Oilers at Wild
The Edmonton Oilers try to avoid finishing their road trip without a victory when they visit the Minnesota Wild on Friday in the finale of their three-game trek. Edmonton settled for one point in the opener on Tuesday, squandering a 3-2 lead in the final minute of the third period at Buffalo before falling in overtime, and came up empty in Philadelphia two nights later as it dropped a 6-5 decision after blowing a two-goal advantage over the final 13 1/2 minutes.
Leon Draisaitl continued his torrid pace by notching a goal and two assists for the Oilers, whose four-game point streak (2-0-2) came to a halt. Minnesota returns home after concluding a 2-1-2 road trip with a 3-2 triumph at Toronto on Wednesday. The Wild are hoping Eric Staal has regained his scoring touch as the veteran center scored what proved to be the game-winning goal against the Maple Leafs to end his 12-game drought. Minnesota is looking to defeat the Oilers for the second time in six days after Charlie Coyle scored the tying goal and set up captain Mikko Koivu's overtime winner in a 2-1 triumph at Edmonton on Sunday.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Sportsnet West (Edmonton), FSN North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE OILERS (14-11-4): Connor McDavid registered his second straight two-point performance Thursday, scoring a goal and setting up another to increase his league-leading point total to 38. Dillon Simpson made his NHL debut on Thursday, recording one blocked shot and a plus-1 rating in 7 minutes, 47 seconds of ice time. The 23-year-old native of Edmonton, who was a fourth-round pick in the 2011 draft, was a healthy scratch for three games after being recalled from Bakersfield of the American Hockey League.
ABOUT THE WILD (13-8-4): Coyle's goal in Sunday's victory was his team-high ninth of the season, and he also shares the club scoring lead of 18 points with Staal. The 24-year-old Coyle is among several members of the Wild with a hot hand, as he and Jason Zucker both have recorded seven points in as many games while Koivu has notched eight in eight contests. Devan Dubnyk has gone six starts without a regulation loss, posting a 4-0-2 record while allowing more than two goals just once in that span.
OVERTIME
1. The Oilers placed Mark Fayne (groin) on injured reserve and recalled fellow D David Musil, who was a healthy scratch against Philadelphia a day after coming up from Bakersfield.
2. Minnesota LW Teemu Pulkkinen, who recorded a goal during an eight-game stint earlier this season, was a healthy scratch Wednesday after being recalled from Iowa of the AHL.
3. Draisaitl has scored five goals in as many games to pull even with McDavid for the team lead with 12.