GDB 47.0: Clawless Panthers
By Jason Gregor
7 years ago
(photoshop: @NewfieMikey)
The Panthers are without Nick Bjugstad, Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. They lost 5-2 in Calgary last night. They are 27th in GF/G at only 2.28 and they are 24th in SA/G at 31.5. They are not close to the 103-point team of last season and the Oilers need to continue their run against teams below them in the standings.
The Oilers are looking for their first four-game home winning streak since December 2-11th, 2015 and this is another game they should win.
As the season progresses it seems there are more “should win” games on the Oilers’ schedule than the past five years combined. There is no debating the Oilers have improved. They are ninth in the NHL, fourth in the Western Conference and second in the Pacific Division.
They are a legitimate playoff contender and as the schedule maker keeps handing them favours, they must continue to take advantage of teams coming to Edmonton for the second leg of back-to-backs.
The Panthers won’t just hand them the game. They are 4-2-3 on the second leg of back-to-back, and after a sub-par outing in Calgary last night I’d expect a better effort. However, the Oilers have more talent. They are gaining confidence at home and they have started to show they are learning how to avoid soiling the sheets in games they should win.
LINEUP
Oilers
Milan Lucic and Oscar Klefbom didn’t take the morning skate, but Todd McLellan said both will play. They will go with the same lineup as Monday. Cam Talbot starts his league-leading 42nd game.
Panthers
Their lineup doesn’t scare any defence core.
QUICK HITS
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The Panthers defencemen have fired the most shots on goal this year, 502, and they have 24 goals. Conversely, the Oilers blueliners have 408 shots and 20 goals. The Panthers D corps has 58 assists while the Oilers have 50. Their SH% are virtually identical.
The difference is the Oilers forwards are much more productive. They have totaled 108-161-269 while the Panthers forwards have tallied 81-118-199. Jordan Eberle hasn’t scored in 18 games. He had some glorious chances versus Arizona on Wednesday, but couldn’t finish. He is desperate to score. He discussed his scoring woes with me, and it is interesting to note some elite scorers around the league are struggling even more than Eberle.
- Jaromir Jagr is five points shy of becoming the second player in NHL history to score 1900 points. He has 757 goals and 1138 assists. The Oilers roster for tonight has combined for 2395 points. If Lucic couldn’t play and Matt Hendricks filled his spot the group would have 2,067 points.
Jagr is a freak. He turns 45 on February 15th, and he’d be tied with Lucic and Eberle for third on the Oilers with 27 points.
- There will be an interesting discussion leading up to Friday and Saturday’s games. Do you play Talbot at home versus Nashville and let Laurent Brossoit start in Calgary on Saturday? If you do, then Talbot gets four consecutive days off before Wednesday. The Preds play in Calgary on Thursday and if they start Rinne there, then maybe Todd McLellan has a battle of the backups on Friday. There are many arguments for both sides. The Flames are the better team right now, and it is a divisional game, but getting the win on Friday is vital. Who would you start on Friday and why?
- Recently by Jason Gregor:
- GDB 44.0: Seeing your Ex
- Talbot, Davidson and more
- GDB 43.0: Improve at Home
- Oilers 1st quarter vs. 2nd quarter
- Taylor Hall set to face his former team
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING…
From Litter Box Cats
Benning has been a revelation for the Oilers. Coming straight out of Northeastern University, he played all of two games with Edmonton’s American Hockey League affiliate in Bakersfield before taking the role as a regular part of the defensive top six. His emergence has been one of the reasons the Oilers have been able to play so tight defensively. And, according to Benning, each game carries greater importance.
TONIGHT…
(photoshop: @TomKostiuk)
GAME DAY PREDICTION: Oilers continue to roll at home skating to a 4-2 victory. They score four goals for only the second time in 18 games.
OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: Jagr picks up a point. He has at least one point in 27 of 36 career games versus the Oilers. good for 16-24-40 over his career against Edmonton. He picks up career point 1,896 tonight.
NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: McDavid and Draisaitl each have 99 career NHL points. They pick up their 100th point on the same goal. Also, Eberle scores his first goal in 19 games.
ALBERTA POND HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Alberta Pond Hockey Championships are here for another year and we couldn’t think of a better group of people to join us other than you fine citizens.
We can all remember suiting up with three pairs of pants, two oversized hoodies, and as many socks as your skate would allow to get on the outdoor rink when we were kids just to be able to play on the ODR. Were we crazy? Who in their right mind would want to leave the house when it’s -20 degrees outside to go skate on a frozen pond? I’ll tell you who, WE WOULD! And yes, we are crazy.
That’s why the Alberta Pond Hockey Association is holding another fun tournament at Lac Cardinal, Alberta where we can all be kids again and lose ourselves in the outdoor sport we all grew up playing. The championship is taking place on March 10, 11, & 12 and offers divisions for ALL skill levels.
Find all the info you need including registration at their website (www.albertapondhockey.com) and be sure to check out their Facebook page (@AlbertaPondHockeyAssociation) too.
See you on the pond!
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