The Oilers host the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Place on Thursday.
You can watch the game on Sportsnet One, East, Pacific and Ontario or listen via 630 CHED and the Oilers Radio Network.

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PRE-GAME REPORT

EDMONTON, AB - The gifts have been exchanged and the turkey consumed, as the Oilers return from their four-day holiday break with a Pacific Division showdown versus the Vancouver Canucks.
Many assume rusty legs might set in after a few days off the ice but Oilers Head Coach Ken Hitchcock doesn't agree with the assumption. His club is in a three-game slide and will look to turn the ship around on home ice - no matter how many days they've had off.
"The first game back is like the first game of the season; it's got some great play, it's got some bizarreness in it and you just move forward," Hitchcock said at his morning availability.
Hitchcock detailed the Oilers must focus on their game if they want to snap their skid, which involves playing the right way for a full 60 minutes.
"I want us to embrace all the 'us' things that need to take place if you want to be a playoff team," he added. "For us to do that, we've got to start doing the harder things that are required to win games for longer periods of time."
The Oilers are on a two-game losing streak at Rogers Place. They are 10-6-1 at home this season.
GETTING TO THE INSIDE
In their previous meeting on Dec. 16 in British Columbia, the Oilers were held to 22 shots on goal and just a single power play in their 4-2 loss. Vancouver lit the lamp on three of their five power plays that night and threw 30 shots on goal at Mikko Koskinen.
Following that game, Hitchcock praised the Canucks for their ability to limit the Oilers from getting to the inside of the ice. Upon more examination of the game, Hitchcock said his Oilers played well at even strength but were still stymied offensively.
"I thought 5-on-5, the scoring chances were much in our favour and we did a lot better things than I thought," the Oilers coach said.
"In saying that, we still had struggles to get to the inside."
Oilers centre Connor McDavid felt the effects of Vancouver's stingy checking first-hand. The Oilers Captain managed to muster an assist in the game and was asked how Vancouver was able to suppress the Oilers in their previous affair.
"They keep a lot of guys back," said McDavid, who has 52 points on the season. "Their neutral zone is pretty passive. They stay on the line pretty hard. You got to be willing to give the puck up, chip it in, chip it behind them and go get it yourself."
Hitchcock claimed the Canucks are one of the best checking squads in the National Hockey League at the moment. The club is 3-2-0 in their last five and 6-3-1 in their last 10.
"They're playing, to me, as good a team game as anyone in the West right now," said the coach.
BEATEN UP BLUELINE
Injuries have played a part in the Orange & Blue's current skid. The club has been without regulars Oscar Klefbom, Kris Russell and Andrej Sekera, and there was another body down on Thursday as Jason Garrison did not skate in the morning due to the flu.
Darnell Nurse and Adam Larsson were paired together at Thursday's morning skate, while Kevin Gravel partnered up with Matt Benning. Chris Wideman skated alongside rookie rearguard Caleb Jones.
Russell, who manned the blueline with Sekera, could be the first Dman to return to the lineup.
"Our assumption on Kris is that he's a player on the 29th or 31st," Hitchcock said. "It's trending towards there but this is the first real extra skate he's got. If he passes the test today then he practices full tomorrow and then we're assuming he's ready on the 29th or 31st."
Added Hitchcock: "We're one of the teams that got the injuries now but a week from now, it might be somebody else. Two weeks from now, we could be healthy. Who knows."
LINEUP NOTES
Hitchcock made some alterations to his lineup on Thursday. Leon Draisaitl flanked McDavid alongside Alex Chiasson on the top line while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins played middleman with Jesse Puljujarvi and Tobias Rieder.
Like Garrison, Drake Caggiula was also absent from practice due to the flu. As a result, Ryan Spooner centred Ty Rattie and Valentin Zykov, and the 'Identity Line' of Milan Lucic, Kyle Brodziak and Zack Kassian skated as a unit.
Mikko Koskinen is likely to get the nod in net.
Lines at morning skate appeared to be:
Draisaitl - McDavid - Chiasson
Rieder - Nugent-Hopkins - Puljujarvi
Lucic - Brodziak - Kassian
Zykov - Spooner - Rattie
Nurse - Larsson
Gravel - Benning
Jones - Wideman
Koskinen
-- Paul Gazzola, EdmontonOilers.com
Video: THE OTHER SIDE | Canucks Pre-Game

PREVIEW

OILERS (18-15-3) vs. CANUCKS (17-18-4)
TV: 7:00 p.m. MST; Televised on Sportsnet One
Head-to-Head:
Tonight's game is the second of four meetings between the Oilers and Canucks this year. Vancouver defeated Edmonton 4-2 on Dec. 16 in a game that saw Brock Boeser lead his club to victory with one goal and two assists.
The Oilers will face the Canucks again on Jan. 16 and then conclude the season series on March 7 at Rogers Place.
Oilers team scope:
The Oilers exit the holiday break in a current three-game slide, dropping decisions to the Tampa Bay Lightning, St. Louis Blues and Canucks.
Injuries on the blueline to Oscar Klefbom, Kris Russell and Andrej Sekera have been felt in the current funk.
"Everybody has injuries, we just couldn't afford to have the ones we've had," said Oilers Head Coach Ken Hitchcock prior to the holiday break. "We were in a position where we had enough on the back end to get through, but we got hit hard and now we're paying a price for it."
The club remains in the hunt for a playoff spot, however, currently sitting in the second Western Conference wild card position with 39 points.
Canucks team scope:
The Canucks are just a single point behind the Oilers in the playoff race with 38 and have been playing well of late, despite a 1-0 setback versus the Winnipeg Jets last Saturday.
After going 3-8-3 in the month of November, Vancouver has gone 6-4-1 in December. The team is 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and are 8-9-3 away from Rogers Arena. In their past five outings, the Canucks have gone 3-2-0.
By the Numbers:
Connor McDavid is fourth in League scoring with 19 goals and 52 points. ... The Oilers Captain has nine points in his last five games. ... Leon Draisaitl is tied for 15th in scoring with 43 points. ... Alex Chiasson leads the Oilers in shooting percentage with a 32 percent clip, scoring 16 goals on 50 shots.
The Oilers are 1-3-1 in their last five games and 5-4-1 in their last 10. ... The squad is 4-4-1 against the Pacific Division this season. ... The Oilers are 12-6-2 when scoring first.
Elias Pettersson leads the Canucks in scoring with 36 points. ... The Swede also leads all rookies in the NHL in goals, assists and points with 17, 19 and 36, respectively. ... Vancouver is 4-5-1 versus the Pacific in '17-18.
Injury Report:
OILERS - Andrej Sekera (Achilles) is on IR; Oscar Klefbom (hand) is on IR; Kris Russell (undisclosed) is on IR.
CANUCKS - Sven Baertschi (upper body) is on IR; Brandon Sutter (upper body) is on IR; Troy Stecher (concussion) is day-to-day.
-- Paul Gazzola, EdmontonOilers.com