@
39-25-9, 87 points, 1.192 p/g	Ranks	20-49-3, 43 points, .598 p/g
Pacific Division - 3rd		Central Division - 7th
11th	Points per Game	30th
12th	Special Teams	27th
9th	Shots on Goal	28th
9th	Goals Against per Game	30th

Not Quite Enough

The Oilers held the lead on two separate occasions, but were unable to put it to bed in last night's 4-3 loss to the Ducks.  Leon Draisaitl scored his 25th goal of the season early on in the first, while Connor McDavid made it 2-1 midway through the first with his 26th of the season.  The Ducks would respond with a two-goal second period, and Josh Manson would eventually be credited with the game winner for the Ducks.  Mark Letestu would score a late power play goal in the third to pull the Oilers within one, but the Ducks would put a halt to Edmonton's four game win streak.

Laurent Brossoit was sent in for Cam Talbot after Anaheim's fourth goal.  It's the first time we've seen Brossoit in about sixty years.

The Oilers find themselves at third place in the Pacific, one point ahead of the Flames.  They'll have a big opportunity to pick up two more points tonight as they face an Avalanche team that's struggled mightily this season.

Let's go to the tape.

The Oilers are saying

Time to take blame for jinxing @ctalbot33 with @Sportsnet opening. Cam pulled 4 goals/18 shots.Won't do it again Cam, @EdmontonOilers.#sorry pic.twitter.com/302khMN0R1

— Gene Principe (@GenePrincipe) March 23, 2017

BUT SERIOUSLY

After two straight shutouts, Cam Talbot yielded four goals in half of a game.  I can't tell you the last time a backup netminder appeared in a game before last night.   It's been more than a month.  Tampa?  Calgary?  Hartford?  With two upcoming games against the Avalanche, it might be time to get Brossoit some more camera time.

The opponents are saying

"I think any time you score a goal the whole team gets a boost of momentum, especially when you cut it down to a one-goal lead and we realize there's a chance to tie it up.  I mean, we were pushing for it.  It was a good goal, big goal, it's just tough to lose."

-Source

That's Avalanche forward Mark Barberio on pulling to within one goal in a 4-2 loss to St. Louis on Tuesday.

NO GOALS

It's been an especially tough year for the Colorado Avalanche.  So tough, their points percentage (.299) is actually worse than the 2013-14 and 2014-15 Buffalo Sabres.  If you forgot how bad those teams were, they were the ones who were actively trying to tank in order to get one of Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel.  Colorado has scored just 140 goals this season, but they've yielded an impressive 237.  That's a -97 goal differential, a number that's nearly certain to dip to over 100 by the time this year has concluded.

Have some of this

Nathan MacKinnon leads the Avalanche in scoring with 45 points (15-30-45) in 72 games.

HALF A SURPRISE - Oilers got Anton Slepyshev in the lineup for Matt Hendricks yesterday, but Matthew Benning was a healthy scratch for a second straight game for Eric Gryba.  I'll bet you a nickel we see Benning this evening.

Connor McDavid's three point night (1-2-3) gives him 85 points (26-59-85) in 73 games this year.  He's looking really good to eclipse the 90 point mark in the next couple of games.  Heck, maybe tonight.

If the Oilers don't go with Laurent Brossoit tonight (2-1-1, .924 SV% / 2.50 GAA) then I don't know if they ever do.  Jeremy Smith will start for the Avalanche (1-5-0, .890 SV% / 3.43 GAA)

Tyler Pitlick (knee) will be out for the Oilers. Colorado will be without defenceman Nikita Zadorov (ankle) and Semyon Varlamov (groin).

• #GOILERS