Oilers at Rangers
The New York Rangers are on a tear as they try to dig themselves out of an early-season hole while awaiting an opponent that is attempting to do the same. After stumbling out of the gate this season by losing seven of their first eight, the Rangers will carry a five-game winning streak into Saturday's matinee against the visiting Edmonton Oilers.
New York had won only three times in 12 games (3-7-2) before turning things around, scoring at least four goals four times during the current hot stretch. "We're moving in the right direction," Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist said following Wednesday's 4-2 victory over the Boston Bruins. "We're back in the race." The Oilers are not yet back in the race in the Pacific Division, but they opened their four-game road trip with a pair of overtime victories, marking their first back-to-back wins of the season. "Sometimes it takes wins like these to get you to start feeling confident and get rolling," Edmonton forward Milan Lucic said. "Hopefully we can keep building off of an effort like this."
TV: 1 p.m. ET, Sportsnet West (Edmonton), MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE OILERS (6-8-1): Edmonton still has scored the fewest goals in the league, but the 1-2 punch of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl combined to deliver the decisive goals in each of the past two victories. Draisaitl set up McDavid's game-winner in the first minute of OT in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the New York Islanders before the reigning MVP returned the favor two nights later as Draisaitl scored in the final seconds to beat New Jersey 3-2. "We feed off each other and we try and read the play," Draisaitl said.
ABOUT THE RANGERS (8-7-2): Off to a slow start with a pair of goals through the first 16 games, 2016 Hobey Baker Award winner Jimmy Vesey matched that total by scoring twice in a 29-second span against Boston. "I consider myself a goal scorer. I've been that my whole life," Vesey said. "I think I've had the chances some games and it hasn't necessarily fallen for me. Got a couple greasy ones tonight and maybe it'll take off from here." Defenseman Kevin Shatterkirk has three goals and six assists in a six-game point streak.
OVERTIME
1. Oilers C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has four goals and four assists over the past seven games.
2. New York, a winner of four in a row at home, has killed off all 12 short-handed situations during its winning streak.
3. The Oilers placed F Anton Slepyshev on injured reserve and recalled F Jesse Puljujarvi from Bakersfield of the American Hockey League.