[10:10 PM] Lightning @ Oilers

Who will WIN this matchup?

Tampa Bay Lightning (15-14-2)

@ Edmonton Oilers (15-12-5)

 

Starting Goalies:

Ben Bishop (TB): Likely

Cam Talbot (EDM): Confirmed

 

• The Edmonton Oilers have managed just three wins in the last 11 games and hope to begin moving in a positive direction when they host the struggling Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night. The Oilers, in the middle of a crowded race in the Pacific Division, dropped a 3-1 decision against Columbus on Tuesday for their fifth loss in six games while gaining five points in that span.

• The Lightning have not won back-to-back games in almost a month and own just two victories in their last 10 outings after a 4-2 loss at Vancouver on Friday. Tampa Bay’s leading scorer Nikita Kucherov (lower-body injury) missed the last two games and is not expected to play Saturday.

• Defenseman Victor Hedman is the team’s second-leading scorer with 24 points after recording a goal and four assists in the first two games of the Western Canada trip. Center Valtteri Filppula also is warming up with a goal and five assists during a four-game point streak — the last two skating between Brian Boyle and Jonathan Drouin on the team’s most productive line. Goalie Ben Bishop (9-10-1), who posted the win in Calgary on Wednesday, likely will be back between the pipes after Andrei Vasilevskiy (6-4-1) played Friday.

• One positive this month is Edmonton’s power play has been energized, converting 10 times on 27 chances over the last eight games, and Leon Draisaitl leads the team with seven man-advantage tallies. Draisaitl is second on the team in points with 26 after recording six goals and three assists in eight December games while Jordan Eberle (23) and veteran Milan Lucic (22) also have at least 20. The Oilers recalled Taylor Beck from Bakersfield of the AHL on Thursday and sent fellow forward Anton Slepyshev (four points, 15 games) down.

• The Lightning have won the last three meetings, including a 3-2 triumph at Edmonton last season.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: Edmonton Oilers

Confidence: 4/10

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