GAME PREVIEW: Edmonton Oilers vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

Edmonton Oilers (32-34-7) (6th, Pacific)

Columbus Blue Jackets (40-29-4) (5th, Metro)

7 PM MST

Rogers Place

TV: Sportsnet One

Radio: 630 CHED

SB Nation Opponent: The Cannon

BOUNCED

The Oilers suffered a shellacking at the hands of the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night. Edmonton got goals from Zack Kassian and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, but the Blues put up seven on the Oilers. Jaden Schwartz had a hat trick, Alex Pietrangelo had a pair, while former Oilers David Perron and Pat Maroon each had a goal for the Blues. The Oilers picked up a pair of goals, but were able to put up just 17 shots along the way. Alex Stolarz saw action after Koskinen yielded the club’s third goal, it was a bad night for the Alberta club.

Looking to forget all about that, the Oilers host the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Jackets have gone all-in this year, but there’s growing concern that the club might not even make the playoffs. Can the Oilers some doubt into Columbus’ playoff push?

Let’s go to the tape.

The Oilers are saying

“We didn’t start sharp enough the past two games. It’s not just the first period, it’s every period we need to start with the same energy, the same intensity. We finished off the second and clawed our way back within two and we just didn’t come out with that same intensity that we had at the end of the second.”

Source

That’s Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the club’s lacklustre effort in a 7-2 lost to the Blues on Tuesday.

Oilers were blown out of the water in this one. Down by a goal at the end of the first period, they were in real trouble early through the second. St. Louis scored a goal thirty seconds into the middle frame, then hung two more on seven minutes later.

The Blue Jackets are saying

“You’ve got to take it one day at a time...Today we lost some ground but we’re still in a spot.”

Source

That’s Columbus forward Matt Duchene after his club’s 4-2 loss to Calgary on Tuesday.

The Blue Jackets are really cutting it close here. They’re all in on a handful of expiring deals (Matt Duchene, Sergei Bobrovsky, Artemi Panarin, Ryan Dzingel), but they’re holding onto the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference by just a point.

HAVE SOME OF THIS

• Maybe Ferraro wants in. Doubt it.
• ALL IN: The Blue Jackets would be in deep if they missed the playoffs with all of these expiring deals. Matt Duchene has six points since joining the club fourteen games ago via trade. Ryan Dzingel has six points in twelve games. Both Artemi Panarin and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky are free agents at the beginning of July. To top it off, the club has only a third round pick and a seventh round pick (via Calgary) in this year’s upcoming draft.
• The Columbus Blue Jackets rank 12th overall in goal scoring (3.03 GPG). They rank 13th in goals allowed (2.92 GA/G).
• Milan Lucic picked up a five minute major and a game misconduct for a check from behind on St. Louis’ Oskar Sundqvist. There was no additional supplementary discipline for Lucic, and there’s a strong chance he’ll be back on the fourth line tonight.
• NET GAINS: Mikko Koskinen (22-18-4, .908 SV% / 2.89 GAA / 4 SO) is likely to go for the Oilers again tonight. Expect Sergei Bobrovsky (31-23-1, .909 SV% / 2.71 GAA / 6 SO) to get the nod for the Blue Jackets.
• SICK BAY: For the Oilers, Jesse Puljujarvi is recovering from hip surgery. Nick Foligno (personal) and Ryan Murray (upper body) are out for the Jackets.