OILERS (24-29-5) vs. COYOTES (26-28-5)
TV: 7:00 p.m. MST; Televised on Sportsnet West
Head-to-Head:
Tonight's game is the third of four meetings between the two teams this season. The Oilers won 3-1 in Arizona back in early January and a week later the Coyotes won 3-2 at Rogers Place.
Connor McDavid has three goals and four points in two games against Arizona this season while Leon Draisaitl has a goal and an assist. The only other Oiler with more than a single point is Zack Kassian, with two helpers.
Conor Garland has two goals for Arizona against the Oilers while Jordan Oesterle has a goal and an assist.
Oilers team scope:
The Oilers continue to sit seven points back of the Minnesota Wild for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with a game in hand. There are eight teams within eight points of the Wild.
Edmonton is looking to get back on track with this three-game home stand with only one win in their last 11 games (1-8-2).
McDavid has 83 points in 57 games to rank third in the NHL in points, seven back of Patrick Kane and 16 behind Nikita Kucherov who have both been red hot as of late.
Coyotes team scope:
The Coyotes have 57 points, three back of the Minnesota Wild. They've also played one more game than the Oilers, who they're four points up on.
Clayton Keller leads the Coyotes with 38 points in 59 games. Alex Galchenyuk leads the Coyotes with 13 goals on the season. The Oilers have two players with more than double the number of goals as the Coyotes centre: McDavid (31) and Draisaitl (35).
Darcy Kuemper should get the start in goal tonight for the Coyotes. He has a record of 14-14-5 along with a 2.68 GAA and .913 SV%.
By the Numbers:
Let's go literally by the "numbers" today:
The last player to wear #43 as an Oiler, before Josh Currie, was defenceman Jason Strudwick; Currie is the third player all-time to wear #43 for the Oilers.
The last player to wear #32 as an Oiler, before goaltender Anthony Stolarz, was goaltender Richard Bachman from 2013-15; Stolarz is the 15th Oiler to wear #32 - and the fifth goaltender.
Sam Gagner went 1,773 days between games as an Oiler, wearing #89, from Apr. 10, 2014 to Feb. 16, 2019. Gagner is the second player to wear #89 for the Oilers, after Mike Comrie.
Andrej Sekera last played a game for the Oilers on Apr. 2, 2018 at Minnesota - 323 days ago.
Injury Report:
OILERS - Matt Benning, Jujhar Khaira and Jesse Puljujarvi are all on IR.
COYOTES - Christian Dvorak, Jason Demers, Antti Raanta, and Nick Schmaltz are all on IR with lower-body injuries; Michael Grabner (eye) is on IR; Richard Panik (illness) is day-to-day.
-- Marc Ciampa, EdmontonOilers.com