YOUR GAME-DAY ESSENTIALS
BY THE NUMBERS
2016-17 Head-to-Head: Oilers vs. Coyotes
Oilers/Coyotes Stats Comparison
Game Notes: Oilers at Coyotes
2016-17 Oilers Player Statistics
2016-17 Coyotes Player Statistics
2016-17 NHL Standings
GAME DAY VIDEO
OILERS TODAY | Tom Gazzola reports on the key storylines prior to tonight's game
PRE-GAME RAW | McDavid
PRE-GAME RAW | Lucic
PRE-GAME RAW | Caggiula
PRE-GAME RAW | Oilers head coach Todd McLellan
TUESDAY'S VIDEOS
THE PANEL | Presented by Sport Chek
PRACTICE | Tuesday in Arizona
PRACTICE RAW | Maroon
PRACTICE RAW | Nugent-Hopkins
PRACTICE RAW | Todd McLellan
TUESDAY'S BLOGS & ARTICLES
BLOG:
Oilers aim to solve Coyotes curse
BLOG:
Maroon reflects on emotional night
BLOG:
McLellan ponders uniting Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins
BLOG:
Pitlick injury update
BLOG:
Tuesday's line combinations
MORE INFORMATION
You can watch tonight's game within the Oilers region on Sportsnet West.
View Oilers Line Combinations
Injury Report
Set your lineup for tonight with Oilers Fantasy Hockey
UPDATES
Inside The Oilers Blog

INSIDE THE OILERS

News and notes from Tuesday's Oilers practice and media availability in Arizona.
>> READ MORE IN THE INSIDE THE OILERS BLOG

PRE-GAME REPORT

GLENDALE, AZ - The Oilers look to put an end to Arizona's 25-game points streak against Edmonton tonight with more than just pride on the line as the tight Pacific Division is jockeying for position before the Christmas break.
Oilers head coach Todd McLellan was asked about earlier this season when the Coyotes took both ends of a home-and-home against the Oilers at the end of November.
"We always go back and review situations that occurred in that game. We formulate our game plan off of that as well as a pre-scout that takes place in regards to what they've done lately. A lot of it will be how they played us, how we've played them and some areas of the game that we think we have to improve in," he said.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid added that the key to defeating the Coyotes is patience against their waiting game.
"You can't get frustrated, you can't let their defending and stuff like that frustrate you. It's going to be a game where a lot of pucks are chipped in and they're just waiting to capitalize on your mistakes and maybe get one or two on the power play."
McDavid also talked about building off a huge win against one of the League's best teams on home ice in St. Louis on Monday.
"St. Louis plays a hard game. They're really tough to beat, especially in their home building. But we found a way to stay in the game and tie it in third period then get a big overtime win which is nice."
LINEUP UPDATES
With Tyler Pitlick injured, Jesse Puljujarvi will draw back into the lineup. Defence pairings will remain the same, which means Eric Gryba continues to play with Brandon Davidson.
It was an optional morning skate, so the Oilers didn't run lines. Connor McDavid, Milan Lucic and Jordan Eberle will certainly play together but after that, it's up in the air.
"They're facing the top checking units," McLellan said of McDavid's line. "We're on the road, they get the top pairs (on defence) so there's a lot of factors that go into their ability to have success. I look at it as a combination. As they're being checked, maybe not as offensive as they have been in the past, it's opening up icetime for others to score. Nuge is getting on the board, Draisaitl, Maroon, Letestu's line has become effective because I think there's so much focus on Connor's group."
McLellan was asked about continuing to keep Leon Draisaitl with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the second line after the success they had on Monday in the third period.
"First of all, we're ever-flowing," said McLellan. "We're going to change, we're going to move, we're going to manipulate based on our needs for that game and I liked what I saw from Maroon, Nugent-Hopkins and Leon. They were very, very effective in the last half of that game. If they can continue to produce, I think we've got something there but it also is based on what other lines are doing. They have to be responsive as well. Letestu's line has been tremendous lately. It's what that third or fourth line, whatever you want to call it, can give us tonight. If they're effective then we've got something. If not, then we have to look at something different during the game."
If Draisaitl plays with Nugent-Hopkins, it likely means Drake Caggiula will play centre on the third line with Puljujarvi and Benoit Pouliot.
-- Marc Ciampa, edmontonoilers.com

PREVIEW

OILERS (17-12-5) at COYOTES (11-16-5)
TV: 7:30 p.m. MST; Televised on Sportsnet West
Head-to-Head:
Tonight's game marks the third of five meetings between the Oilers and Coyotes this season and the second and final game in Arizona. The next time these teams will meet is on January 16th in Edmonton.
The last time these teams met was on November 27th in Edmonton, where the Coyotes won by a score of 2-1. Milan Lucic scored the Oilers lone goal with assits from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Oilers team scope:
The Oilers sit in a tie for second place in the Pacific Division with the Anaheim Ducks, two points behind the San Jose Sharks for top spot at 39 points. They are 5-2-3 in their last 10 games.
Forward Leon Draisaitl registered two points for a second consecutive game, collecting two assists in the Oilers 3-2 win over St. Louis on Dec. 19. Draisaitl now has seven multi-point games, and has moved into 11th place in the NHL scoring race, with 30 points (14G, 16A), tied with five other players).
Since Dec. 1, Draisaitl has 13 points (7G, 6A) in ten games. He has also reached 90 career NHL points in 143 games (35G, 55A).
Edmonton's power play has been hot since Dec. 1, the Oilers power play is running at 35.3%, with 12 power play goals in 34 chances, good the second best power play in the NHL over that time.
On Nov. 20, the Oilers power play ranked 18th in the NHL. It now ranks sixth overall. The team's power play on the road ranks first in the NHL, running at 30.2% (16PPG, 53OPP). It has been running at an even 50.0% clip since Dec. 1 (8PPG, 16OPP)
Coyotes team scope:
Arizona seems to have the Oilers number, having picked up at least a point in each of the last 25 meetings between the two teams. Earlier this season, the Coyotes defeated the Oilers in back-to-back games. Since that time, Arizona only has three wins in their last 12 games (3-6-3).
Oliver Ekman-Larsson has points in 4 of his last 5 games vs. Edmonton (1-6-7).
Mike Smith is 15-1-1 with a .928 SV% and 2.24 GAA in 19 career games vs. the Oilers. He's also 4-0-2 this season when facing 40 or more shots.
The Coyotes have played the third-most one-goal games in the NHL this season and are 8-6-5 in those games.
Arizona's 25-game point streak against the Oilers marks the longest point streak against the same opponent in franchise history and tied for the 6th longest in NHL history. The Coyotes' 25-game points streak is the longest in the NHL since Philadelphia had a 32-game stretch vs. L.A. from Oct. 22, 1974-Feb. 5, 1983. The NHL record is 34 games by Montreal vs. Washington.
The Coyotes last lost in regulation to Edmonton on Jan. 25, 2011 (4-3). Arizona went 4-0-1 vs. Edmonton last season and have gone 26-2-4 against the Oilers under Dave Tippett.