Oilers at Ducks
The Edmonton Oilers have a tall order to fill if it hopes to snap a three-game slide and hand Anaheim its first regulation home loss of the season when they face the Ducks on Friday. Edmonton has gone 0-1-2 since posting back-to-back victories over Winnipeg and Calgary by a combined 8-2 score. The Oilers dropped to 0-1-1 on their three-game road trip with a 5-1 loss at San Jose on Thursday.
Anaheim has begun the season with a 17-game home point streak, going 15-0-2 at Honda Center. The run was extended Tuesday as the Ducks kicked off a four-game homestand with a 6-3 triumph over the Sharks. Anaheim edged Edmonton 3-2 in the first meeting of the season on Dec. 15, when Dustin Penner burned his former team by snapping a tie with 3:17 remaining in the third period.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, RSN West (Edmonton), FSN West (Anaheim)
ABOUT THE OILERS (13-25-5): Nail Yakupov returned to the lineup Thursday and scored the lone goal for Edmonton. The 20-year-old Russian was a healthy scratch at Phoenix on Tuesday after registering only two tallies in his previous 18 contests. Sam Gagner notched an assist on Yakupov's goal, marking the first time he has set up a tally in 11 games.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (29-8-5): Ryan Getzlaf got back into the swing of things Tuesday by registering a goal and two assists against San Jose. The captain had been kept off the scoresheet in four of his previous six contests after notching at least one point in 16 straight games. Defenseman Cam Fowler, who was born in Canada but has dual citizenship, was named to the United States Olympic Team on Wednesday. "What a great honor and a very proud moment for me," he said. "I'm just very excited."
OVERTIME
1. The Ducks have won 11 of their last 12 overall contests.
2. Edmonton's four-game point streak came to an end Thursday.
3. Anaheim has captured 15 of its last 17 meetings with Edmonton.