Oilers at Senators preview

OILERS (26-30-7) at SENATORS (22-36-5)
7:30 p.m. ET; TSN5, RDS, SNW, NHL.TV

The Senators have been outscored 24-10 during their five-game losing streak and are 3-12-0 in their past 15 games.
The Oilers will try for their first win in three games while on the second half of a back-to-back, after losing 6-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.
Edmonton is nine points behind the Colorado Avalanche for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference.

Players to watch

Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl has 11 points (seven goals, four assists) during an eight-game point streak.
Senators forward Chris Tierney gone four games without a point after he had seven assists in a previous six-game point streak.

They said it

"I'm confident right now. Obviously they've been going in for me. Again, it's not about me. This is a team sport and I want to win hockey games and I want to make the playoffs. Like I said, I'd rather give some of my goals up than having them and not making the playoffs." -- Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl
"If [the newly acquired players are] better than some of our guys, they're going to take their spot. Merit is the No. 1 teacher. There's nothing else. It's not about where you're drafted and it's not about your age. If you deserve it, you should get it." -- Senators coach Guy Boucher

Oilers projected lineup

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Connor McDavid -- Zack Kassian
Tobias Rieder -- Leon Draisaitl -- Alex Chiasson
Milan Lucic -- Colby Cave -- Josh Currie
Brad Malone -- Ty Rattie -- Sam Gagner
Oscar Klefbom -- Adam Larsson
Darnell Nurse -- Kris Russell
Matt Benning -- Andrej Sekera
Mikko Koskinen
Anthony Stolarz
Scratched:Kevin Gravel, Alexander Petrovic, Kyle Brodziak
Injured:Jesse Puljujarvi (hip), Jujhar Khaira (lower body)

Senators projected lineup

Brady Tkachuk -- Colin White -- Anthony Duclair
Drake Batherson
-- Chris Tierney -- Mikkel Boedker
Zack Smith -- Jean-Gabriel Pageau -- Bobby Ryan
Magnus Paajarvi -- Oscar Lindberg -- Brian Gibbons
Thomas Chabot -- Dylan DeMelo
Mark Borowiecki -- Cody Ceci
Ben Harpur -- Christian Jaros
Craig Anderson
Anders Nilsson
Scratched:Christian Wolanin
Injured: Rudolfs Balcers (illness)

Status report

Puljujarvi will have hip surgery and is out for the rest of the season. The forward had nine points (four goals, five assists) in 46 games this season, his third in the NHL. ... The Oilers did not have a morning skate after playing Wednesday. … The Senators recalled Batherson from Belleville of the American Hockey League.

Stat pack

The Oilers have scored two goals or fewer in eight of their past nine games.