The Oilers open up a three-game home set with a match against the Florida Panthers.
You can watch the game on Sportsnet West within the Oilers region or listen on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630 CHED.
Read the Preview below and check back for line combinations, updates, videos and more in the Morning Skate Report.

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OILERS TODAY | Pre-Game vs. FLA
PRE-GAME RAW | Talbot
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THE OTHER SIDE | Panthers Pre-Game Interviews
BY THE NUMBERS
Stats Comparison: Oilers vs. Panthers
Media Game Notes: Oilers vs. Panthers
2018-19 Oilers Player Statistics
2018-19 Panthers Player Statistics
2018-19 Head-to-Head: Oilers vs. Panthers
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PRE-GAME REPORT

EDMONTON, AB - The second-half of the 2018-19 season has officially begun with the Orange & Blue prepared to scratch, grapple and claw their way into the postseason, fittingly beginning against the Florida Panthers on Thursday.
The Oilers lost 4-1 to the Panthers at BB&T Center on November 8, 2018. Mike Hoffman and Vincent Trocheck registered two points each in the game but a few other Cats factored into the scoring as well, as Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau and Evgenii Dadonov displayed their nifty playmaking and finishing in the match.
"Those guys can really create offence," said defenceman Darnell Nurse, who has five goals and 20 points in 43 games this season, and is only seven points from establishing a new career-high.
"If you give them enough opportunities, they can really create scoring chances and goals for their team. We all have to be aware of them as a unit at all times."
Oilers Head Coach Ken Hitchcock alluded to the offensive prowess of the Panthers in Thursday's media avail. The bench boss, who's tried to neutralize Cats captain Barkov in the past, divulged the only way he knows how to.
"Barkov, to me, he plays a man's game and it's like men against boys with him sometimes," the coach said.
"I think the only thing that works (for defending against Barkov) is putting five guys in the goal crease. Just stand there and wait for him to come."
WELCOME HOME
Thursday's meeting will mark Edmonton's first home game and home stand of 2019. The squad is three points back of the Anaheim Ducks for the final Western Conference wild card position and are aware of how crucial this upcoming set of matches will be.
"We have ourselves in the position of a really tight fight and tight race," said Nurse. "Each and every game is of the utmost importance. That's what makes this game fun, to be in important games at this time of the year."
With the club entrenched in the battle for a postseason spot, Hitchcock thinks the remaining schedule favours his club.
"We feel like we have a great schedule until the end of the year," Hitchcock, who is 11-10-2 with the Oilers since becoming head coach on Nov. 20, 2018, said. "We feel we got a real opportunity. We got to do something with it but in saying that, we got elements of our game that have to be better."
The Oilers will have an advantage when they play six of their next seven outings on home ice, given the club will have the last line change. Rather than view the last change as a matchup advantage, Hitchcock said he will use it more as an opportunity to give certain players more time on the ice.
"You can play more players more minutes," he said. "You can use some things to your advantage and that's what we put the big line together (Draisaitl-McDavid-Chiasson).
With the NHL All-Star Break upcoming and with less than 40 games remaining in the season, Hitchcock believes the opportunity is there for a playoff berth.
"We're 40-something games in and we're right in the hunt," said Hitchcock. "It's a great time."
POWER-PLAY PROWL
Although the Cats are always dangerous, they are particularly sharp on the power play.
The Panthers are fourth on the power play overall, going 40-for-148 for a 27 percent clip. They also own the fourth-best road man advantage, which sits at 28 percent, going 21-for-75.
Two routine man-advantage contributors for Florida are Keith Yandle and Hoffman, who sit fifth and sixth League-wide in power-play points with 22 and 21, respectively. Hoffman has 10 power-play goals and Yandle has 17 man-advantage helpers.
"Hoffman is one of the best shooters in the NHL, especially at that power play position that he's in," Nurse noted.
"They have a lot of skill that can make you pay."
LINEUP NOTES
Hitchcock made some changes to his lineup ahead of the match.
Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid and Alex Chiasson will skate together on the top line, while Milan Lucic, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jesse Puljujarvi round out the top six.
Jujhar Khaira was slotted as the middleman of the third line alongside Tobias Rieder and Zack Kassian. Joe Gambardella, Kyle Brodziak and Ryan Spooner skated together on the fourth.
On the back end, Matt Benning will slot back into the lineup after Alexander Petrovic was crunched from behind against San Jose, causing him to go through concussion protocol.
"Petrovic is in the concussion protocol. He feels a lot better today," said Hitchcock.
Cam Talbot is expected to get the nod in goal. The netminder posted his first shutout of the season in Edmonton's 4-0 win over the Ducks on Sunday but was pulled after making 13 saves on 17 shots versus the Sharks.
Lines at morning skate appeared to be:
Draisaitl - McDavid - Chiasson
Lucic - Nugent-Hopkins - Puljujarvi
Rieder - Khaira - Kassian
Gambardella - Brodziak - Spooner
Nurse - Russell
Jones - Larsson
Gravel - Benning
Talbot
-- Paul Gazzola, EdmontonOilers.com
Video: THE OTHER SIDE | Panthers Pre-Game

PREVIEW

OILERS (20-20-3) vs. PANTHERS (17-17-7)
TV: 7:00 p.m. MST; Televised on Sportsnet West
Head-to-Head:
Tonight's game is the second of two meetings between the Oilers and Panthers this season. Florida defeated Edmonton 4-1 on November 8, 2018, in a game that saw Vincent Trocheck and Mike Hoffman record two points apiece to lead their squad to victory.
The two sides split their season series in 2017-18, with Florida defeating Edmonton 7-5 at Rogers Place then losing to the Oilers 4-2 at BB&T Center later in the campaign.
Connor McDavid had two goals and five points in two games against the Cats last season. The Oilers Captain has 10 points (3G, 7A) in five career games versus Florida.
Trocheck had four goals against the Oilers in '17-18 and seven points in seven career matchups with Edmonton.
Oilers team scope:
The Oilers return back to Rogers Place after going 2-2-0 on their past four-game road trip. The club concluded their jaunt with a 7-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks but were able to pick up wins against the Arizona Coyotes and Anaheim Ducks.
The Orange & Blue have struggled of late, going 2-8-0 in their last 10 outings, but remain in the conversation for the last spot in the Western Conference wild card. Edmonton is 20-20-3 on the season with 43 points, three back of the Ducks for the final wild card position.
Panthers team scope:
The visitors enter Edmonton after coming off a 5-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday and are amidst a three-game losing slide.
Jonathan Huberdeau leads the team in scoring with 11 goals and 46 points, while captain Aleksander Barkov is second with 17 goals and 43 points. Acquired from the San Jose Sharks in the off-season, forward Mike Hoffman leads the club in goals with 20.
Florida is at .500 on the season with a 17-17-7 record but are outside the playoff picture by 10 points.
By the Numbers:
Connor McDavid sits fifth in National Hockey League scoring with 63 points (24G, 39A) in 42 games. ... Leon Draisaitl has 10 points in his last 10 games (7G, 3A). ... Draisaitl is 14th in League scoring and 17th in faceoffs taken with 714. ... Milan Lucic is third in the NHL in hits with 155, while Adam Larsson is sixth with 138.
Panthers Dman Keith Yandle is eigth in scoring amongst defencemen with 35 points (6G, 29A). Yandle has recorded 105 shots on goal this season, good for 13th League-wide. ... Aaron Ekblad is ninth in goals amongst defenders with eight.
Injury Report:
OILERS - Andrej Sekera (Achilles) is on IR; Oscar Klefbom (hand) is on IR; Kailer Yamamoto (upper body) is on IR; Alex Petrovic (undisclosed) is day-to-day.
PANTHERS - Jamie McGinn (back) is on IR; Derek MacKenzie (upper body) is on IR; Vincent Trocheck (fractured ankle) is on IR; Nick Bjugstad (upper body) is on IR.
-- Paul Gazzola, EdmontonOilers.com