WHAT'S NEXT
The Oilers visit the Minnesota Wild on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. MST. You can see the game on Sportsnet West or listen live on 630 CHED and the Oilers Radio Network.
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"Tonight we faced a very effective team with a lot of skill," said Oilers defender Oscar Klefbom. "We had 46 shots on goal and their goalie had a hell of a game.
"I still think we played some really good games on the road and we want to continue that feeling."
The Oilers went 45 percent in the dot, delivered 24 hits and Laurent Brossoit made 19 saves in the losing effort. Yohann Auvitu led the Oilers with six shots on goal, while Connor McDavid, Kris Russell and Darnell Nurse each had five.
"Other than the result, we outplayed them in every aspect of the game," said Milan Lucic.
Oilers Head Coach Todd McLellan hoped his club would transfer the gusto they had on the road in their return to Rogers Place and did so in the opening 20.
Edmonton jumped out with energy, as all four lines contributed by applying pressure, forechecking and creating turnovers. Meanwhile, when the Predators tilted the ice the other way, Brossoit was there to backstop his squad. Although he wasn't tested often, he stopped all four shots he saw in the opening frame, including a wrister from the slot courtesy of Craig Smith.
The Oilers ended the period leading the shot count 22-4 but Saros had an answer for every puck he faced.
The Preds broke the egg on their fifth shot on goal. Pontus Aberg tipped a Mattias Ekholm clapper from the point but it appeared the puck had been deflected with a high stick. After a lengthy video review, the call on the ice stood to make it 1-0 visitors in the second period.
"It's tough to overturn a high-stick call when it's close," said McLellan. "It's a break that went against us."
McDavid almost tied the match up after splitting between Ekholm and Yannick Weber while on his path to the Preds' net. Despite the two defenders being draped over the Oilers Captain, he was able to get a shot on net.
