Edmonton Oilers: Five things to watch for against Red Wings
By Ryan Sikes
4. Oilers friendly competition
In case you haven’t heard, the Oilers have two superstars in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The duo has been electric this season, and they are off to a record-breaking start. The two are the first teammates with 20 points within a team’s first 10 games of a season since Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, and Ron Francis (Penguins) in 1995-96.
As we previously touched on, a little friendly competition between these two guys can be good for the overall team’s success as more points generally lead to more wins. So far, so good in that department.
Just in case you are curious – each player’s career splits against Detroit:
- McDavid: 2 goals, 8 assists, 10 points in 9 games
- Draisaitl: 2 goals, 5 assists, 7 points in 9 games
Time to catch up, Leon?
5. One game at a time
Tuesday marks the first game in the five-game road trip, and while Detroit can be viewed as a lesser opponent, the Oilers have to avoid overlooking them to Thursday’s big matchup with the Boston Bruins.
The Wings are ahead of the B’s in the standings entering Tuesday, but that could obviously change as the season unfolds. The Bruins are so talented, with players like Taylor Hall, David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and Nick Foligno roaming the ice on a nightly basis. They will certainly be a handful.
However, first thing’s first. Take care of the Red Wings, then get ready for Thursday.