Lightning at Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers have managed just three wins in the last 11 games and hope to begin moving in a positive direction when they host the struggling Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night. The Oilers, in the middle of a crowded race in the Pacific Division, dropped a 3-1 decision against Columbus on Tuesday for their fifth loss in six games while gaining five points in that span.
“When you’re in the playoff hunt, every game is essential and important,” Edmonton coach Todd McLellan told reporters. “We haven’t been able to string a number of wins together and that’s the goal we’ll have heading into the Christmas break.” Captain Connor McDavid, the league’s leading scorer with 39 points despite posting just one in the last three games, makes his first career appearance against Tampa Bay after missing both encounters with an injury during his rookie campaign. The Lightning have not won back-to-back games in almost a month and own just two victories in their last 10 outings after a 4-2 loss at Vancouver on Friday. Tampa Bay’s leading scorer Nikita Kucherov (lower-body injury) missed the last two games and is not expected to play Saturday.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Tampa Bay), CBC, Sportsnet 360 (Edmonton)
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (15-14-2): Defenseman Victor Hedman is the team’s second-leading scorer with 24 points after recording a goal and four assists in the first two games of the Western Canada trip. Center Valtteri Filppula also is warming up with a goal and five assists during a four-game point streak — the last two skating between Brian Boyle and Jonathan Drouin on the team’s most productive line. Goalie Ben Bishop (9-10-1), who posted the win in Calgary on Wednesday, likely will be back between the pipes after Andrei Vasilevskiy (6-4-1) played Friday.
ABOUT THE OILERS (15-12-5): One positive this month is Edmonton’s power play has been energized, converting 10 times on 27 chances over the last eight games, and Leon Draisaitl leads the team with seven man-advantage tallies. Draisaitl is second on the team in points with 26 after recording six goals and three assists in eight December games while Jordan Eberle (23) and veteran Milan Lucic (22) also have at least 20. The Oilers recalled Taylor Beck from Bakersfield of the AHL on Thursday and sent fellow forward Anton Slepyshev (four points, 15 games) down.
OVERTIME
1. Edmonton F Tyler Pitlick has notched a point in three straight games after going without one the previous seven.
2. Tampa Bay’s loss Friday was only the second in 12 games in which it scored the first goal.
3. The Lightning have won the last three meetings, including a 3-2 triumph at Edmonton last season.