, and a shitload of other people who I've either tried to forget or involuntarily blotted out in one of my blackouts after a 5-0 loss to the New York Rangers. Congratulations, everybody.  You the real MVPs.
  • Connor McDavid, you guys. One more assist for McDavid in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Avalanche gives him 40 points (14-26-40) in 38 games for the Oilers.  As much as we complain about how the team is a gas station on fire, McDavid is the best thing to happen in over 25 years to this Oilers club.
  • Andrew Ference (hip), Brandon Davidson (knee), Adam Pardy (hand), Eric Gryba (knee), Benoit Pouliot (shoulder)  and Oscar Klefbom (leg), are out for the Oilers,  Pat Maroon did not practice Monday. The Coyotes are sans Anders Lindback (ankle), Nicklas Grossman (lower body), Jarred Tinordi (suspended) and Joe Vitale (concussion).
  • Our Super Bowl is coming.  

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