From the start of the 2021-22 season, Igor Shesterkin has a record of 137-73-21 and ranks third in the NHL in Sv% at .917 and fifth in GAA at 2.50. He’s been one of the best goalies in the NHL — except when he plays the Edmonton Oilers.

In 230 starts vs. the rest of the NHL, he has a .918 sv% and 2.47 GAA, but in four games vs. the Oilers, he is 1-3 with an .886 sv% and 3.00 GAA. It’s an odd contrast, and the Oilers will try to continue that trend tonight.

Shesterkin played quite well earlier this month against the Oilers. He allowed one goal on 21 shots, but Stuart Skinner was better, stopping all 30 shots he faced as the Oilers won 2-0. The Rangers controlled the game and dominated the high-danger scoring chances 10-3, but Skinner played his best game of the season to steal the win.

However, in Shesterkin’s other three starts vs. Edmonton, he’s allowed 11 goals on 84 shots. The Oilers’ forwards have found ways, especially in Edmonton, to beat Shesterkin. They will need to be much better than they were 16 days ago, when they only generated three quality scoring chances, and their success against Shesterkin comes in the obvious “small sample size,” but those are the only games he’s ever played against Edmonton, so they are relevant.

Skinner loves playing the Rangers. He is 4-1 with a .941Sv% and 1.80 GAA. He’s won four consecutive games vs. the Rangers while posting a .950 sv% and 1.5 GAA.

Both teams enter tonight coming off solid performances. Edmonton didn’t play a complete game against Utah on Tuesday, as they were sloppy in the first period, but they found their stride in the second period and took the game over and were quite good for the final 40 minutes. Meanwhile, Shesterkin watched from the bench as his partner, Jonathan Quick, posted a 2-0 shutout win over Vancouver. The Canucks managed only three HD chances.

The Rangers’ two best defensive games of the season were against the Oilers and Canucks, allowing only three HD chances (via Sport Logic) in either game, but they’ve been leaky in a few other games. They allowed 12 chances off the rush to the lowly Calgary Flames, the lowest-scoring team in the NHL, and gave up five goals. They allowed six goals against San Jose. Their team defence has been more consistent than their offence, and that’s why scoring first tonight would be beneficial for the Oilers.

“I’d like to see us score the first goal,” smiled head coach Kris Knoblauch. “It is great seeing strong pushes in the second and third period, but I’d like us to have a lead and be able to play some good defensive hockey. I think it is important we get off to a good start. What it is (with the slow starts), I’m not exactly sure. The other night, looking at it, we did have some chances, but we made some big mistakes. We have to try and eliminate those.”

Edmonton has scored first once in their last eight games. When they score first they are 3-0-1, and will try to avoid playing from behind tonight.

The Rangers don’t have a lot of offensive confidence right now, and the Oilers must avoid gifting them great scoring chances or goals like they have in recent first periods.

SNAPSHOTS…

— Last season, Knoblauch sat Leon Draisaitl for a six-minute span in the third period of Game 4 v.s the Flyers after he’d taken too many penalties. Draisaitl responded by getting two points, including the game winner to help the comeback win. He only took one penalty in his next 33 games. A coach doesn’t have to embarrass a player or rant and rave to get their attention.

On Tuesday vs. Utah, Knoblauch sat Darnell Nurse for the first six minutes of the second period after he had struggled in the first period, with two giveaways that led directly to goals against. Nurse didn’t have a giveaway the rest of the game. Giveaways/mistakes are part of the game, but you can’t keep making the same ones, especially if they lead directly to goals against. Knoblauch sent his veteran a subtle reminder he needs to play better. Nurse responded well the rest of the game, and we’ll see how he does moving forward.

— I know some of you will ask why he hasn’t done this with Evan Bouchard. Fair question. Part of it is because they didn’t have seven defencemen dressed in other games, and I don’t think Jake Walman is fully back into game shape just yet. Walman has only played over 20 minutes once since returning from injury. He was rehabbing in the off-season, and that limited how much he could train, and I wonder if that played a factor in Bouchard not getting a rest in Seattle. With seven D-men dressed, the option to sit a guy for a few shifts is easier for the coaching staff.

— There has been a lot of talk about the Rangers’ lack of forward depth. Their bottom-six consists of Jusso Parssinen, Noah Laba, Taylor Raddysh, Adam Emstrom, Sam Carrick, Jonny Brodzinski and Matt Rempe. I understand those questioning their depth, however, Carrick has five points in 11 games. Raddysh had a hat-trick one game and he is tied for the team lead in goals with four. The real concern for the Rangers is the lack of scoring from their top two lines through the first 11 games:

Artemi Panarin has 2-5-7.

Mika Zibanejad: 4-2-6.

JT Miller: 2-4-6.

Alexis Lafreniere: 1-3-4

Will Cuylle: 1-2-3

Connor Sheary: 0-3-3

Their top six forwards have a total of 10 goals. Their bottom six had nine goals. Any suggestion their depth scoring is the issue is misguided. Their big guys haven’t been close to good enough offensively.

Here is the list of NHL teams and how many forwards have 8+ points.

6-PIT, VGK

5-COL, NJD, OTT, UTA

4-ANA, BOS, CHI, DAL, DET, MIN, MTL, TBL, TOR

3-CBJ, EDM, LAK, NYI, SJS, WPG, WSH

2- BUF, CAR, FLA, NSH, PHI, SEA, VAN

1-CGY, STL

0-NYR

Artemi Panarin leads them with seven points, followed by Zibanejad and Miller with six.

— The Rangers rank 31st in GF/GP at 2.18. They have been shutout three times, scored once three times, scored two once, four goals twice, five once and six goals once. They’ve played four playoff teams from last season and are 0-4 in those games with two goals scored in four games. Ouch.

— Adam Henrique will receive his silver stick for playing 1,000 games tonight. His teammates gifted him a bottle of wine, a Rolex and a racing helmet in Oilers colours (he’s a huge F1 and Nascar fan) this morning. Henrique is the first player to skate in his 1,000th game as a member of the Oilers. He did it last Tuesday in Ottawa.

LINEUPS…

Oilers…

RNH – McDavid – Mangiapane
Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Roslovic
Frederic – Henrique– Savoie
Howard – Tomášek

Nurse – Bouchard
Ekholm – Walman
Kulak – Emberson
Stecher

Skinner

Knoblauch will stick with the same lineup of 11 forwards and seven defenders. With the 11 forward strategy it allowed seven forwards to play 16+ minutes. Vasily Podkolzin, Jack Roslovic and Matt Savoie were the biggest benefactors as they all had a season highs in TOI.

Alec Regula is getting closer, but still hasn’t been cleared to play. With Kasperi Kapanen on IR, the Oilers could just take Regula off IR and put him on the roster without having to make another move. But once Zach Hyman is back (he will miss at least four more games) the Oilers will need to make a roster moves, or two.

Rangers…

Panarin-Zibanejad-Cuylle
Sheary-Miller-Lafrenière
Pärssinen-Laba-Raddysh
Edström-Carrick-Brodzinski

Gavrikov-Fox
Soucy-Borgen
Vaakanainen-Schneider

Shesterkin

The Rangers are one of the slower teams in the NHL. The Oilers just played Utah, which is top four in skating speed, but tonight Edmonton has a distinct advantage in speed. They need to use it.

TONIGHT…

Photoshop by Tom Kostiuk

GAME DAY PREDICTION: Oilers improve to 4-0-1 at home with a 4-1 victory.

OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: The Oilers and Rangers are tied as the third-least penalized teams in the NHL with 2.55 times shorthanded/game. We see a total of four power plays tonight.

NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: McDavid scores goals in consecutive games for the first time this season. It is also his 10th career goal against the Rangers, giving him 10+ goals vs. 19 NHL teams.