After a 4-3 victory in Florida on Wednesday night, the Oilers look to keep the good times rollin'. They'll no doubt face a tough task as they visit the Verizon Center tonight to square up against the league best Washington Capitals.
How To Tune In
5 PM MDT on Sportsnet, TVAS. Catch it on the NHL Network if you're viewing from the USA
What To Watch For From The Oilers
After blocking a shot (and subsequently, leaving the game) from Panthers' defenceman Aaron Ekblad, the Oilers breathe a sigh of relief as Andrej Sekera will be in the lineup. That's good. Ryan Rishaug reported yesterday that both Sekera and defenceman Adam Larsson wouldn't miss significant time due to injury, and that's great news. The Oilers report that they've activated Darnell Nurse off of IR, though we won't see him tonight.
What To Watch For From The Capitals
From Japers' Rink
"26 - Number of games this season in which the Caps have won by at least two goals, which leads the NHL. With 23 games remaining, that's already the fourth highest number of games the team has won by a margin of at least two goals in the Alex Ovechkin era, and just nine off the franchise-best 35 (set back in 1991-92)."
Washington is the first team in the NHL to hit the 40 win mark. They've got the most points (87), they've got the second most goals scored, and they're first in goals against per game (2.07). They're not bad, really.
Final Thought
Oilers are 2-1 on their current road trip. Defeating Goliath in their own rink would be a huge confidence booster before heading into Nashville on Sunday, and it would put the pressure on the Ducks to maintain pace.