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Oilers @ Ducks : The Race To The Top?

Oilers can really make some noise with a victory against Anaheim tonight.

By Jeff Chapman
Eberle has three goals in his last three games.
Eberle has three goals in his last three games.
Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports


@
Anaheim
26-15-8, 60 points, 1.224 p/g Ranks 27-14-9, 63 points, 1.26 p/g
Pacific Division - 3rd Pacific Division - 2nd
11th Points per Game 9th
14th Special Teams 9th
5th Shots on Goal 23rd
12th Goals Against per Game 7th
8:00 PM MDT
TV - Sportsnet West
Radio - 630 CHED
Honda Center

The opposing view
Anaheim Calling

PROJECTED
FORWARDS

Patrick Maroon - Connor McDavid - Leon Draisaitl
Benoit Pouliot - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jordan Eberle
Milan Lucic - Drake Caggiula -  Anton Slepyshev
Matt Hendricks - Mark Letestu - Zack Kassian

DEFENCE

Adam Larsson - Oscar Klefbom
Andrej Sekera - Kris Russell
Brandon Davidson - Matthew Benning

GOAL

Cam Talbot
Laurent Brossoit


Seven Goals Lift Oilers Over Flames

The Oilers scored seven goals and Laurent Brossoit earned his first NHL victory as the Oilers trounced the Flames at the Dome.  It was an especially poor outing for Flames goaltender Chad Johnson, who yielded three goals on four shots.  Jordan Eberle led Oiler scorers with four points (2-2-4), Connor McDavid had a goal, Benoit Pouliot had two assists, and Laurent Brossoit picked up his first career win as an NHL goaltender turning aside 38 of 41 shots.

Since Saturday, the Flames have gone 0-2 with losses to the Leafs (0 goals) and the Canadiens (one goal).  Hey, tough luck there.

Oilers can inch closer to the Pacific Division top with a victory tonight against Anaheim.

Let's go to the tape.

The Oilers are saying

That's Jordan Eberle on his team's performance against the Flames.

After Eberle's 18 game goal drought, he's got three in his last three.  That's good, right?

The opponents are saying

"I would say that we make these decisions on who gives us the best chance to win. If we got a player that’s been out for an extended period of time and [with] one game gets in front of it and we feel that a four-day break would help, well you have to consider that. That’s just common sense

That's Ducks coach Randy Carlyle on whether or not he'll start John Gibson between the pipes tonight.

Gibson had to leave Saturday's game against the Wild with an upper body injury.  Should he be unable to go, Jonathan Bernier would get the nod.

Have some of this

  • Unless the ask is exactly "Griffin Reinhart" and you're going to put him in the minors immediately after acquiring him, no, I don't want anything to do with Curtis Lazar.
  • Things are always easier for your hockey club when you score on three of your first four shots like Edmonton did in Calgary on Saturday night.  Jordan Eberle had one of the goals that chased Chad Johnson from the pipes.  He's still got a ways to catch up to 'normal', as his shot percentage is still below 9% on the season.
  • Connor McDavid's goal gives him sixteen on the year.  Combine that with his 40 assists, and he's chugging along atop the points leaderboard with 56.  I don't think he's going to break Patrick Kane's league leading total of 106 in 2015-16, but a healthy McDavid looks to shatter 2014-15 leader Jamie Benn's total of 87.
  • Cam Talbot will be back in the lineup tonight (24-12-7, .919 SV% / 2.41 GAA / 3 SO).   John Gibson (19-10-8, .921 SV% / 2.27 GAA / 3 SO) is questionable.  If he cannot go, Jonathan Bernier (8-4-1, .902 SV% / 2.89 GAA / 1 SO) will go.

  • That's really a shame, Calgary.
  • Iiro Pakarinen (knee), Tyler Pitlick (knee), Jujhar Khaira (wrist) and Darnell Nurse (lower body) will be out for the Oilers. The Ducks will be missing forward Jakob Silfverberg (head) and defencemen Clayton Stoner (abdomen) and Simon Despres (concussion)
  • #GOILERS