The Edmonton Oilers return home to Rogers Place for Game 6 and must escape with a win to keep their season alive. Puck drop is at 5 p.m. MT.
Edmonton played a solid Game 5 against Anaheim to start, jumping to a 3-0 lead and holding that until there were just minutes left in regulation. After that, they collapsed, surrendering three goals in three minutes. The Oilers then lost in double overtime.
Edmonton Oilers
One issue throughout the series has been the officiating and the calls from the referees, but Edmonton needs to work past that. They need to avoid certain plays and stop getting trapped in their zone. Additionally, the Oilers need to draw penalties and work well on special teams.
Lines are expected to remain the same, but Andrej Sekera will be out of the lineup. Kris Russell will likely move to the left side and take his place, and Eric Gryba will be the extra defender. Hopefully, he can bring physicality and help shut down Ryan Getzlaf and company.
The Oilers also have to get off to an early lead and keep it. Their defence collapsed under pressure last game, but having a lead always gives them insurance. Edmonton had great pressure from the forward lines, especially the first and third line. They will have to fight hard to win this game, and again, they must feed off the energy they have from Rogers Place.
Cam Talbot will start ing goal, and he will have to also remain sharp and quick across the crease. He was outstanding until the remaining moments of Game 5, and though a questionable call led to the third goal, he must stay sharp. More importantly, he has to get help from his defence.