GAME PREVIEW: Edmonton Oilers vs Colorado Avalanche

Edmonton Oilers (8-7-1) (4th, Pacific)

Colorado Avalanche (7-6-3) (5th, Central)

Rogers Place

7:30 PM MST

TV: Sportsnet One

Radio: 630 CHED

SB Nation Opponent: Mile High Hockey

Oh sweet Jesus, the Oilers need a win and they need it today. The Oilers are on a 3 game losing streak and they need to just take the Avalanche to the pound. There’s no whimsical story here, the Oilers just need to take the Avalanche to the streets and skate away with two points.

We’re still going to the tape.

The Oilers are saying

He’s in the same arc as Yamo or Bouch...Just because you’ve been in the League now for a few years doesn’t take you out of that; you’re still a young player

Source

That’s Oilers head coach Todd McLellan on Jesse Puljujarvi, Puljujarvi was sent to Bakersfield yesterday. I’m feeling windy.

THEY’RE DOING THE THING AGAIN

It’s about damn time. FFS, if the team isn’t going to play your fourth overall pick from 2016 let the kid get some time in Bakersfield. You could also buy the kid a vowel and put him on the top two scoring lines instead of /squints eyes/ Ty Rattie or Kailer Yamamoto who is exactly four months younger than the fourth overall pick in 2016.

I love the Oilers and I always will. But sometimes they make it hard.

The Avalanche are saying

“Too many mistakes and turnovers with the puck led to chances againstj..All those odd-man rushes and scoring chances against, that’s mostly on us and not on them. You got to give them credit for pinching the puck on the boards all the time with their D, they are always charging forward...”

That’s Avalanche coach Jared Bednar after his club’s 5-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Friday.

The Avalanche have one point in their last five games. That’s not too good.

HAVE SOME OF THIS

• I feel it’s important to tell you that I’m hungover as hell as I write this. How hungover? I’m streaming Ringo Starr tunes on Spotify. Picture that. As far as the Oilers go, it’s about fucking time that the Oilers sent Puljujarvi and Yamamoto to the AHL. When I bitch and moan about how the Oilers can’t figure out how to develop their prospects, this is the sort of thing I’m crowing about. Yamamoto hasn’t had success at the NHL level yet, and Puljujarvi has been scratched for the majority of the last ten games. What the hell are we doing? Two first round picks need to play. Let them play in the A.
• DO THE DRAKE: Drake Caggiula is on 3RW while Alex Chiasson is on the second line. Alex Chiasson might be cooling down, so it’s important for other secondary scorers to pick up the pieces, AWB style.
• NET GAINS: Cam Talbot (5-6-1, .899 SV% / 2.94 GAA) should go for the Oilers. The Avs are likely to roll with Semyon Varlamov (4-5-2, .927 SV% / 2.38 GAA)
• SICK BAY: Andrej Sekera is out forever (ankle). For the Avalanche, Sven Andrighetto (lower body) is week to week, while J.T. Compher is out indefinitely (concussion).