Oilers at Ducks
The Edmonton Oilers are making a spirited run for first place in the Pacific Division and get a chance to make up ground with back-to-back matchups against the two teams ahead of them. Riding a six-game point streak (5-0-1), the surging Oilers continue their three-game road trip with a visit to the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night.
In yet another sign that Edmonton's rise is no fluke, the Oilers won at Calgary 7-3 on Saturday night to improve to 13-7-5 away from home while sweeping the season series against their provincial rival for the first time. "To pinpoint certain moments, I look at our record on the road as perhaps one of our biggest achievements," Edmonton coach Todd McLellan said. Anaheim is on a tear of its own with a 9-2-1 record in January, the only two regulation losses coming to Western Conference-best Minnesota. The Ducks had a five-game winning streak in the series halted in a 3-2 overtime loss at Edmonton on Dec. 3.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet West (Edmonton), FSN Prime Ticket (Anaheim)
ABOUT THE OILERS (26-15-8): Jordan Eberle, who has scored at least 24 times in four of the past five seasons, was mired in an 18-game goalless drought before tallying three times in the past three contests, capped by a two-goal, four-point effort in Calgary. "You go through hot and cold streaks," Eberle said. "This was one of the colder streaks I've ever been on. It was frustrating. Once the puck goes in it starts to go in." Connor McDavid scored his 16th goal Saturday but has not tallied in five meetings with Anaheim.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (27-14-9): Jakob Silfverberg will miss his third straight game and could be dealing with concussion symptoms, given coach Randy Carlyle's update on his condition. “Obviously with these things, there’s a protocol or a timetable. He skated today with no-contact for the first time," Carlyle said after Tuesday's practice. "So that’s where he’s at. The next step will be skating with contact." Goaltender John Gibson's status is unclear, although he's practiced every day since leaving Saturday's game with an injury.
OVERTIME
1. Anaheim has scored a power-play goal in four straight games after going 1-for-23 in its previous nine.
2. Oilers F Leon Draisaitl is riding a four-game point streak overall and has four goals and three assists in nine games versus Anaheim.
3. Gibson is 4-0-1 with a 1.19 goals-against average against Edmonton.