There is no secret around Oiler-land that the Edmonton Oilers have been playing some pretty bad hockey as of late, the problem is the quality of the opponent is not getting any weaker. For the Oilers, they need to stop the bleeding and they need to stop it fast. It won't be easy to stop it tonight as they are facing the team that beat them in seven games in the Cup Final, the Florida Panthers.
The Panthers so far this season have a record of 35-21-3 which is good enough for second in the Atlantic Division. The Oilers 34-20-4 have only one less point than the Panthers but are currently on a streak of games where they are not playing well. The Oilers are 4-5-1 in their last 10 while the Panthers are 7-3. Florida right now is playing much better hockey.
Historical Spark
For the Oilers though one thing may make them come out and make them want to win this game more than the Panthers. The last time the Oilers were in this arena they lost in that game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. While there may be a couple of players that were not here last year for that run the majority of them are back.
With that being only months ago, the sting of that memory should still be fresh, going back in that dressing room and walking through those hallways will hopefully spark a bit of extra energy into a team that has seen lifeless over the last few games. If there was ever a spot for the Oilers to stop the losing streak it would be tonight when they should have all the emotion pushing them.
Line Up Changes
For the Edmonton Oilers, there are going to be a couple of lineup changes from the last game. Darnell Nurse will not be playing tonight as John Klingberg will draw back in to replace him. Jeff Skinner will also draw back into the lineup as Matt Savoie will be a healthy scratch tonight. The loss of Nurse will have a big effect on the defense of this team, but hopefully, the "next man up" mentality comes into play today and the Oilers can put together a solid game on the back end.
For the Oilers, I think that this game is more than just the two points in the standings. It is a game where they can stop the bleeding and turn this road trip around. A win tonight would do a lot to the mental side of this team. After getting beat badly in the last 3 games the Oilers need a bit of light and a win tonight would supply that.