The Edmonton Oilers will face the Montreal Canadiens on the road Monday night at the Bell Centre in downtown Montreal, Quebec, with the puck drop scheduled for 5:30 PM MTN (7:30 PM EST). The Oilers are entering this matchup after a tough overtime loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night, where Leon Draisaitl scored the game-tying goal late in regulation. This brings their record to 9-7-2, as they managed to earn a point from that game. However, the Canadiens are coming off a strong 5-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, sitting at a record of 6-10-2 and looking for a winning streak to climb back up the standings.
Due to Darnell Nurse’s injury caused by a dirty hit from Ryan Reaves on Saturday night, which resulted in a 5-game suspension for Reaves, defenseman Josh Brown has been called up from the Bakersfield Condors.
Brown has accumulated an impressive 46 penalty minutes this season, making it an interesting choice to bring him up over other defensemen, such as Phil Kemp.
The Oilers have been plagued by defensive lapses and subpar goaltending in some games this season, particularly in their recent matchup against the Maple Leafs. Evan Bouchard was arguably at fault for two goals in that game, including a critical turnover leading to the tying goal and his failure to get back on defense in the third period.
The lackluster defense has been the Achilles’ heel for the Oilers this season at times, along with an absence of key saves in crucial moments from their starting goalie, Stuart Skinner.
Against the Canadiens, the Oilers need to maintain their offensive pressure and high shot totals while also improving their defensive play to limit odd-man rushes. Solid defensive performance will be essential for better goaltending, as Skinner has often been left vulnerable in recent games during these odd-man rushes. However, in the last ten games, Montreal has posted a record of 3-6-1 and will be eager to prove themselves against Connor McDavid and the Oilers in this Canadian matchup come this evening.
Edmonton Oilers Lineup:
RNH – McDavid – Hyman
Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Perry
Janmark – Henrique – Brown
Skinner – Ryan
Ekholm – Bouchard
Kulak – Emberson
Dermott – Brown
Stecher
(11/7)
*Pickard*
Skinner
Players to Watch (Oilers):
Calvin Pickard: 4-2-0 record, 2.49 GAA, 0.890 save %
Connor McDavid: 7 goals, 14 assists, +3
Mattias Ekholm: 2 goals, 8 assists, +4
Montreal Canadiens Lineup:
Dach – Suzuki – Slafkovsky
Caufield – Evans – Newhook
Gallagher – Dvorak – Anderson
Heineman – Condotta – Armia
Matheson – Guhle
Hutson – Savard
Xhekaj – Struble
*Montembeault*
Primeau
Players to Watch (Montreal):
Samuel Montembeault: 5-8-1 record, 3.09 GAA, 0.898 save %
Nick Suzuki: 7 goals, 11 assists, -3
Mike Matheson: 1 goal, 11 assists, -10
Where to Watch/Listen:
Prime
RDS
630 CHED
TSN CA
ITR 26: 2 Nations Fighting – Inside The Rink
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