EDMONTON, AB - The Oilers host tough opposition in the Dallas Stars tonight at Rogers Place in the second game of a back-to-back for the visitors, with the playoff race continuing at a torrent pace.
The Stars are winners of two straight after extinguishing the Calgary Flames 2-1 last night in Cowtown, and are 9-4-1 in their last 14 games coming into Edmonton for their second game in as many nights.
"That second game you might be a little bit more fatigued, but at the end of the day with the way the NHL is now, everyone plays four lines and it's a matter of jumping on them early to show them we're here," Oilers forward Zack Kassian said of the rigours of playing back-to-backs.
"I don't read too much into it. We play back to backs and they win back to backs. Everyone has to do it and good teams have to win them."
The Stars sit atop the Western Conference wild card standings with 86 points - ten up on the Oilers and three up on the second-place Colorado Avalanche with 83. Both the Oilers and Stars are competing to strengthen their position in the maelstrom of the playoff race, and there's no time for caution on both sides.
"This game has to be high urgency on both sides," defenceman Darnell Nurse said. "For us, we have to outcompete them and outwork them because this is a team that's had success lately. It's come from their work ethic and the way they've been able to check. We have to be ready to up our game.
"This is a team that's playing some really good hockey, they're very talented and we have to rise to this occasion."
During that 14-game span, Dallas' defensive corps is allowing a league-low 1.57 goals against thanks to strong seasons from blueliner John Klingberg (10G, 31A) and rookie Miro Heiskanen (11G, 21A) in his first NHL season.
"I think they're the best reload team in the west," Oilers Head Coach Ken Hitchcock said. "They and Vegas do the best job with the forwards working for the defencemen. There's no gap. So you're under constant pressure from the backside all the time, and if you're not prepared to play a simple north-south game, they eat it up.
"They've discouraged a lot of teams because of their forwards working for their defence."
OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl had hat-tricks when the Oilers put up an eight-spot on the Los Angeles Kings last time out.
"It's nice to see guys get hat tricks and whatnot," Kassian, who had a goal on Tuesday to set a new career high, said. "I don't think some coaches like it as much because it gives them a bit of a headache when you're giving up more than you'd like. All in all, at the end of the day it's about the two points."
