The Anaheim Ducks attempt to extend their lead in the Pacific Division when they host the Edmonton Oilers on Monday. Anaheim enters with a nine-point advantage over the Los Angeles Kings in the division and remains hopeful of catching the Chicago Blackhawks for first place in the Western Conference. The Ducks trail Chicago by only five points, but the Blackhawks will have two games in hand after Monday.
While Anaheim is all but certain to qualify for the postseason, Edmonton has an uphill battle on its hands. The Oilers currently sit in 11th place in the West, four points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the eighth and final playoff berth in the conference. Edmonton has lost two straight following a five-game winning streak, scoring a total of one goal while allowing eight.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Rogers Sportsnet (Edmonton), Prime Ticket (Anaheim)
ABOUT THE OILERS (16-15-7): Defenseman Mark Fistric is expected to be in the lineup Monday after sitting out the last seven games as a healthy scratch. He has not seen action since March 25 at Nashville. Coach Ralph Krueger wants Fistric to be "a player uncomfortable to play against." After outscoring the Calgary Flames 12-3 while sweeping a home-and-home series, Edmonton has struggled offensively over the first two games of its three-game road trip. Captain Shawn Horcoff believes he knows the reason for the drastic turnaround. "I think the games (against) Calgary were almost a detriment to us. In a lot of ways, offensively, things came too easy," he said.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (26-8-5): Anaheim played its second straight game Sunday without Ryan Getzlaf, who is sidelined with a leg injury. While admittedly missing their captain, the Ducks were pleased with their ability to win without him. "We needed that just for the team, just for the psyche," defenseman Sheldon Souray said. "He's a world-class player and he means so much to us. It just means that when other guys are having the opportunity to play and get in the lineup, we still have to play the same team game, and we did that and got the result."
OVERTIME
1. Anaheim and Edmonton are meeting for the first time this season. They will face off twice in Edmonton on April 21-22.
2. Ducks LW Matt Beleskey's power-play goal on Sunday was his first in 202 career games.
3. The road team has won six of the last eight games in the all-time series, while the Ducks have captured six of the last seven.
PREDICTION: Ducks 4, Oilers 2