G51 Game Notes: Edmonton Oilers continue their road trip against the Dallas Stars

1. The Edmonton Oilers will look to avoid going on their first losing streak of the year 2024 when they face the Dallas Stars.

The Oilers carried a historic 16-game winning streak into the All-Star break and have gone loss-win-loss-win-loss since, with rebound victories over the Anaheim Ducks and Detroit Red Wings that followed losses to the Vegas Golden Knights and L.A. Kings respectively. Edmonton lost by a score of 6-3 against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday and will face a stiff test on Saturday afternoon in Dallas.

2. The Stars have won three of four games since the All-Star break, and they sit in first place in the Central Division with a 34-14-6 record. They’re four points up on the Colorado Avalanche with one game in hand, while the Jets trail the Stars by five points but have played three fewer games than Dallas.

Last year, the Stars finished second in the Central, just one point behind the Avs. They beat the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the playoffs while Colorado got dropped by the Seattle Kraken, one of the Wild Card teams. Dallas then edged out Seattle in seven games before losing to the Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final in six games.

3. Facing the Stars will be a difficult test for an Oilers team that has been struggling to keep the puck out of the net. They were tagged for six goals in St. Louis on Thursday and the Red Wings easily could have had more than four goals if not for Stuart Skinner standing on his during a rough stretch in the second period on Tuesday.

The Stars have scored 205 goals this season, which is tied for the most in the league along with the Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks. Their top line of Roope Hintz, Joe Pavelski, and Jason Robertson have combined for 60 goals and their second and third lines are potent as well. The trio of Matt Duchene, Tyler Seguin, and Mason Marchment have 58 while the third line of Wyatt Johnston, Evgenii Dadonov, and Jamie Benn have scored 38 goals. Dadonov is currently on the Injured Reserve, so 2018 first-round pick Ty Dellandrea is filling his spot.

4. The Stars allowed the third-fewest goals in the league last season but they’re a middle-of-the-pack team this year when it comes to keeping the puck out of their own net. The duo of Jake Oettinger and Scott Wedgewood combined for an impressive .917 save percentage last year, but both goaltenders have seen their save percentages drop this season to .906 and .897, respectively.

Oettinger will start for the Stars on Saturday while the Oilers will turn to Calvin Pickard for his first appearance since last week’s win in Anaheim. The Oilers are no longer on their winning streak, but Pickard’s personal streak is still alive, as he’s won his last five starts dating back to December 21 against the New Jersey Devils. The 31-year-old has a .912 save percentage for the Oilers over nine appearances this season.

5. The Oilers will be running a very different forward group when they face Dallas on Saturday. Leon Draisaitl and Corey Perry will be on Connor McDavid’s wings on the top line while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will centre Evander Kane and Zach Hyman. The third line will feature a speedy trio of Dylan Holloway, Ryan McLeod, and Warren Foegele, while Mattias Janmark, Derek Ryan, and Connor Brown will form the fourth line.

Oilersnation invites you to the most magical event this season – The second Annual Brunch for Ben on Saturday March 2, 2024! This special event welcomes attendees of all ages to enjoy an afternoon of fun and excitement at Greta Bar YEG, where you can take part in an endless amount of arcade games, family friendly activities and, of course, cheering on Edmonton as they take on Seattle. Join us on March 2nd for a memorable experience where every ticket purchased contributes to making a positive impact on the Ben Stelter Foundation. Get your tickets now at nationgear.ca!