If you’ve looked at the standings this morning, you know this is a dire time for the Edmonton Oilers 2017-18 season. The Oilers are No. 7 in the division and seven points behind the Calgary Flames as we enter play this evening, and it could be five points or nine by the time the clock strikes midnight.
The club arrives in Calgary with a growing list of injuries, most recently starting goalie Cam Talbot and defender Adam Larsson. Along with Andrej Sekera, this represents a massive portion of the ‘heart of the order’ and you’d be a fool to bet on this Edmonton time ripping through the 13 games of December. Added to that? The performances by some Oilers during the last 10 games.
Oilers Scoring, Last 10 Games
- Connor McDavid 10, 4-8-12
- Mark Letestu 10, 3-5-8
- Leon Draisaitl 10, 2-5-7
- Zack Kassian 10, 2-4-6
- Jujhar Khaira 7, 2-4-6
- Milan Lucic 10, 1-5-6
- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 10, 3-3-6
- Kris Russell 10, 1-5-6
- Ryan Strome 10, 2-4-6
- Darnell Nurse 10, 2-3-5
- Yohann Auvitu 7, 1-3-4
- Matt Benning 10, 2-2-4
- Drake Caggiula 9, 3-1-4
- Patrick Maroon 10, 3-1-4
- Mike Cammalleri 7, 1-1-2
- Oscar Klefbom 9, 1-1-2
- Adam Larsson 9, 1-0-1
- Iiro Pakarinen 5, 0-1-1
- Jesse Puljujarvi 8, 1-0-1
- Eric Gryba 5, 0-0-0
- Anton Slepyshev 3, 0-0-0
- Brad Malone 1, 0-0-0
Edmonton has scored 34 goals in the last 10 games, that’s a good total. Even better, 28 of those goals came at even strength! All of this comes via hockey-reference. I placed the right-wingers in bold, that’s one of the areas Edmonton badly needs to improve in the coming days.
The new man Walker
Edmonton claimed Nathan Walker from the Washington Capitals yesterday, he brings speed and versatility to the forward group. His scoring at the AHL level is .391 per game, meaning he’s likely going to apply for a checking role with the Oilers (Khaira’s career AHL points-per-game was .429). He can apparently play all three forward positions.
LINEUPS
Oilers
Lucic – McDavid – Puljujarvi
Maroon – Nugent-Hopkins – Slepyshev
Caggiula – Draisaitl – Strome
Khaira – Letestu – Kassian
Nurse – Gryba
Klefbom – Benning
Auvitu – Russell
If there are any changes, we’ll be sure to update the lineups.
Flames
Gaudreau – Monahan – Ferland
Tkachuk – Backlund – Frolik
Bennett – Jankowski – Jagr
Hathaway – Stajan – Brouwer
Giordano – D.Hamilton
Brodie – Hamonic
Kulak – Stone
Lineups (subject to change) are courtesy of DailyFaceoff.com
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
When the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers met on the first night of the season, both teams were dealing with the weight of expectations. The Flames had retooled a bit in the summer in an effort to line up more favourably against the Oilers, who were considered a potential contender for the Stanley Cup this season. The Oilers won that game 3-0. Since then, the teams have gone in significantly different directions. The Flames (14-10-1) welcome the Oilers (10-14-2) to the Saddledome tonight in the second of five Battles of Alberta this season, and the first one hosted by Calgary.
TONIGHT
![](https://i1.wp.com/dev1.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/gdb.jpg?resize=621%2C443&ssl=1)
GAME DAY PREDICTION: The Flames are quicker and more physical in the first period, but the Oilers are the team parading to the penalty box. A pair of gorgeous Johnny Gaudreau goals have the Calgary fans smiling wide after one.
OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: The Oilers begin to find their game, scoring on a tic-tac-toe passing play from McDavid-to-Lucic-to-Puljujarvi. A late power-play goal by Calgary (Gaudreau again!) makes it 3-1 Flames after two.
NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: The third period sees the Oilers play desperado hockey and tie the score on two brilliant goals (Nuge and Leon), and Edmonton goes ahead for a time on an Oscar Klefbom goal. Matt Tkachuk ties it late, Flames almost score on a filthy two-on-one (Tkachuk chop blocks Draisaitl, no call), and McDavid skates through everyone to score the winner. Edmonton goes to sleep happy, Calgary restless and uneasy.
GDB BROUGHT TO YOU BY SHERBROOKE LIQUOR
Take home a growler, a crowler, a sixer, a mixer, whatever. Sherbrooke Liquor. Where’s Your Beer?
Source: NHL, Official Game Page, 12/02/2017 – 11:00am MST
Whoop , whoop ,they ambushed the Fackers !!!!!!!!!!
Oilers penalty kill good on the road again. If they wouldn’t have given up that goal they would be top 10 in the league. If we had a GM capable of filling a few key holes they would have a chance, 4-1 against the Pacific this season.
Third period performance gives serious pause.
Brossoit s**t himself in the 3rd and, dispite the win I’m inclined to believe Nick Ellis will get the start next game.
Yes, we need an adequate backup and everything will be fine though. 3 goals from the left corner should not happen. Bennett’s second goal was really not LB’s fault, but he gave him way too much to shoot at. You can’t fault the team as a whole for letting a guy shoot from the goal line and it happens to go in, that’s all on LB.
Ellis out performed LB in their last season together in Bakersfield. I don’t know he’s played since. They need another goalie, got lucky last season. I liked DD and Nilsson when they were Oilers have never really seen it from LB.
What is it with the referees refusing to call pendlties on McDavid this year? He was in all alone in the last 30 seconds and was pulled off his feet and the ref just skates by. That is a referee without any courage.
Yup. Flames d was like Harvey Weinstein on him there. Brutal non call.
Love the reference!
They called that penalty on Letestu for having the fLame player skate into him from behind. They call that phantom stuff but let real penalties go.
No, that’s just terrible refereeing, plain and simple. Get used to it, plenty of it coming in the future.
Unfortunate, but true.
At least as long as the guys currently running the NHL stay in place.
A win is a win.
BUT,
if the Flames weren’t a joke of a team this could have been really ugly. At minimum, at LEAST 2 of the 5 goals against should have gone in. LB, you need to step your game up or you need to be replaced.
Kris Russell should not have been signed. I don’t question his heart, he’s got heart for miles. Maybe more heart than the Grinch who’s heart grew 3 sizes in one day. The problem is that goals win hockey games and despite all his heart, goals keep going in the wrong net when he’s on the ice.
Russell is a 1 Million 5/6/7 th defence.
Doesn’t matter. We need a defenceman who’s good at defense.
Brossoit really needs to focus. Poor effort on three of those third period goals.
Yup they were absolutely terrible.
His angles were awful.
That is not nhl calibre goaltending. Barely beer league.
it was garbage goaltending by a guy who shouldn’t be here.Jesus Chia could you please get us a competent backup please….and a RW….and another d-man….Christ i really hate watching this CRAP hockey for the 11 year in the last 12 !!!
I want to say we should try and get Halak or Greiss from the Islanders, but Chiarelli and Garth Snow discussing trades also gives me nightmares
Katz should never allow them to speak again. Chia is like the kid who trades all his best hockey cards, so that the cool kids will like him.
Suck it Hockeyfan