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Edmonton Oilers @ Vancouver Canucks Game Preview

Oilers finish season with a home-and-home and a chance at the Pacific Division crown

Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports


Edmonton

@

Vancouver
45-26-9, 99 points, 1.238 p/g Ranks 30-41-9, 69 points, .869 p/g
Pacific DIvision - 2nd Pacific Division - 7th
9th Points per Game 29th
11th Special Teams 29th
9th Shots on Goal 29th
8th Goals Against per Game 23rd
8:00 MDT
TV - CBC
Radio - 630 CHED
Rogers Arena

The opposing view

PROJECTED
FORWARDS

Patrick Maroon - Connor McDavid - Leon Draisaitl
Milan Lucic - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jordan Eberle
Benoit Pouliot - David Desharnais - Zack Kassian
Drake CaggiulaMark Letestu - Anton Slepyshev

DEFENCE

Oscar Klefbom - Adam Larsson
Andrej Sekera - Kris Russell
Darnell Nurse - Matthew Benning

GOAL

Cam Talbot
Laurent Brossoit


Two If By Sea

Milan Lucic's natural hat trick helped to propel the Oilers to a 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.  The victory was also Cam Talbot's 41st of the season, which is a new season record for the Oilers.  Connor McDavid scored his 30th goal of the year, and things went just dandy for the Oilers en route to a win.

The Oilers will face off against the Canucks tonight.  They'll return to the comfy confines of Rogers Place tomorrow to take on the these Same Canucks.  If the Oilers win twice in regulation (and the Ducks lose to the Kings tomorrow), then Your Edmonton Oilers will be Pacific Division Champions.

Let's start with a win tonight, eh?

The Oilers are saying

That's head coach Todd McLellan on Milan Lucic after Edmonton's 4-2 victory over the Sharks.

Lucic's first half of the season wasn't good.  He struggled mightily on a line with freakin' Connor McDavid, but things have changed for the (much) better as of late.  He's got 13 points (9-4-13) over the last sixteen games dating back to the beginning of March.  If the Oilers can figure out the whole 'Klefbom fires puck, Lucic cleans up' routine, they'll be doin' just fine.

The opponents are saying

That's Canucks goalie Ryan Miller on yielding four goals to Arizona on Thursday.

36-year old Ryan Miller will become an unrestricted free agent in two games.

Have some of this

  • The Canucks are very bad.  They do however, have a few things that Are Not Bad™.  Bo Horvat is one of those things, and he leads the Canucks in scoring at age 21.  (20-31-51)
  • Connor McDavid now has 97 points (30-67-97) with two games against Vancouver on his plate.  I'm sure he'll preach team accountability and how it's a team game, but there's a pretty good chance he hits 100 points by the end of tomorrow's game.
  • I think we'll see Laurent Brossoit by the time this weekend over, but I've got Cam Talbot  (41-22-8, .919 SV% / 2.40 GAA / 7 SO). between the pipes tonight.  The Canucks will likely counter with Ryan Miller (18-28-6, 2.80 GAA / .914 SV% / 3 SO)
  • The Oilers will be without Tyler Pitlick (knee).  The Canucks will be without goalie Jacob Markstrom (knee), Sven Baertschi (undisclosed), Jack Skille (ankle), Joseph Cramarossa (foot), Markus Grandlund (wrist), Brendan Gaunce (upper body), Anton Rodin (knee), Derek Dorsett (shoulder) and defencemen Erik Gudbranson (wrist).
  • CROWN ME: It's simple, really.  Win tonight, win tomorrow.  And hope Anaheim drops their season finale to the Kings.  Win the Division.  Get home ice.  WIn.  Win some more.
  • #GOILERS