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New York Islanders @ Edmonton Oilers Game Preview

Jordan Eberle returns to Edmonton as a member of the Islanders

New York Islanders v Vegas Golden Knights
Ebs!
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

New York Islanders (29-29-9) (7th, Metro)

Edmonton Oilers (28-34-4) (6th, Pacific)

7 PM

Rogers Place

TV: Sportsnet West

Radio: 630 CHED

SB Nation Opponent: Lighthouse Hockey

BREAKDOWN:

The Oilers snapped their three game losing streak with an OT win against Arizona on Monday. Oscar Klefbom scored the OT winner on a feed from Connor McDavid early into the extra session. The Oilers made it interesting by giving up a two goal lead in the third period, but were able to emerge victorious in OT.

An old friend returns to Rogers Place as a member of the Islanders. Will the Oilers extend their winning streak to two?

Let’s go to the tape.

The Oilers are saying

“It’s a relief for all of us, but a big relief for both of them. It’s been a long time coming. A lot of chances and opportunities for both of them that haven’t gone in, and that’s a heavy weight that both of them have been carrying for two months”

Source

That’s Oilers head coach Todd McLellan on Milan Lucic and Oscar Klefbom snapping some lengthy goal droughts. Despite getting a significant amount of top line time with Connor McDavid, it took 30 games for Milan Lucic to bury one. Here’s hoping Monday’s goal opens the taps.

The Coyotes are saying

“Playoff teams find ways to get two points every night...especially right now down the stretch, some nights you’re happy with one and you’re all right with the way you played, but we can’t be happy with one. We needed two.”

Source

That’s Islanders forward Jordan Eberle on the Islanders dropping Monday’s 4-3 contest in Vancouver.

A seven game winless streak has done wonders at killing the Islanders’ playoff hopes. They’e all but mathematically eliminated at this point.

Have some of this

Oh, Mathew Barzal. You have much to learn.

  • BARZALMANIA: There’s your rookie of the year. With Vancouver’s Brock Boeser out with an injury, Barzal is a runaway. Mathew Barzal has 69 points in 67 games (18-51-69). Give him the trophy already.
  • CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE: Jordan Eberle is pacing at a 59 point season.
  • OFFENCE YES, DEFENCE NO: The Islanders are pretty good at scoring goals. They’re eighth overall, averaging 3.18 goals per game. Great, right? They’re last in the league in goals allowed (3.57 goals per game). That’s more goals than 30th ranked Arizona (3.40 goals per game) and Edmonton (3.30 goals per game). The Islanders have a 13th ranked power play (20.8%), while their PK is 30th in the league (74.6%), just above Edmonton’s (73.9.)
  • Connor McDavid is up to 80 points on the season (30-50-80), which means he’s got about sixteen games to reach back-to-back 100 point seasons. There’s a good chance he can pad that total tonight. More on that in the next bullet point.
  • Look for Cam Talbot to get the start tonight against the Islanders (23-26-2, .904 SV% / 3.12 GAA / 1 SO). Expect Jaroslav Halak (18-22-6, .908SV% / 3.23 GAA / 1 SO) to get the start for the Islanders.
  • SICK BAY: Milan Lucic is questionable with an illness. The Islanders are without Calvin de Haan (upper body), Thomas Greiss (lower body), Scott Mayfield (lower body), Alan Quine (lower body) and Nikolay Kulemin (shoulder).