GAME PREVIEW: Edmonton Oilers vs New York Islanders

Edmonton Oilers (24-29-6) (7th, Pacific)

New York Islanders (35-17-6) (1st, Metro)

7 PM MST

Rogers Place

TV: Sportsnet West

Radio: 630 CHED

SB Nation Opponent: Lighthouse Hockey

A POINT IS A POINT

The Edmonton Oilers were able to squeak a point out of the Arizona Coyotes in their 3-2 shootout loss on Tuesday night. The Coyotes traded goals with the Oilers beginning in the second period when Josh Archibald put one up for the Coyotes. The Oilers would get it back with Adam Larsson’s third of the year early in the third period. Vinny Hinostroza scored his tenth midway through the third, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tied it up in the dying seconds of regulation. Nothing transpired in OT, and Vinny Hinostroza would seal the deal for the Coyotes in the shootout. The Oilers would pick up a point, the Coyotes would pick up two. The Coyotes are just one point out of the second wild card spot. The Oilers are...further back.

The Oilers try to get back into the win column with a visit from the New York Islanders. Can the club avenge their loss earlier last week?

Let’s go to the tape.

The Oilers are saying

We had a lot of chances in OT and could have ended it. It was nice to get a point and it is something to build off of. We just have to find anything to get some positive momentum and hopefully battling back to get a point is that for us and we can keep fighting here.

Source

That’s Oilers forward Sam Gagner on Tuesday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Coyotes

Credit (about one point) to the Oilers for making a game of it, but it’s quickly turning into a show of too little, too late.

The Islanders are saying

We were a little bit too loose I think. We weren’t winning those small little plays, little battles, stuff like that. Against a high-powered offense and team that moves the puck really well … they created a lot of entries where they were controlling the puck coming into the zone. You give guys like that time, they’re going to make plays and they did.

Source

That’s Islanders captain Anders Lee after his club’s 4-2 loss to the Flames last night.

Islanders are 6-3-1 in their last ten, they’re currently three up on the Washington Capitals in the Metropolitan Division. Not too bad at the end of February.

HAVE SOME OF THIS

Two tweets.

• Encouraging!

• This forward lineup was from yesterday, and it leaves a considerable amount to be desired. Next time someone tells you that Chiarelli was good at anything past the clearance aisle, you hit them in the nose with a rolled up newspaper and shout NO. Connor McDavid missed Edmonton’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Coyotes on Tuesday night, and the lineup was a damn disaster. Colby Cave on the second line is enough to give me the shivers.
• Andrej Sekera’s first game back for the Oilers saw him paired up with Matt Benning on the third pair. Sekera had seventeen and a half minutes of ice time (including a couple of minutes shorthanded). More tonight.
• It’s been less than a week since the Oilers met the Islanders in Brooklyn. Tonight, the Metropolitan leading Islanders make a stop at Rexall Place. Goaltending is a large reason that they’re atop the Metropolitan Division (they’re allowing a cool 2.32 goals per game on average), they’re 21st in the league in goals scored (2.85 per game / average).
• Speaking of goaltenders, look for Robin Lehner (18-9-4, .929 SV% / 2.08 GAA / 3 SO) to get the nod for the Islanders tonight. Mikko Koskinen will go for the Oilers. (14-14-3, .906 SV% / 2.87 GAA / 3 SO). Koskinen hasn’t picked up a W since January 16th, tonight would be a good night to do so.
• SICK BAY: The Oilers could really use Connor McDavid back in the lineup (illness, day-to-day). Jesse Puljujarvi (undisclosed) and Jujhar Khaira (undisclosed) are on IR until at least Saturday. For the Islanders, Andrew Ladd (upper body) and defenceman Thomas Hickey (lower body) are day-to-day.