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BY THE NUMBERS
2016-17 Head-to-Head: Oilers vs. Blue Jackets
Oilers/Blue Jackets Stats Comparison
Game Notes: Oilers vs. Blue Jackets
2016-17 Oilers Player Statistics
2016-17 Blue Jackets 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 | Davidson
PRE-GAME RAW | Letestu
PRE-GAME RAW | Oilers head coach Todd McLellan
RAW | Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli Media Availability
The Other Side | Oilers vs Blue Jackets
MONDAY'S VIDEOS
OILERS TODAY | Black & Blueline
PRACTICE RAW | Todd McLellan
INJURY UPDATE | Gryba
INJURY UPDATE | Davidson
MONDAY'S BLOGS & ARTICLES
BLOG: Nurse to miss "up to 12 weeks"
PRESS RELEASE: Oilers assign Musil
FEATURE: Reinforcements coming as Nurse sidelined
MORE INFORMATION
You can watch tonight's game within the Oilers region on Sportsnet West.
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INSIDE THE OILERS

News and notes from Monday's Oilers practice and media availability.
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PRE-GAME REPORT

EDMONTON, AB - The Oilers faceoff against the streaking Columbus Blue Jackets for the first time this season. The Blue Jackets enter Rogers Place winners of six consecutive contests, while the Oilers are fresh off a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.
Columbus has been one of the biggest surprises around the League in the 2016-17 campaign. After playing to a modest 3-3-1 record in their first seven matches, they've gone 14-2-3 since. They sit first in the League in points percentage with .731, have an NHL-best 24.6% conversion rate on the power play, have allowed the second-fewest goals against with 55 and have the third best goals for per game average with 3.31.
"They do score a lot of goals but they prevent a ton, too," said Oilers Head Coach Todd McLellan. "Their gap or their ability to play either way makes them special, one of the top two or three teams in the League right now. That's their skill set."
The Oilers have played decently against the powerhouse Metropolitan Division this year, going 3-4-0. The Pacific Division has given the Blue Jackets the most amount of trouble compared to every other. Columbus is 4-3-1 against Pacific teams.
"Our group, I think this is a good test for them," said McLellan.
'CHRISTMAS CAME EARLY'
With the crushing news that stalwart defenceman Darnell Nurse will be out for three months, a silver lining has emerged in the re-entry of defenceman Brandon Davidson.
Davidson, having played only 7:49 minutes this season, will suit up for his second game of the year. He was injured in the Oilers season-opener against the Calgary Flames.
Davidson feels as though he's been gifted prematurely this holiday season.
"I feel like Christmas came early," he said.
The young defender has spent the rest of the season watching from the press box and rehabilitating his upper-body injury. After having a bit of a coming out party personally last year, he's eager to slot into the lineup and continue producing.
"I'm tired of sitting around, I want to make an impact. It's been going pretty well here for the guys and I just want to play a bigger part in that."
With the Blue Jackets doling out four competent lines, there's no possibility Davidson will be sheltered.
"They've got four lines that are rolling so there's no hiding him," said McLellan. "He has to have a level of confidence being a veteran now. It's a little bit different than coming up as a rookie and going in there."
In 51 games last season, Davidson registered four goals and seven assists for 11 points.
SPECIAL TEAMS KEY
Both clubs boast some special teams flare. The Blue Jackets - No. 1 in the League on the power play and No. 17 in penalty killing - can dictate games when up or down a man. The same can be said for the Oilers, who are sixth on the man-advantage (22.4%) and seventh shorthanded (84.8%).
"They're dangerous but if you're detailed and you're hard like we have been most of the year - and Cam's been great back there - we're going to give ourselves the chance to kill a lot of penalties," said Oilers forward Mark Letestu.
In the freezing month of December, the Oilers power play has been burning hot. They're 10 for 23 this month, scoring on roughly 43.4% of their opportunities.
"I don't think there was some magic formula to us switching a guy here or a guy there," said Letestu. "We simplified things, just started putting pucks to the net and guys are cleaning up rebounds."
The Oilers are 20-4-2 against Columbus all-time in Edmonton.
-- Paul Gazzola, edmontonoilers.com

PREVIEW

OILERS (15-11-5) vs. BLUE JACKETS (17-5-4)
TV: 7:00 p.m. MT; Televised on Sportsnet West
Head-to-Head:
Tonight's game marks the first of two meeting between the Oilers and Blue Jackets this season and the lone game in Edmonton. The next time these teams will meet is on January 3rd in Columbus.
The last time these teams met was on March 4th in Columbus, where the Blue Jackets won by a score of 6-3. Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid scored for the Oilers, while Pat Maroon posted two assists.
Oilers team scope:
The Oilers ended a four-game winless skid on Sunday with a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. On the flip side, the Oilers have picked up at least a point in six of their last seven games (3-1-3). Each of Edmonton's last six games have been decided by one goal.
Connor McDavid continues to lead the NHL in scoring, after taking the lead on Nov. 22. He has now led the league in scoring for 31 days. McDavid has led the NHL at one point during all three months this season. In total, McDavid has led the league in scoring for 31 of the first 60 days of the season. He now has 39 points (12G, 27A) in 31 games. He currently has a seven point lead on both Jakub Voracek (PHI), and Vladimir Tarasenko (STL).
McDavid also continues to pace the NHL with 27 assists, five assists up on Voracek, Phil Kessel (PIT) and Ryan Getzlaf (ANA). On assists alone, McDavid would be tied for 13th in NHL scoring.
Through Dec. 11, the Oilers power play ranks sixth in the NHL, at 22.4%, with 22 goals in 98 opportunities. On Nov. 30, the Oilers power play was at 16.0%, and ranked 18th in the league. Since Dec. 1, the Oilers have scored ten power play goals in 23 attempts (43.5%), improving their ranking by 12 positions. They have power play goals in six consecutive games.
Currently, the Oilers are among the NHL leaders in the following categories:
Blue Jackets team scope:
Columbus has been good almost anywhere they've played throughout the entire season. They've won six straight games, own a 10-3-1 record on home ice and are 7-2-3 on the road.
The Blue Jackets sit in the first wild card spot with 38 points and own the second-best goal differential in the NHL at +31 (87 goals for, 56 goals against).
Cam Atkinson leads the way for the Blue Jackets with 10 goals and 27 points in 26 games. After that, it's a very balanced scoring attack with Nick Foligno (22 points), Brandon Saad (22), Alexander Wennberg (22), Sam Gagner (19) and Zach Werenski (17) leading the way.
Gagner, a former Oiler, has been a great surprise this season with 11 goals in 25 games to lead the Jackets. Gagner had only eight all of last season and 10 in his final season with the Oilers in 2013-14. Gagner's career high is 18 which was achieved in 75 games in 2011-12. Gagner was named the NHL's third star of the week last week having recorded three goals and six points in three contests.