GAME PREVIEW: Edmonton Oilers vs. Dallas Stars

Edmonton Oilers (18-13-4) 3rd, Pacific vs

Dallas Stars (19-11-4) 4th, Central

16 December 2019

American Airlines Center

630 PM MST

TV: Sportsnet West

Radio: 630 CHED

SB Nation Opponent: Defending Big D

IN A RUT

The Oilers are winless in their last four games (0-3-1) after dropping a 4-1 contest to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Alex Chiasson scored the lone Oiler goal in the third period while on a power play, but it was all for naught. Four different Leafs cashed, it began with Alexander Kerfoot scored his sixth of the season less than five minutes in. Kerfoot would pick up his second point of the game on an assist less than a minute later when Ilya Mikheyev scored his fifth of the season. While 2-1, the Leafs picked up additional tallies by Frederik Gauthier and Mitch Marner later on in the third period. Move on to the next one.

The Oilers are in danger of falling out of the playoff picture. They’ve got the same amount of points as Calgary and they need to pick up the W tonight to remain in the thick of things. Can the Oilers snap the streak?

Let’s go to the tape.

THE OILERS ARE SAYING

We have to find a way to stay in games 5-on-5...It was a tough game. I thought we did a lot of good stuff out there. It was a tight game and we have to find a way to win these kinds of games. To be a playoff team, you have to find a way to even get one point and you have to stick to your game. Our power play has been good all year, our [penalty kill] has been good all year, it’s the 5-on-5 game that we’ve been struggling with.

Source

That’s Oilers defenceman Oscar Klefbom after his club’s 4-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.

The Oilers have the league’s top power play, which is great. They rank just 18th in 5 on 5 scoring.

THE STARS ARE SAYING

When he’s hungry, with his intensity, he’s an effective player and he’s hard to play against because he’s just a dog on a bone. He won’t let go. He’s going to stay on that puck and keep fighting, so give him credit.

Source

That’s Stars head coach Rick Bowness on forward Alexander Radulov. After previously being a health scratch less than two weeks ago, Radulov had two assists in his club’s 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday

HAVE SOME OF THIS

• Oh God, hook this up to my VEINS. Not sure the Oilers get it done, but that’d be a pretty good early Christmas gift for a club that has two of the best players in the world but rank just 18th in 5 on 5 scoring.
• The Stars had an abysmal start to the season. Since going 1-7-1 to kick things off, they’ve peeled off an 18-4-3 record, which is pretty darn good. How are they doing it? It’s a pretty simple formula, really. They’re keeping pucks out of the net. They rank second in the league, allowing just eighty goals on the year. That’s good!
• Tyler Seguin (6-19-25) leads the Stars in points, followed by the aforementioned Radulov (9-12-21) and Miro Heiskanen. Not a whole lot of points, but when you’re keeping pucks out of the net.
• NET GAINS: Look for the Stars to roll with Ben Bishop (12-6-3, .933 SV% / 2.07 GAA / 1 SO). The Oilers ought to call on Mikko Koskinen (11-5-2, .914 SV% / 2.74 GAA / 1 SO).
• SICK BAY: Matt Benning is day-to-day for the Oilers (head). Andrew Cogliano and Mattias Janmark are day-to-day for the Stars.