GAME PREVIEW: Edmonton Oilers vs. San Jose Sharks

Edmonton Oilers (34-37-9) (7th, Pacific)

San Jose Sharks (44-27-9) (2nd, Pacific)

7 PM MDT

Rogers Place

TV: Sportsnet West

Radio: 630 CHED

STILL NOT ACCORDING TO PLAN

When Milan Lucic scores a goal, the team has to harness those occasions and hang on til the end. Lucic scored midway through the first period, while Darnell Nurse made it 2-0 for the good guys four minutes later. The Oilers took a 2-0 lead to the dressing room after one. Hey, maybe a road win in Colorado?

Hold please.

The Avalanche would score six unanswered goals over the next forty minutes of play to help Edmonton snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Nathan MacKinnon would score his 40th goal of the season, while Alexander Kerfoot had a pair of goals as the Avalanche enjoyed a wild romp over the Oilers. The Avalanche got one foot closer to the playoffs, while the Oilers...are going to finish higher than the Kings this year.

The Oilers host the slumping, yet playoff-bound San Jose Sharks in their final home game of the year. Can Edmonton push San Jose off their game long enough to snag two points tonight?

Let’s go to the tape.

The Oilers are saying

BUT THANKS FOR THAT STAT

That’s Milan Lucic responding to the Sportsnet Twitter Account after Lucic scored his sixth goal of the season in Edmonton’s 6-2 loss to the Avalanche.

STOP ME IF YOU THINK THAT YOU’VE HEARD THIS ONE BEFORE

It’s been a rough season for Milan Lucic. His sixth goal on the season is just his 20th point of the year. Last season wasn’t much fun for Lucic either (34 points), we can only hope that 2019-20 is a season that sees some bounces come his way. Or a trade to Florida.

The Sharks are saying

I’m trying to figure out how you lose that game, but that’s the way it’s going right now.

Source

That’s San Jose captain Joe Pavelski on his club’s 4-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday.

Sharks looked to be in control against Vancouver, but the Canucks benefited from two goals scored midway through the third. The Sharks are 1-8-1 in their last ten, which isn’t exactly how you want to shape up heading to the playoffs.

HAVE SOME OF THIS

• This was Colorado’s sixth goal of the night. This one isn’t all on Koskinen, but someone get the guy a pillow and a couple of days off. Start Stolarz tonight, let Koskinen finish the season in Calgary against the Flames. The Colorado game is Koskinen’s 25th of 26 games, and it doesn’t look like he’s loving it out there right now.
• SLUMPIN’: The Sharks are mired in a 1-8-1 slump. What’s going on over there? It’s not rocket science. Erik Karlsson has been out for five weeks and they’re allowing an average of 4.3 goals per game in their last 10. That’s way more than their season average of 3.21, which already puts the in the bottom third of the league in goals allowed. They’ve put up an average of just 2.7 goals over the course of their last ten games. In a vacuum, 2.7 goals isn’t too shabby. 4.3 goals against is expansion era Senators bad.
• SCORIN’: Aside from San Jose’s recent glut of goals allowed, they remain a dangerous team with the puck. They rank third in the league in goals per game, they’re carried by a trio of 70 point scorers in Brent Burns (79), Tomas Hertl (71) and Logan Couture (70)
• NET GAINS: It's Anthony Stolarz tonight! Somebody buy Koskinen a two night stay at a bed and breakfast. The Sharks are likely to counter with Martin Jones (35-19-5, .896 SV%, 2.95 GAA / 3 SO).
• SICK BAY: Jesse Puljujarvi (hip surgery) remains out for the Oilers. Kyle Brodziak (hip) is day-to-day for the Oilers. Lukas Radil (lower body), Melker Karlsson (lower body) and Erik Karlsson (groin) are questionable for the Sharks, while Radim Simek (knee) is out for the remainder of the season.