Toronto Maple Leafs (16-9-1)

Edmonton Oilers (10-13-2)

Rogers Place, Edmonton AB

7 PM MDT

TV: Sportsnet West

Radio: 630 CHED

SB Nation Opponent: Pension Plan Puppets

BREAKDOWN

There’s Good and Bad. You want the good news first.

The good news is that the Oilers are riding the big fat tails of a two game winning streak. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored an OT marker for the Oilers to secure four points in two games, and like Starship sang way back in 1986, nothing’s gonna stop us now. That’s good, right?

Okay, now the bad news. Cam Talbot might not play. K?

Let’s go to the tape.

The Oilers are saying

(roy orbison voice) MERCY

I don’t know what to make of a ‘tweak’, other than I don’t think I want one. The Oilers don’t want one either past tonight. If Talbot is off for a night or two, there’s no big worry. If this is an injury that keeps him on the shelf for some time, well, we usually start looking at the draft beginning in January.

The Maple Leafs are saying

That’s not really a quote, but it’s a heck of a goal. Off an rear end, off a knee, nothing but net.

Have some of this

• In case you’re keeping score, that’s Jesse Puljujarvi on the top line after being a healthy scratch for the last two games. Mike Cammalleri was an extra yesterday. What goes on? Who knows.
• If you’re thinking about holiday gifts, think about a new penalty kill for the Oilers. Edmonton went 1 for 2 on the kill Tuesday night and remain firmly in last place while a player short.
• Zack Kassian finally got rid of the doughnut with a breakaway goal to make it 1-0 against Arizona. With a limited amount of resources on the wings, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get some top six time just to jumble things up.
• Some more good news for the Oilers? This is Toronto’s second game in as many nights. They’re fresh off a 4-1 victory in Calgary in a game that saw Auston Matthews held to 0 shots for the first time in his career. Can the Oilers take advantage of a tired Leafs club?
• Expect Curtis McElhenney to get the start for the Leafs on the tail end of a back-to-back. Frederik Andersen had to stop just 19 shots en route to the W for Toronto. If Talbot can’t go tonight, look for Laurent Brossoit to get the nod for the Oilers.
• The Oilers are without Andrej Sekera who is recovering from ACL surgery. The Maple Leafs have non-LTIR injuries to report.

Oilers will have their hands full tonight.