The Oilers continue their three-game road swing with a game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
You can watch the game on Sportsnet West or listen on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630 CHED.

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BY THE NUMBERS
Stats Comparison: Oilers vs. Hurricanes
Media Game Notes: Oilers vs. Hurricanes
2018-19 Oilers Player Statistics
2018-19 Hurricanes Player Statistics
Head-to-Head: Oilers vs. Hurricanes
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INSIDE THE OILERS

News and notes from Thursday's practice in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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MORNING SKATE REPORT

RALEIGH, NC - The Edmonton Oilers (24-27-5) continue their three-game road trip with back-to-back matchups against the Carolina Hurricanes (29-22-6) on Friday and the New York Islanders (34-17-6) on Saturday as they look get back in the win column and make up ground in the congested race in the West. As of Friday morning, the Oilers sit six points back of the Minnesota Wild for the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference with a game in hand.
The two teams last met less than a month ago in Edmonton in a high-scoring affair that went Carolina's way with a 7-4 final.
Despite the loss to Pittsburgh to open the trip on Wednesday, Head Coach Ken Hitchcock liked what he saw saw structurally from the Oilers and hopes that carries over to Friday's matchup vs. the Hurricanes and said he plans to deploy the same lineup in recognition of the effort they put forth vs. the Penguins, barring a couple minor injury updates this afternoon.
"We played well. We showed tempo on the fourth line, we had some speed and they were effective. I don't see any reason when you play that well to change," said Hitchcock. "You can't just base it on wins and losses. We talked about playing for each other and effort-based and doing the right technical stuff and we did all of that, so we want to see guys rewarded for it."
D-man Kris Russell also felt the Oilers D corps had positive takeaways on Wednesday night as they hope to carry over some of that technical execution into tonight.
"I think with the Pittsburgh game, we did a lot of things right. If we keep doing those kind of things, our consistency is going to show up more often and we're going to win more games," said Russell. "It just shows how good the league is. That's on us, it shows the level we have to be at to even have a chance to win a game so we have to bring that every night."
With the Oilers battling to keep pace in the West, they'll be facing another team currently on the outside looking in, albeit not by much, with a Hurricanes squad who sits just three points out of the last wildcard position in the East held by Pittsburgh heading into Friday's matchup. And while the Hurricanes put up seven against the Oilers in their last meeting, Coach Hitchcock says it's the play of their defence that you have to be most wary of.
"Their strength is they hammer down on you so hard in the offensive zone on pinches and in the neutral zone on press-ups that if you're not prepared to get it behind (their D) and play a territorial game, you're going to get eaten alive," said Hitchcock. "They've got so much size and mobility back there that they use it to check and where they beat you is the races up ice. So you think you're on the forecheck and then two steps later, you're chasing a defenceman from behind. I think that's the key to their hockey club."
Forward Brad Malone, who spent two season with Carolina in 2014-15 and 2015-16, was a part of an Oilers line that Hitchcock felt was effective on Wednesday and that will be deployed again tonight. Malone said he also felt good about his contributions as he continues to battle for ice time since his recall from the Bakersfield Condors on January 31.
"It's definitely been a positive (experience). There's always room to grow in this league and to get better. Every day is a learning process here and I'm just trying to stack one good game atop another and string a few together," said Malone, who came inches from his first goal as on Oiler on Wednesday when a puck sitting in the blue paint was swept away before he could tap it in.
LINEUP NOTES
As stated by Coach Hitchcock, it looks like the Oilers will deploy the same lineup as Wednesday, barring any minor injury updates this afternoon that would keep a forward out of the lineup.
The Oilers will once again look to Mikko Koskinen in net for his second straight start after turning aside 31 of 33 shots in Wednesday's loss to Pittsburgh as the Finn looks to improve on his 14-12-2 record and .907 save percentage.
Here is a look at the projected lineup tonight vs. Carolina:
Forwards
Draisaitl - McDavid - Kassian
Lucic - Nugent-Hopkins - Puljujarvi
Khaira - Malone - Chiasson
Rieder - Cave - Rattie
Defence
Klefbom - Larsson
Nurse - Russell
Petrovic - Gravel
Goalies
Koskinen
Talbot
PREVIEW
OILERS (24-27-5) at HURRICANES (29-22-6)
TV: 5:30 p.m. MST; Televised on Sportsnet West
Head-to-Head:
Tonight's game is the final of two meetings between the two teams this season. They met back on January 20 at Rogers Place where Carolina won 7-4. In that game, Leon Draisaitl scored twice in a losing cause, as Carolina won 7-4 at Rogers Place; Nino Niederreiter and Lucas Wallmark had two goals each for the Hurricanes.

The Oilers and Hurricanes split their two games in 2017-18, with each team winning the road game.
Oilers team scope:
The Oilers played very well on Wednesday but ended up losing a 3-1 decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins, resulting in increased importance on tonight's game as the club looks to take as many points as they can from this three-game road trip as possible.
Edmonton is still six points back of Minnesota for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with a game in hand. In total, there are seven teams within seven points of that final wild card spot.
Hurricanes team scope:
The Hurricanes are three points behind the Penguins for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Carolina has won four of their last five games and picked up at least a point in eight of their last 10 (7-2-1).
By the Numbers:
McDavid has been held off the scoresheet only seven times this season (games when he was in the lineup): on Oct. 20 vs. NSH, Nov. 6 @ TBL, Nov. 11 vs. COL, Nov. 27 vs. DAL, Dec. 18 vs. STL, Jan. 5 @ LAK and Jan. 19 vs. CGY.

McDavid has the fewest games without a point this season among all NHL players having played at least 40 games. Kucherov (TBL) ranks second with only nine game without a point; Nathan MacKinnon (COL) ranks third and has been held without a point for only 13 games.
In their career, only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux have played their first 55 games in a season and gone seven or less games without a point until McDavid achieved it this year.
Leon Draisaitl is on pace for 48 goals this season which would be the most by an Oiler since Jimmy Carson scored 49 in 1989-90.
Injury Report:
OILERS - Matt Benning (upper body) is questionable
HURRICANES - Jordan Staal (upper body) is on IR
-- Marc Ciampa, EdmontonOilers.com