GDB 6.0: THE GREAT OUTDOORS
By Lowetide
7 years ago
We love HOME games; have Liquor Depot deliver in under an hour. Click, pick, sit back and watch the game.
The Edmonton Oilers face the Winnipeg Jets and the elements today, as the club plays its first outdoor game of the decade and the second this century. The Oilers find themselves in a pretty good spot—near the top of the standings and with some clearance from the bottom feeders of the Pacific Division—and a win today would be one more very good arrow in what is becoming a pretty substantial quiver.
The visuals from yesterday’s Heritage Classic game were stunning, from sunrise through fog and Cam Talbot in the morning dew to Mark Messier saying to hell with this noise (one more time!) and turning the game toward the Oilers.
Today it looks like the backdrop will be a little less sunny, but a game featuring Connor McDavid packs extra speed, adrenaline and goals, goals, goals.
PACIFIC DIVISION, THIS MORNING
- Vancouver Canucks 5gp, 4-0-1—9 points
- Edmonton Oilers 5gp, 4-1-0—8 points
- San Jose Sharks 6gp, 3-3-0—6 points
- Los Angeles Kings 5gp, 2-3-0—4 points
- Anaheim Ducks 5gp, 1-3-1—3 points
- Calgary Flames 6gp, 1-4-1—3 points
- Arizona Coyotes 4gp, 1-3-0—2 points
A good way for Oilers fans to follow this season is to use the Calgary Flames as a line in the sand. We can (and should) mock them openly, but let’s be real about this situation. Calgary has a far better team than the first six games of the year suggest, and at some point that team is going to put together a sensational winning streak. The thing to follow is the gap—5 points today, maybe 7 points tonight. You can’t go fast enough to get there early, but you can blow the engine in October and Oilers fans have watched that more than a time or two in the past decade.
This gap is a good day on October 23, it would be even sweeter on December 20. That is the challenge for Todd McLellan’s troops today.
LINEUPS!
- Lineups courtesy Daily Faceoff.
- Oilers can count on the McDavid line to push the river, but badly need the Nuge line to deliver—maybe that starts today.
- The defense is a more veteran group and will be working heavy today—those Jets wingers are big men and many have speed. Wrecking ball Sunday is possible.
- Jesse Puljujarvi draws in, maybe facing Patrik Laine will be the charm. I remain impressed with the young Finn’s overall skill set, just needs to cash a goal or two.
- Stay tuned for information on the goalie announcement for Winnipeg, that is an unconfirmed name.
- Winnipeg missed Jacob Trouba, badly. Look for Dustin Byfuglien to play most of 30 minutes today.
- Patrik Laine will get the attention, but rookie Kyle Connor is an extremely impressive young player.
TONIGHT
GAME DAY PREDICTION: The Oilers have trouble getting things to rhyme early, bouncing pucks and aggressive Jets contribute to a 2-0 hole after one period. Patrik Laine winning Calder talk echoes down the Perimeter Highway.
OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: In the second period, Dustin Byfuglien takes a five minute major and Edmonton gets two goals—one from McDavid and the other from Puljujarvi.
NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: No goals in the third period, but a rugged and bloody outdoor game shows that Edmonton won’t back down and is capable of doing some damage of its own. Winnipeg wins in the shootout, Edmonton announces its presence with authority.
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