The Edmonton Oilers are set to face the Winnipeg Jets on the second half of the Hockey Night in Canada classic. The game will be their third straight game at home amidst their five-game homestand.
The Jets have been heavily depleted and have struggled mightily since their star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was moved to the injured reserve to undergo a knee procedure in late November. Since then, the Jets have went 2-5-1.
On the flipside, the Oilers have seen some big improvements in their play and the results have followed recently. Over the past five games, the Oilers are 3-2-0 and have scored more than three goals, in all but one match.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed that Stuart Skinner will be the starting goalie on Saturday against the Jets. He also revealed that forward David Tomasek will dress for the first time since November 25th against the Dallas Stars.
This is a crucial match for the Oilers to get themselves back into playoff contention. If they can find a way to squeeze out two points, they could take over a Western Conference wildcard spot or possibly the third place in the Pacific Division standings.
Players to watch
Matt Savoie
The Oilers top rookie Matt Savoie has been hot in recent games, notching four points over the past five games and playing important minutes at five-on-five and special teams. He has started hitting his stride and if he can continue to score at a high pace, it will be a major development for the Oilers who have lacked production from their non-stars.
Stuart Skinner
Although he did not see action in the Oilers most recent game against the Seattle Kraken, Skinner has been playing quite well in his recent outings. He has a save percentage above .900 in three of his last four games, one of them being a shutout victory. He enters this game having played well and with the Oilers having an improved performance in front of him.
Vasily Podkolzin
The Oilers Russian forward Vasily Podkolzin is on track to have the best season of his career, so far having notched five goals, six assists for 11 points in 28 games played. Over his last five games he has scored two goals and one assist and on Saturday hopes to keep up with his scoring ways.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Another player who has been scoring at a great pace is Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the versatile forward has been an important piece of the team's core for many years but is on pace for one of the best scoring seasons of his career. Through 19 games, he has scored six goals, 15 assists for 21 points and through his past three games has scored one goal and four assists for five points.