PREVIEW: Oilers vs. Predators

The Edmonton Oilers will return home to open a four-game homestand against the Nashville Predators on Sunday night at Rogers Place.

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PREVIEW: Oilers vs. Predators

EDMONTON, AB – Returning home with mixed results, but enough to build on.

After taking five of a possible eight points on their previous road trip, the Edmonton Oilers will be back on home ice at Rogers Place on Sunday night to begin a four-game homestand against the Nashville Predators.

The Oilers finished with two wins out of four from a tough road trip against Vegas, Colorado, Dallas and St. Louis, including a 4-3 win over the league-leading Avalanche on Tuesday before being denied a terrific road trip after losing 7-2 to the Stars and giving up a two-goal lead in the third period of a 3-2 overtime defeat to the Blues.

"Obviously, they had a strong push, and yeah, it's unfortunate," Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said. "It could've been an outstanding end to the road trip, getting three out of the four, but getting only one point in the last two games is disappointing for us."

Kasperi Kapanen's seventh goal of the season in the second period and Connor McDavid's 37th of the year midway through the final frame on Friday had the Oilers ahead 2-0, but they couldn't hold on as Blues then tied it with two goals in four minutes from Pius Suter and Cam Fowler before earning the extra point late in overtime through Robert Thomas' game-winner with eight seconds left.

Head Coach Kris Knoblauch thought his team might've taken a step back when St. Louis' first goal went in after they had played solid defensively through the middle stages of the game, even limiting the Blues to no shots for 19:46 across the first and second periods.

"I don't think it could have gone much better for us in the first 40 minutes, and then the third period, we had a nice lead, and they got their goal, and maybe we got a little nervous and backed off a little bit," Knoblauch said.

Despite the loss, Connor Ingram was solid between the pipes in his return to the crease, making 22 saves after having to leave Tuesday's win over Colorado with an injury.

"It's really a shame," Kapanen said. "Throughout the whole game, we were playing pretty well, and teams are going to have their push if we're leading, and we just need to learn how to play with the lead.

"We just have to hope that the one extra point we lost today is not going to come and haunt us later."

Valuable points will be up for grabs for both Edmonton and Nashville on Sunday, with the Oilers currently 32-26-9 and in third place in the Pacific Division, while the Predators are only three points back of San Jose for the second Wild Card spot.

Meeting for the third and final time this season, the Oilers & Predators have each taken their victories over another on home ice. The Oilers won 6-2 back on Jan. 6 at Rogers Place off the strength of a Connor McDavid hat-trick and three-point performance from Leon Draisaitl (1G, 2A), who has an incredible 28 goals and 51 points over his last 22 games against Nashville.

The Predators responded with a 4-3 overtime win in Nashville a week later, with Draisaitl having three more points (1G, 2A) and McDavid chipping in two more helpers.