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Detroit Red Wings @ Edmonton Oilers Game Preview

Desharnais to make Oilers debut against Red Wings

By Jeff Chapman
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports


Detroit

@
Edmonton
25-26-11, 61 points, .982 p/g Ranks 31-22-9, 78 points, 1.132 p/g
Atlantic Division - 8th Pacific Division - 3rd
25th Points per Game 9th
23rd Special Teams 16th
25th Shots on Goal 9th
26th Goals Against per Game 9th
8 PM MDT
TV - CBC
Radio - 630 CHED
Rogers Place

The opposing view

PROJECTED
FORWARDS

Patrick Maroon - Connor McDavid - Leon Draisaitl
Milan Lucic - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jordan Eberle
Drake Caggiula - David Desharnais - Zack Kassian
Matt Hendricks - Mark Letestu - Jujhar Khaira

DEFENCE

Oscar Klefbom - Adam Larsson
Andrej Sekera - Matthew Benning
Darnell Nurse - Eric Gryba

GOAL

Cam Talbot
Laurent Brossoit


After The Deadline

The Oilers emerged from the trade deadline with a couple new forwards, one less defenceman and no new goalies. Montréal sent forward David Desharnais to the Oilers for defenceman Brandon Davidson.  Edmonton also sent Bakersfield's top scorer in Taylor Beck to the Rangers in exchange for winger Justin Fontaine.  We're likely to see Desharnais make his Oilers debut tonight as the Oilers will host the Red Wings for their first in an eight-game homestand.

After ending their six game road trip at 3-3, the Oilers must continue to put their foot to the gas pedal to ensure there's more hockey after the regular season.  Can they make quick work of the Detroit Red Wings tonight?

Let's go to the tape.

The Oilers are saying

That's Oilers' General Manager Peter Chiarelli on newly acquired forward David Desharnais.

Out of all the centres I had in mind, I didn't see Chiarelli swinging out East to grab Desharnais.  Desharnais has been limited to ten points (3-7-10) in 31 games this year partly due to a knee injury.  He was a healthy scratch in six of his last eight games in Montreal.  Still, he's an actual NHL player that will give McLellan the opportunity to keep Leon Draisaitl alongside Connor McDavid for the duration of the year.

Desharnais will wear number 13 for the Oilers, a number previously bestowed upon Former Oiler Greats Cam Barker and Mike Brown.

The opponents are saying

That's Detroit head coach Jeff Blashill, who apparently hasn't looked at the standings in about four months.

Detroit will miss the playoffs for the first time in a quarter-century.

Have some of this

  • Can the Oilers put Matthew Benning back into the lineup tonight?  Benning was a healthy scratch for Edmonton's last game in St. Louis.  Yeah, let's not.
  • David Desharnais should make his Oilers debut tonight, and it's a safe bet that Caggiula Slepyshev (?) will sit.
  • The Red Wings sent their second leading scorer to Florida on Wednesday.  Thomas Vanek was sent to the Panthers for a third round draft pick and former tenth overall pick Dylan McIlrath in return. The trade does Detroit no help in the scoring department, as they're-28 in goals for / goals against this season.  Meanwhile, they'll try to make a player out of McIlrath, who has just 43 career games at age 24.
  • CAM TV - The trade deadline has come and gone.  The Oilers opted not to trade for a backup netminder, which means it's all Talbot, all of the time. I've got Talbot starting tonight  (32-18-7, .920 SV% / 2.38 GAA / 5 SO).  Petr Mrazek ( 15-16-7, .903 SV% / 2.94 GAA) was between the pipes for Detroit's 3-2 overtime loss to the Flames last night.  Detroit may counter with Jared Coreau (5-3-3, .893 SV% / 3.27 GAA / 2 SO).  Jimmy Howard is close to returning from a knee injury, but is not likely tonight.
  • Tyler Pitlick (knee) will be out for the Oilers. The Red Wings are without defenceman Jonathan Ericsson (wrist).

    • Calgary's 3-2 overtime victory over Detroit puts them right behind the Oilers, although the Oilers have a game in hand.  The Oilers have an excellent chance to widen that gap to four points with a victory against Detroit tonight.
    • #GOILERS