GAME PREVIEW: Edmonton Oilers vs. Arizona Coyotes

Edmonton Oilers (31-32-7) (5th, Pacific)

Arizona Coyotes (36-30-5) (4th, Pacific)

8 PM MST

Gila River Arena

TV: Sportsnet, CBC

Radio: 630 CHED

SB Nation Opponent: Five For Howling

DEFLATED

Want to feel a gut punch? Win five of six, and then let the Devils double you up at home on the tail end of a back-to-back. That’s exactly what happened on Wednesday night. Fresh off a 9-4 beatdown at the hands of the Calgary Flames, the Devils came into Edmonton and put up six on the Oilers. Six different Devils hung a goal on the Oilers, who now need to win every game from here on out to have a decent chance at the postseason. Tonight, they’ll face the Arizona Coyotes, a team that they’re chasing. The Coyotes are right points up on the Oilers right now. Can the Oilers take them down?

Let’s go to the tape.

The Oilers are saying

“We took them lightly, took the game for granted. I don’t think we came to work,...They are a good team, they work hard. They don’t have the veterans in the lineup, but whatever they lacked in experience, they made up for in effort”.

Source

That’s Connor McDavid on his club’s 6-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night.

Connor McDavid reached the 100 point mark with two assists on the night, but the Devils hung six on an Oilers club that can’t afford any more losses for the next dozen games.

The Coyotes are saying

I’m excited. I haven’t scored three goals in a game probably since junior...It’s something you don’t think about happening but when it does, it’s something special. It comes in a win and at a special time when we’re trying to hold a playoff spot.

Source

That’s Coyotes forward Vinnie Hinostroza on picking up a hat trick in Thursday’s 6-1 win over the Ducks.

Coyotes just need to keep in straight and they’ll be in the dance. They currently lead the Oilers by eight points.

HAVE SOME OF THIS

• EVERYONE LOVES CHOICES - Oh God. Is that Milan Lucic on the top line?
• GOTTA WIN ‘EM ALL: Oilers have a dozen games left. At 69 points, they’ve got to win 11 or all 12 to give themselves a fighting chance. No pressure, you guys.
• WAIT, THEY’RE IN THE PLAYOFFS? Two things: the Oilers are struggling (again), even after their recent surge. The Coyotes have won ten of their last twelve.
• NET GAINS: Mikko Koskinen will be looking for his 22nd win of the season tonight (21-16-4, .911 SV% / 2.79 GAA / 4 SO). Darcy Kuemper is going for big 25 (24-16-8, .921 SV% / 2.48 GAA / 3 SO)
• SICK BAY: Other than Jesse Puljujarvi (hip surgery), the Oilers are healthy. The Coyotes are without centre Nick Schmaltz (lower body) and Derek Stepan (leg).