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1-0-0, 0 points, 2 p/g	Ranks	0-1-0, 0 points, 0 p/g
Playoffs		Playoffs
t-1st	Points per Game	t-9th
t-6th	Special Teams	t-6th
2nd	Shots on Goal	16th
t-7th	Goals Against per Game	t-13th

Not Quite How It Was Scripted

The first period of Wednesday's game was one of the best periods I've seen the Oilers play.  They controlled the puck.  When they didn't have the puck, they were after the puck.  They scored two goals.  The Sharks scored none.  It looked like the Oilers were going to drive this one to the bank

The second and third periods were completely opposite the first.  Joel Ward got San Jose on the board early on in the second, and Paul Martin tied it up with five minutes gone in the third.  This game ended up going to overtime thanks largely in part to Cam Talbot stopping a wall of shots, and Melker Karlsson scored three minutes in sudden death to give the Sharks a 1-0 series lead.

Edmonton badly needs to tie this series up with a win tonight, as no team wants to go away from home down 0-2.

Let's go to the tape.

The Oilers are saying

"They had the puck all night, they played in our zone...When you don't have the puck you're not going to get many shots on goal.  They did a good job."

-Source

That's Oilers forward Connor McDavid on San Jose's dominant play in game 1.

The Sharks amassed 44 shots in game one.  You don't need your pocket calculator to figure out that you're going to lose more games than you win when you allow 44 shots.

The opponents are saying

"I think there wasn't much that needed to be said.  There wasn't much panic."

Source

That's Sharks forward Joe Pavelski on San Jose's come-from-behind victory on Wednesday night.

San Jose played a great road game, and they'll definitely want to circle the last 40 minutes of the game. They did it without Joe Thornton who was scratched due to injury, and Logan Couture is playing with a full face shield.

Have some of this

The result from Wednesday night's game wasn't very much fun, but this was pretty good.  Been a great few days of anthems so far in this year's playoffs.  Rob Clark and the fans here, Ginette Reno in Montréal.  Good stuff.

Oilers fans waited a long time for #StanleyCup Playoff hockey, and they did not disappoint with a rendition of O Canada from the stands. pic.twitter.com/UqJkCKh97g

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 13, 2017

The Oilers took seven penalties on Wednesday night en route to their overtime loss.  That's about six too many for my liking.  Getting nine shots in the last 43 minutes of the game wasn't big on my highlight list either.

PIPE DREAMS: Cam Talbot turned aside 41 shots on Wednesday, but took the loss in overtime.  Look for the Sharks to counter once again with Martin Jones, who was 17/19 in the win.

TWO FOR LUCIC:  A goal and an assist for Milan Lucic on Wednesday.  You'll also note that Oscar Klefbom opened the scoring early on for the Oilers.  It's Klefbom shot, Lucic clean up.  Let's not complicate the process, you guys.  Lucic's goal was on the power play.  More of this.

LINE SWITCH: McLellan shuffled his bottom six pretty good last game.  Benoit Pouliot and David Desharnais found themselves on the fourth line with Iiro Pakarinen, while Mark Letestu and Zack Kassian were bumped up to line three.  It's the first playoff series since 2006 and I'm asking a lot, but a goal from one of those lines would be great.

The Oilers will be without Tyler Pitlick (knee).  The Sharks' Joe Thornton (leg) will be a 'game time decision'.

We're really not at the point of "must win games", but tonight's game is precipitously close to a "must win game" for the Oilers.  They've enjoyed success against the Sharks during the regular season, but they'll be in a world of hurt if they go to San Jose down 2-0.  So, don't do that.

#GOILERS