Fatigue should not be a factor for the Oilers. They need to play like they did in Vegas and Colorado, because the Blues, despite trading away Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk last week, are playing very good hockey.<\/p>\n
Since returning from the Olympic break, the Blues have been the stingiest defensive team in the NHL allowing only 14 goals in eight games (1.75 GAA). St. Louis is 6-1-1 and all six wins have come against teams in a playoff spot, or one point out of a playoff position. The Blues are relishing the spoiler role, and the Oilers can\u2019t afford to take them lightly.<\/p>\n
Edmonton wasn\u2019t ready to play last night. They allowed a goal 1:23 into the game and were never in the game. The Stars outshot them 10-4 in the first period and Edmonton barely had any sustained pressure in the offensive zone. They trailed 3-0 only 15 minutes into the game and it was 5-0 before the game was half over. The Oilers\u2019 inability to string together multiple good performances has been their downfall all season.<\/p>\n
They\u2019ve won three games in a row once. Ten other times they\u2019ve won two in a row but lost the third game. They were outscored by a combined 41-22 in those 10 games. They managed a 4-3 shootout loss to Los Angeles and a 4-3 overtime loss to Buffalo but haven\u2019t been very competitive in the other games. They\u2019ve struggled to find consistency in their game for three consecutive games, yet they are still in a playoff race as the rest of their division struggles equally.<\/p>\n
They need a much better effort tonight, from everyone in the lineup. They were bad defensively, anemic offensively and shoddy in goal. It was a complete team effort in the loss. They got outworked at 5\u00d75, the power play was ineffective with too many giveaways, and the penalty kill allowed two goals on four kills. The Oilers weren\u2019t good last night, but a bounce-back effort tonight could send them home with a 3-1 record on this road trip and that would be impressive.<\/p>\n
They started the trip well, which sets them up for a great finish if they can defeat the surging Blues. The Blues likely believe they can still make the playoffs. They are six points out with 17 games remaining. The odds are very low, but they gained nine points in eight games on Seattle and after tonight they play five games against non-playoff teams and two against the eighth-place San Jose Sharks. The Blues are playing great, especially defensively, and despite a bit more travel I expect them to have a lot of jump tonight. When you are playing well you can\u2019t wait to get back on the ice.<\/p>\n
Edmonton has to match their intensity, and they can\u2019t give up a goal in the first 90 seconds, which has happened in their last two games.<\/p>\n
SNAPSHOTS\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2014 Tristan Jarry allowed seven goals last night. Some he had no chance on, but he also didn\u2019t make any big saves. He looked good in relief in Colorado, but that was erased quickly last night. In his last six starts he has allowed seven, five, five, four, five and four goals. He\u2019s made 13 starts for the Oilers and has allowed 4+ goals in nine of them. He is clearly the back up at this point. The Oilers play nine games in the final 19 days of March. None are back-to-back, and I could see Connor Ingram starting eight of them. They play tonight, then at home Sunday (NSH), Tuesday (SJS), Thursday (FLA) and Saturday (TBL). Then they have two days off before playing in Utah (March 24th) and Vegas (March 26th) then back home for an afternoon game on March 28th v. the Ducks. Then another two days off before the play Seattle. Ingram, in theory, could start in all of them, but Jarry might get one start. Two at the most, unless Ingram really struggles. Jarry needs to work on his game in practice and find some fire to compete harder.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Evan Bouchard set a new career with his 19th goal of the season last night. Bouchard is on a nine-game point streak (16 points), and he has 30 points in his last 18 games which leads the Oilers and is second in the NHL behind Nikita Kucherov. Bouchard is poised to become the fourth D-man in franchise history to score 20 goals in a season, and only the second one in the last 40 years. Paul Coffey did it five times scoring 48, 40, 37, 29 and 29 from 1982-1986. Charlie Huddy scored 20 in 1983, and Sheldon Souray scored 23 in 2009.<\/p>\n
LINEUPS\u2026<\/p>\n
Savoie \u2013 McDavid \u2013 Hyman
Podkolzin \u2013 Draisaitl \u2013 Kapanen
Samanski \u2013 Dickinson \u2013 Roslovic
Henrique \u2013 Frederic \u2013 Jones<\/p>\n
Ekholm \u2013 Bouchard
Nurse \u2013 Murphy
Walman \u2013 Stastney<\/p>\n
Ingram<\/p>\n
Oilers only have 12 forwards and six D-men available right now with Colton Dach and Ty Emberson in Edmonton. Connor Ingram starts and the Oilers are hoping he gives them a chance to be in the game.<\/p>\n
*** updated lineupd**. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will not play. He is back in Edmonton attending to personal reasons. Max Jones was recalled and Dach moved to LTIR. And with RNH out of the lineup, the lines above have been updated with Matt Savoie getting promoted to the top line.<\/p>\n
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