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Oilers In Boston: Dancing Bears

With Calgary breathing down Edmonton's neck, the Oilers look for two points at Peter Chiarelli's old stomping grounds.

By Jeff Chapman
Patrick Maroon plays with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl tonight.
Patrick Maroon plays with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl tonight.
Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports


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@
19-13-7, 45 points, 1.154 p/g- Ranks 20-16-4, 44 points, 1.1 p/g
Pacific Division - 3rd Atlantic Division - 3rd
12th Points / Game 17th
13th Special Teams 14th
6th Shots on Goal 3rd
10th Goal 7th
5 PM MDT
TV - Sportsnet
Radio - 630 CHED
TD Garden

The opposing view
PROJECTED
FORWARDS

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

DEFENCE

Oscar Klefbom - Adam Larsson
Andrej Sekera - Matthew Benning
Kris Russell - Eric Gryba

GOAL

Cam Talbot
Jonas Gustavsson

Not Quite Prime Time

The Oilers fell flat on Tuesday while Columbus rolled on to their sixteenth consecutive victory.  The final score read 3-1, but the Jackets all but dominated play from the early on.  Cam Atkinson would score midway through the first for Columbus, one of two power play goals for the Jackets.  Oilers defenceman Oscar Klefbom would tie it up at 1-all at the five minute mark of the second, but that's as close as the Oilers would get to taking two points.  Five minutes after Oscar Klefbom tied it up, it would be William Karlsson who would put the Jackets up permanently with his sixth goal of the season.

Nick Foligno would add an insurance tally for the Jackets early in the third, and that'd be all she wrote.  Columbus was 2/3 on their power play, the Oilers fried a doughnut in three attempts.  Oilers were able to muster just 22 shots, while the Jackets fired the pill 35 times.

If you were watching the scoreboard last night, it wasn't a good night for the Oilers to be idle. Calgary toppled the Avalanche, Anaheim shutout the Red Wings, and Vancouver did the same to the Coyotes.  Oilers are holding on to third in the Pacific, but would do nicely to escape Boston with two points tonight.

Let's go to the tape.

The Oilers are saying

That's Oilers coach Todd McLellan on some line changes that will go into effect for tonight's game.

The Oilers have moved Milan Lucic and Jordan Eberle off the McDavid line in favour of Patrick Maroon and Leon Draisaitl.  Eberle has been placed on line three with Benoit Pouliot and Drake Caggiula, while Lucic is on line two with RNH and Zack Kassian.

Hey, at least Jesse Puljujarvi's getting the right amount of minutes on the fourth line next to Anton Lander and Mark Letestu (he's not).

The opponents are saying

That's Bruins coach Claude Julien on the Oilers.  Skill?  yes.  Lots of speed?  I'll let you pick one line.

  • LINE SWITCH: Eberle and Lucic are the big movers, but Anton Lander getting back into the lineup for Matt Hendricks is one to note as well.  In sixteen games, Lander has three points (1-2-3) with the Oilers this season.
  • CALL UP - Defenceman Jordan Oesterle is back.  He's got more air miles than Magnus Paajarvi did that one year where he was called up and immediately sent back down because Tambellini made an illegal call up.  Fond memories.  Really, you guys, they were great.
  • A CAUSE FOR CONCERN? Jordan Eberle is on pace for roughly 16 goals and 54-55 points if his current pace holds.  His shooting percentage is exactly 8, in a career that's seen him average between 13-14.  What would it take for his season to be salvaged?  Or, are you OK with 55 points?
  • McCAPTAIN: Connor McDavid was selected by the NHL to captain one of the four all-star teams later this month at the Staples Center.  I'm desperately hoping he and Taylor Hall get to play on the same team.  Someone make this happen.
  • Cam Talbot is still moving will go tonight for the Oilers (18-11-6, .919 SV% / 2.47 GAA / 3 SO).Tuukka Rask should start for the B's tonight (19-8-3, .928 SV% / 1.89 GAA / 4 SO)
  • STANDINGS WATCH: The Flames are one point behind the Oilers with one more game played.  The Oilers are holding onto the third playoff spot in the Pacific.  Win.  Win now.
  • Iiro Pakarinen (knee), Tyler Pitlick (knee), and Darnell Nurse (lower body) will be out for the Oilers. The Bruins are without Matt Beleskey (knee), David Backes (concussion) and John-Michael Liles (concussion)
  • #GOILERS