A talented but befuddling squad, the Edmonton Oilers come to Nationwide Arena to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Expected to be one of the best teams in the Western Conference, the Oilers have been ravaged by injuries on defense and have not been able to find a rhythm offensively. Their starting goaltender Cam Talbot is down with an injury and have been trotting out the backup on a nightly basis.
Goaltender Laurent Brossoit is now manning the net and has had a sub .900 save percentage. It is a recipe for disaster night in and night out.
The Blue Jackets have been struggling at even strength but they may also get a chance to take advantage of their special team's woes against the disappointing Oilers.
VIDEO: John Tortorella
Blue Jackets Projected Lineup
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Artemi Panarin | 30 GP, 7-19-26 | 18 | Pierre-Luc Dubois | 30 GP, 5-8-13 | 77 | Josh Anderson | 28 GP, 11-7-18 |
| 71 | Nick Foligno | 30 GP, 6-6-12 | 10 | Alexander Wennberg | 24 GP, 2-9-11 | 28 | Oliver Bjorkstrand | 30 GP, 5-11-16 |
| 38 | Boone Jenner | 23 GP, 3-6-9 | 17 | Brandon Dubinsky | 30 GP, 3-9-12 | 13 | Cam Atkinson | 25 GP, 6-3-9 |
| 11 | Matt Calvert | 18 GP, 4-5-9 | 45 | Lukas Sedlak | 17 GP, 3-1-4 | 64 | Tyler Motte | 16 GP, 3-1-4 |
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Zach Werenski | 30 GP, 9-7-16 | 3 | Seth Jones | 30 GP, 3-12-15 |
| 7 | Jack Johnson | 30 GP, 1-4-5 | 58 | David Savard | 29 GP, 2-5-7 |
| 4 | Scott Harrington | 8 GP, 1-0-1 | 65 | Markus Nutivaara | 23 GP, 1-8-9 |
| # | Player | GS | W-L-OL | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | Sergei Bobrovsky | 24 | 16-7-1 | 2.06 | .930 | 4 |
| 70 | Joonas Korpisalo | 6 | 3-3-0 | 2.81 | .907 | 0 |
Three Storylines
- Containing Connor: Trying to stop a Connor McDavid like a Sidney Crosby is damn near impossible. It doesn't really matter who you put on the player, it is about limiting him rather than completely letting him run free. If teams try to go the physical route, Milan Lucic waits in the wings and if you try to match up skill wise, McDavid is going to burn you. The most compelling storyline will be who head coach John Tortorella tries to put up against McDavid. Safe money says that it is Brandon Dubinsky's line.
- Cam He Do It: It isn't speaking out of turn to say that Cam Atkinson isn't having the season he was hoping to have just a little past the quarter mark of the season. Still, only in the single digits for points, Atkinson was a healthy scratch against the Arizona Coyotes and is looking for a big game to bounce back. He will be playing with familiar linemates, Boone Jenner and Brandon Dubinsky. Whether or not they'll find success waits to be seen.
- Don't Play Down: The Edmonton Oilers would love nothing more than the game to get into a track meet and putting your skill players against theirs. Their offense is nearly unmatched and can outscore many on any given night, meanwhile their defense features Kris Russell in their top four. That is a decided disadvantage and should allow for the Blue Jackets play their game. If they play into the Oilers hand, it will be a long night.
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