Oilers at Ducks preview
McDavid eyes 400-point milestone for Edmonton; Anaheim coach Eakins faces former team for first time
by Dan Arritt / NHL.com Independent Correspondent
OILERS (11-5-2) at DUCKS (9-7-1)
9 p.m. ET; SN1, PRIME, NHL.TV
The Game
Connor McDavid can become the eighth NHL player to reach 400 points before turning 23 when the Edmonton Oilers play the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Sunday.
The 22-year-old center has 399 points (136 goals, 263 assists) in 305 regular-season games. He has 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in his past eight and the Oilers are 4-3-1.
Anaheim is 3-5-1 in its past nine games. Coach Dallas Eakins will face Edmonton for the first time since he was fired by the Oilers on Dec. 15 2014 after going 36-63-14 in 113 games.
Players to watch
Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl has 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in an eight-game point streak. He has 13 points (nine goals, four assists) in his past 13 games against Anaheim.
Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg has four points (one goal, three assists) through the first four games of a season-long, seven-game homestand.
They said it
"When you have guys on any given night coming in and pulling on the rope, that's what's going to make this team dangerous." -- Oilers forward Alex Chiasson
"Even though Edmonton was an unbelievable opportunity and I am so grateful for the opportunity that was presented to me there, this is just another game that we're trying to get the two points." -- Ducks coach Dallas Eakins
Oilers projected lineup
Leon Draisaitl -- Connor McDavid -- Zack Kassian
James Neal -- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Alex Chiasson
Jujhar Khaira -- Riley Sheahan -- Josh Archibald
Markus Granlund -- Gaetan Haas -- Patrick Russell
Darnell Nurse -- Ethan Bear
Oscar Klefbom -- Joel Persson
Kris Russell -- Matt Benning
Mikko Koskinen
Mike Smith
Scratched: Sam Gagner, Brandon Manning
Injured: Joakim Nygard (ribs), Adam Larsson (leg)
Ducks projected lineup
Max Comtois -- Ryan Getzlaf -- Ondrej Kase
Rickard Rakell -- Adam Henrique -- Jakob Silfverberg
Max Jones -- Sam Steel -- Troy Terry
Nick Ritchie -- Derek Grant -- Carter Rowney
Michael Del Zotto -- Cam Fowler
Hampus Lindholm -- Erik Gudbranson
Jacob Larsson -- Korbinian Holzer
John Gibson
Ryan Miller
Scratched: Devin Shore, Nicolas Deslauriers, Simon Benoit
Injured: Josh Manson (lower body)
Status report
Sheahan and Archibald returned in a 4-0 win against the New Jersey Devils on Friday, and Nygard should return next week. Sheahan missed three games with an undisclosed injury, Archibald missed six games (foot) and Nygard has missed the past 12. ... Benoit was recalled from San Diego of the American Hockey League on Saturday but isn't expected to make his NHL debut.
Stat pack
Draisaitl is the first Edmonton player with 30 points in 18 games or fewer since Wayne Gretzky (13) in 1987-88. ... Rakell will play his 400th NHL game. … The Ducks are 11-2-2 against the Oilers in Anaheim since April 8, 2013.