A loss tonight in Buffalo would basically waste the good effort the Edmonton Oilers had in Detroit on Wednesday. They can’t afford it. The Sabres have lost seven games in a row, two in overtime and five in regulation. They are struggling, but the Oilers can’t take them lightly. Edmonton is not good enough to just show up and expect a victory.
Rasmus Ristolainen, their best defenceman, returns to the lineup after missing nine games and that will give the Sabres a boost. I see this as another must-win game, even though it is only November. Edmonton simply can’t afford to lose against the 30th place Sabres.
They need the same desperation and determination we saw in Detroit, and they will need a solid game from Laurent Brossoit. He gets his third start of the season. He was solid in his last start in Washington, but he allowed six goals coming off the bench versus the St. Louis Blues. The entire team was beyond terrible that game, but Brossoit still needs a bounce back performance.
If he struggles, Peter Chiarelli will have to strongly consider finding another backup. Tonight will be Brossoit’s sixth appearance of the season.
He has had two starts.
October 17th versus Carolina. Allowed five goals on 21 shots in 57:49. Finished with a .762sv%
November 12th @ Washington. Allowed one goal on 19 shots in 65:00 for a .947sv%
He’s replaced Cam Talbot three times.
October 7th @ Vancouver. Stopped all 19 shots in 37:56. 1.000sv%
October 14th vs. Ottawa. Allowed two goals on eight shots in 18:56. .750sv%
November 21st @ St.Louis. Gave up six goals on 37 shots in 52:25 to finish with a .838sv%.
Last season in eight appearances, four starts, he finished with a .928sv% and 1.99 goals against average.
Tonight is only his 13th NHL start, so it is difficult to say how good or bad he will be, but his sv% in 12 starts and 19 appearances is .900. Adapting to the role of backup is very difficult, because Brossoit has always been a starter at every other level. He is used to playing every few days, not once every two weeks, but that is the reality for a backup. You don’t have many opportunities, and when you do get in you need to play well to earn the trust of the coach.
Cam Talbot leads the NHL with 20 starts, and despite him struggling this season, Brossoit has only started twice prior to tonight. And Talbot has the flu, or he might be starting his 21st game tonight.
Brossoit could require a good, if not great, performance tonight to keep his job.
LINEUP
Oilers
Lucic-McDavid-Caggiula
Maroon-RNH-Draisaitl
Khaira-Strome-Puljujarvi
Cammalleri-Letestu-Kassian
Nurse-Larsson
Russell-Benning
Auvitu-Gryba
Oscar Klefbom has the flu and will be a game time decision. The new line combinations worked well in Detroit with every forward, except Nugent-Hopkins, picking up a point. Maybe that will be the starting point for the bottom six to start contributing more offence.
Sabres
Kane-Eichel-Pominville
Pouliot-O’Reilly-Reinhart
Girgensons-Larsson-Criscuolo
Nolan-Jacobsen-Okposo
Scandella-Ristolainen
McCabe-Antipin
Beaulieu-Falk
Lehner
In 14 starts Lehner has a .898sv% and an ugly 3.08 GAA. Only four times has he had a sv% higher than .910 this season. Evander Kane is having a very good season with 12 goals and 21 points. He and Eichel create a lot with their speed and I’m looking forward to watching them battle Nurse and Larsson.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING…
Does anyone remember what a win feels like? It’s been… well, a while. The Sabres haven’t won since November 7, a span of just over two weeks and seven games. Tonight, they’ll look to snap that seven-game winless streak, but it won’t be easy.
This is their longest winless streak of this young season so far. The last time the Sabres had this long a winless streak was February 28 – March 14, 2015. They snapped that streak at seven games with a 2-1 shootout win over the Boston Bruins on March 17.
TONIGHT…
GAME DAY PREDICTION: The Oilers will try to win back-to-back games in regulation for the first time this season. It is amazing they haven’t been able to do that in 22 games. They win a high scoring affair 5-4.
OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: Sabres score first. Oilers have allowed the first goal in 14 of 22 games.
NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: Drake Caggiula picks up two points, giving him six in his last four games, and more maintaining his career average of two-points-per-game against Buffalo.
GDB BROUGHT TO YOU BY SHERBROOKE LIQUOR
Take home a growler, a crowler, a sixer, a mixer, whatever. Sherbrooke Liquor. Where’s Your Beer?
Recently by Jason Gregor:
- Game Day Quick Hits: Oilers @ Sabres
- GDB 21.0: Searching for Consistency
- Game Day Quick Hits: Oilers @ Blues
- Can The Oilers Mirror the Flames?
- Time to Switch The 1st Line
Source: Jason Gregor, Official Twitter Account, 11/24/2017, 11:30am MST
Oilers team doctors should be replaced for lack of adequate flu shots. Kidding, but only slightly…
Having the flu isn’t too bad compared to being around Flames fans.
You think Flames fans are bad? Your own fans are saying this a few posts down:
“Quite frankly, they don’t deserve to be in the playoffs this season … but if they can pull off the epic win streak needed to do it…well that is a different story. But yeah, if they can’t win this game, then they confirm what most have already figured out. They don’t have the will, toughness and talent to make the playoffs or even get close.”
But nah, WE suck.
How our fans feel about our team has nothing to do with your team’s repulsive fan base . Flu > Flames Fans. End of story.
“Flu > Flames Fans. End of story.”
And Flames > Oilers. That’s a never-ending story.
Try beating us one time this season Flamer. And 5 > 1 just in case they don’t teach you math down in the Stampede lands. Never-ending story, good joke bud.
You do realize you’re talking about a guy named Mr. Bung. He’s as much of a troll as you are…
Not a troll dude. Problem is that Oil/hockey fans dont want to acknowledge reality.
That flu thing is getting annoying. Get you scarfs, guys! Go Oilers!
IN LB WE TRUST! No seriously, the guy has been great for us as of late (I’m NOT pinning the St. Louis loss on him. He’s the reason it was a flattering 2-goal deficit after 1). The line combos worked against Detroit and I’m hoping for more o the same. This time of year sucks because of the flu bug, but they’ve got to battle through that. Looking for a great McDavid vs Eichel game tonight.
If it takes 95 points to make the playoffs the Oil need an additional 77 points over the next 59 games … they currently sit with all of 18 points … can the Oil go 38-20-1 or thereabouts over the next 59 games … that’s a .653 win % & is a pretty big reach given the Oil went .628 last season with everybody healthy & most all players having career seasons, no?
No, of course the hapless Oil won’t be in the playoffs … they are truly an awful team, look for this to get a lot worse before it gets better …
Not sure I would have gone with Brossoit in a must win game but you have to give him something so why not the 30th place team. Boys better be hard on it right out of the gate, they are not slow like many suggest. When they want to play fast they can. Lets see it again tonight.
Heard Talbot is down with the flu.
Haha , yeah where did u hear that ? Maybe in the article u just read ?
he’s got his sources!!
yep!
guess i should have added the 😉
Why didn’t you just edit your post?
…?
@Crazy Pedestrian – Ha!!! lol
Haha I guess I should have read the article more carefully. What a time for a flu to run through the team. No love from the hockey gods.
It would sure be a nice thought that the Toronto game would be the win we need to get back to .500 before heading into the Saddledome next weekend.
I shutter to think of what the mood will be like on Oilers Nation if the Oil lose this game. This whole curse began once our beloved Edit button was taken from us peasants.
BLAME BAGGEDMILK
The benevolent Baggedmilk giveth, and taketh away
Yup, so much for his promise to have an edit function by October 4th. It’s karma that he has to eat beets.
shudder, maybe
This smells like a classic trap game.
LB let’s in a couple softies. Pouliot scores. Fans congregate at Kingsway to demand a public shaming of Chia Pete. Or if things go well, HOPE returns to the frozen tundra.
Didnt the Oilers move offices to the ice district?
Really? I wasn’t aware. What a time to be alive.
Just means you have a bunch of drunk fans swarming your office.
Just imagine, Joe the IT guy sitting alone in a closet tweeting the EPS as a vancouver style riot happens.
Pray for Joe
Please show up Oilers. Please.
LB will not give up a goal on the first shot or two. Gotta hustle. Lines look good.
Half way through the second and they still haven’t showed up….
No beets for Baggedmilk tonight. Oilers for the win!!!!
Must win !! Please no soft goals LB . If we lose this game we don’t deserve to be in playoffs . Hope Jesse keeps scoring . We need him going also
Quite frankly, they don’t deserve to be in the playoffs this season … but if they can pull off the epic win streak needed to do it…well that is a different story. But yeah, if they can’t win this game, then they confirm what most have already figured out. They don’t have the will, toughness and talent to make the playoffs or even get close.
Yup. The Oil have used up all their ‘sometimes-you-just-lose-a-game’ losses for the season. All games against bottom feeders are absolute must win. In fact pretty much all the games are must win from this point on if they actually want to make the playoffs.
Down vote me all you want. You know I am right.
Who wants to take bets that Pouliot gets a penalty in the offensive zone?
I will bet he scores
What is a “win streak”?
Beet streak?
@Space Pants
Seriously, I just bruised my knee with the laughing!! You are on FIRE!! I am going to learn sooooooo much about hockey and comedy from your sweet, providential verbiage as the season rolls on.
I mean it man. Keep it up. Go Floilers!!!
Flames + Oilers = Floilers?
Oilames?
Only one of the two teams is lame. Unfortunately, it’s the Oilers
No ex-Oilers score tonight!
Wow. Tons of negativity on oilersnation as usual. ?? Just think positive thoughts people. Good karma for once would be nice! Go oilers!
That’s right, GOOD karma! Oilers are winning tonight! BOOK IT!
Let’s Go Streakiiiinnnnggg!!
We need a few wins in a row now. Hopefully everyone shows up to work tonight
Also I like the oilers vs flames banter but honestly some of the name calling and foul language just shows the lack of class you have as human beings. To both sides of trolls – be better! Let’s keep the rivalry fun
Drew Poomenda…..he is terrible.
After watching carefully, I can tell you with full confidence that the paint is dry.
After watching carefully, I can tell you with full confidence that, the paint is dry.
These comments were posted after the first period ended, don’t ask me why they showed up here. Guess I am trying to say that it was a pretty boring first period.
Great road period by the oilers. Were you expecting them to be up 3 nothing? Good karma bro! Get lost with your negativity!! ??
Hey Mr trash, it was boring hockey! What play did you find exciting, the accidental red light coming on. Get the fcken chip off your shoulder.
Good road period? You do realize they are playing the 30th Place team in the league? Jeckyl and Hyde my friend. You never know which team will show up.
It’s just a theory, but I’m pretty sure we’ll be more likely to score if we play in their end of the rink
wow, 1-0 Buffalo, how is Edmonton making Buffalo look good? This team is brutal tonight. Whats is going on this year? A shell of last year. No jump, no passion.
No urgency as usual. They thought this was going to be easy.
Poor effort for 30 minutes
They haven’t been out of their own zone all period. Pathetic.
The new lines suck!
Looks like same old, same old….flat and can’t match Buffalo’s play. Expected.
Lololol!! Down 1 zip and the negative nancies are out in full force! Haha. Have you guys not been paying attention this year? The oilers are struggling to score this year. They are human beings going through a tough patch. They will tie it up
Looks lie the only “tie” is going to be a noose around TM’s neck.
And his good friend Chia is going to tie it for him.
We need a quality back up. That goal was brutal. LB has been watching Cam too much
2-0 now. Winning streaks are over rated anyways.
No better cure for a losing streak then playing the oilers. God, what went wrong this year?
Please put draisatl back with Mcdavid!!! We need goals!
Ok, this is a warning to you mr pixie dust and unicorn farts, if I see you comment on the post game blog, I’m going to look up your ip address, drag you out of your house, pull your pants down and kick your as all around the block!