The Edmonton Oilers look to push their winning streak to 8 games tonight as they take on the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks weren't a good team when they were healthy, they are an even worse team now that they have all these injuries.
Oilers are one of the NHL's hottest teams and the Blackhawks are one of the worst teams in the league. On the best day the Blackhawks would be in trouble when facing the Oilers, but tonight it is even worse. I mean just look at the lineup the Hawks are icing tonight.
Blackhawks lines in morning skate vs. Oilers have Mrazek starting, Raddysh and Anderson back, Pitlick here:
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) January 9, 2024
Pitlick-Kurashev-Raddysh
Blackwell-Dickinson-Anderson
Reichel-Entwistle-Guttman
Katchouk-Sanford-Donato
Tinordi-Murphy
Vlasic-Megna
Korchinski-Zaitsev
Mrazek pic.twitter.com/mDrmNPfrC6
Now I don't know about you, but there are very few players on this team that I not only don't know who they are, but the ones I do know, aren't going to move the needle of the game at all. The injuries to Connor Bedard and Nick Foligno since the Oilers faced the Blackhawks last met have made this what I would think is an automatic two points for the Oilers.
On the Oilers side of things, they are playing their best hockey of the season. If they win tonight that will be the second 8 game-winning streak since they brought in Kris Knoblauch. Now I don't know if that is the reason for the winning streak, but honestly, it doesn't matter. This team is playing near perfect.
I would love to see the Edmonton Oilers not try a coast through this game. If they coast I think they still win, but I want to see them work hard and make sure they don't lose the game that they have been playing as of late.
The Oilers are still holding on the the last wildcard spot. If they keep gaining ground I would love to see them in that first wildcard spot before the All-Star break. Right now it is a tight race for first in the West between the Canucks and the Jets. If the Oilers end up facing one of these two teams they will be facing a solid goalie.
Goaltending is the weakest area for the Edmonton Oilers right now. If the Oilers had a goalie of the same calibre as either of these teams, they would easily be Cup favourites. Till that day, we will need the defense to play solid. Over these winning streaks that is what has been happening.