OILERS (17-12-5) at COYOTES (11-16-5)
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET; FS-A PLUS, SNW, NHL.TV
Oilers team scope
The Edmonton Oilers will go for their fourth win in five games Wednesday without forward Tyler Pitlick, who returned to Edmonton after a leg injury against the St. Louis Blues on Monday. Rookie Jesse Puljujarvi, who has sat out seven of the past 10 games, will take Pitlick's place. He has one goal and seven assists in 23 games. "Jesse has performed well when he's been put in situations," Oilers coach Todd McLellan said at the morning skate. "We think he's a tremendous player who is only going to get better." After a run of 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 11 games, center Connor McDavid has two assists in the past five games. But another center, Leon Draisaitl, has 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in his past 10 games and leads Edmonton with 14 goals this season. "We've always believed that he could be the player he is right now," McLellan said. "It just takes a little bit of time and gaining confidence in yourself. Leon is feeling really good about his game right now for a number of different reasons. He's making other people around him better, and he's picking up the slack for others that aren't quite at the level that we need them to be." Goaltender Cam Talbot will start and look for his 17th win.
Coyotes team scope
The Arizona Coyotes have lost two straight and are 3-6-3 since sweeping back-to-back games from the Oilers, a team they have dominated for five seasons. The Coyotes have earned at least a point in 25 straight games with Edmonton (21-0-4), the longest points streak in franchise history and the sixth-longest in NHL history. It's the longest points streak in the League since the Philadelphia Flyers had a 32-game points streak against the Los Angeles Kings from 1974-83, according to the Coyotes. "We've done a good job shutting their top players down and playing a tight game," defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson said. "It's a big challenge to be out there against the top players in the league like [Connor] McDavid. Most players slow down when they get the puck but he seems to get faster." Goaltender Mike Smith will start. He is 15-1-1 against the Oilers with a 2.24 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage. Captain Shane Doan will play in his 1,499th NHL game Wednesday and remains stuck on 399 career goals. He has gone nine games without a goal and has three in 32 games this season.
Oilers projected lineup
Milan Lucic -- Connor McDavid -- Jordan Eberle
Patrick Maroon -- Leon Draisaitl -- Jesse Puljujarvi
Benoit Pouliot -- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Drake Caggiula
Matt Hendricks -- Mark Letestu -- Zack Kassian
Brandon Davidson -- Eric Gryba
Cam Talbot
Scratched: Taylor Beck, Matthew Benning, Jesse Puljujarvi
Injured: Darnell Nurse (foot), Iiro Pakarinen (knee), Tyler Pitlick (leg)
Coyotes projected lineup
Lawson Crouse -- Martin Hanzal -- Radim Vrbata
Tobias Rieder -- Jordan Martinook -- Shane Doan
Jamie McGinn -- Peter Holland -- Anthony Duclair
Brendan Perlini -- Christian Dvorak -- Ryan White
Oliver Ekman-Larsson -- Connor Murphy
Alex Goligoski -- Michael Stone
Mike Smith
Louie Domingue
Scratched: Kevin Connauton, Anthony DeAngelo Josh Jooris
Injured: Max Domi (upper body), Brad Richardson (broken leg)
Status report
Perlini is back in the lineup for Arizona and will join Dvorak and White on the fourth line. Crouse will play his second game with Hanzal and Vrbata on the top line. Puljujarvi will play Pitlick's spot with Maroon and Draisaitl. Gryba will remain in the lineup with Benning a healthy scratch.
Who's hot
Draisaitl has a goal and three assists in the past two games. … Sekera has three assists in the past two games. … Dvorak has a goal and two assists in the past two games.
Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music, Soaps
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99
Babe Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonth.html
Hunk Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonthman.html
0 comments:
Post a Comment