PREVIEW: Oilers at Sharks

The Edmonton Oilers return from the holiday break to begin a three-game road trip through California on Thursday night against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center.

You can watch the game on Sportsnet West at 8:30 PM MT or listen live on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630CHED.

Subscribe to Oilers+ to unlock the Pre-Game Show that will begin 30 minutes before puck drop, along with more exclusive live and behind-the-scenes content.

PREVIEW: Oilers at Sharks

SAN JOSE, CA – The Edmonton Oilers are hoping to pick up right where they left off before the holiday break when they begin a three-game California road trip on Thursday night against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center.

“I think it's jumping right back in the saddle and playing the same hockey that we were before Christmas,” said forward Derek Ryan. “We're just coming off a break, so we're trying to kind of get back in the saddle and get our game back to where it needs to be.”

Before taking four days off for the holidays, the Oilers scored four goals in the third period on consecutive nights to earn back-to-back victories over the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers and get themselves back to a .500 win percentage with a 15-15-1 record.

On Wednesday afternoon, the team travelled to San Jose before holding a post-flight practice that was centred around trying to get back into that feeling they’d found in the final frames of the back-to-back comeback wins.

“Just reminders of what we did well to give us those two victories – especially in the third period in both those games – and not overwhelm them coming from the break,” Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said. “It's not like they're going to forget everything that we're doing and the systems or stuff like that, so I think it’s just a lot of mild refreshers.”

Veteran Sam Gagner didn’t travel with the team to California and will miss the next three games with what Knoblauch categorized as a "short-term injury" after last Thursday’s 6-3 win over the Devils at the Prudential Center.

Dylan Holloway participated in Wednesday’s practice but isn’t expected to be back in the lineup on this California road trip, says Knoblauch, and could make his return potentially as early as Jan. 2 on home ice against the Philadelphia Flyers after missing the last 18 games with a lower-body injury sustained against the Islanders on Nov. 13.

Netminder Stuart Skinner, who is 12-9-1 with a .886 save percentage and 3.04 goals-against average this season, will get the start in San Jose after stopping 31 of 34 shots against the Rangers before the break.

McLEOD MIXING IT UP

Centre Ryan McLeod has recorded multiple points in consecutive games for the first time this season as part of a red-hot line with Leon Draisaitl and Warren Foegele that was assembled after last Tuesday’s 3-1 loss on Long Island.

The line has out-chanced their opposition 19-16 and produced four even-strength goals over 15:43 of ice time together in Edmonton’s last two victories, as per Natural Stat Trick.

“Having McLeod on that line adds a little bit of speed, but I think all of them can make plays off the rush – especially Leon,” Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said. “I think with Fogele and McLeod’s forechecking, I think they recover a lot of pucks for Leon to be able to make plays and spend time in the offensive zone.”

Last Friday at Madison Square Garden, Foegele found the back of the net with his fifth goal of the season on a wrist shot that came off a quick exchange in transition with McLeod at New York’s blue line near the six-and-a-half-minute mark of a four-goal third period from the Oilers.

Just 3:16 later, Foegele took the initial shot on an odd-man rush with Draisaitl before throwing a loose puck back in front to McLeod from below the goal line to make it 4-1 with the eventual game-winner.

Coach Knoblauch sees each of their dynamics helping contribute to a formidable line that has the potential to have continued success as the schedule prepares to shift over to 2024.

“I know Foegele and Leon are so good in the offensive zone protecting the puck, especially below the goal line, and you see the chances they've gotten – especially the two against the Rangers,” Knoblauch said.

“I think they're getting used to each other, and hopefully it's something that we can build on and we can keep that line together for a while.”

THE MANY ROLES OF RYAN

When called upon, Derek Ryan has no qualms with changing up his game to fill the role that's needed. 

In many ways, he actually prefers it.

"I think there's a good group of guys that can kind of bounce around and play wherever – whether it's playing different wings or jumping in the middle or whatever needs be," Ryan said. "So I think there's a lot of guys that fit that mould. That's kind of what you have to be in today's NHL. You have to be able to play in a lot of different positions and be able to contribute in those positions."

After Gagner was unable to go last Friday, Ryan swapped back to playing centre on the third line between Evander Kane and Mattias Janmark and produced an assist by battling to win an important offensive-zone faceoff on Kane's go-ahead goal at 4:17 of the final frame.

The 36-year-old said after Wednesday's practice that he feels comfortable with the extra defensive responsibilities that come with the position, but his biggest focus lies in continuing to improve his overall consistency.

"More responsibility in the defensive zone, but it's a position I've played for a long time in my career and I'm really comfortable with the system that we're playing here with Kris as well," he said. "So I try not to think about that too much. I try and play the same way. I talked about building consistency in our team game, and I'm trying to build consistency in my personal game as well.

Lines at Wednesday's practice appeared as follows:

Nugent-Hopkins - McDavid - Hyman
McLeod - Draisaitl - Foegele
Kane - Ryan - Janmark
Erne - Hamblin - Brown
Holloway

Nurse - Ceci
Ekholm - Bouchard
Kulak - Desharnais
Gleason

Skinner
Pickard