OILERS’ GAME DAY

Jim Matheson offers five storylines to watch as the Oilers travel to Dallas to take on the Stars on Saturday (1 p.m., MT at American Airlines Center, TV: Sportsnet, radio: 630 CHED).

1.

Afternoon delights?

The Oilers actually won one in Minnesota on Dec. 15 against the Wild, after four earlier losses this season against Philadelphia, the New York Rangers, Dallas and at home to the Red Wings. But their career record in matinees is mediocre, at best, with only 53 wins in 143 games. On the road, they’re 41-59-7-5. They lost 6-3 to the Stars on Nov. 18. The Oilers also play against the Blackhawks in an afternoon tilt Sunday, so we’ll see if it’s double the pleasure, double the fun.

2.

Scoring whiz Kris Russell

Russell leads the NHL in shot blocks but also quietly leads the Oilers defence with 16 points, including four goals, which is only three off his NHL high with the Calgary Flames a few years back. We forget Russell came to the NHL as an offensive defenceman who had 32 goals in Medicine Hat. Russell could have had three goals against the Ducks on Thursday.

3.

Reawakened power play

The Oilers didn’t score on their five opportunities with the man advantage Thursday, which means they’re six-for-58 over the last 21 games, which is mindboggling with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl involved. But at least they had eight shots on those five tries against the Ducks, albeit it many came on the fouron-three in overtime. But they seemed more willing to get it back to the point for a shot and Oscar Klefbom had four shots in the game.

4.

A wide-open game

We’ve had 18 goals in the two games these two teams have played against each other so far, with the Oilers winning 5-4 in Edmonton and losing 6-3 in Dallas. Don’t count on a 2-1 game like the one we just saw Thursday. The Oilers have been shorthanded 11 times in the two games against Dallas, which is too much against a Stars squad that sits 11th overall with a power play pushing 20 per cent efficiency. It behooves the Oilers to not give up two goals on their first three shots like in their Nov. 16 meeting, too.

5.

Antoine Roussel

Yeah, the disturber on the third line. He was the Stars’ best forward in the 6-3 Dallas win just before American Thanksgiving, and by the end of the game had pretty much Oilers player wanting to punch him in the mouth. Roussel, who has 75 penalty minutes on the year, which befits his antagonistic style, only has 12 points on the season, but he has 10 points in 15 career games against the Oilers. He plays on a good fore-checking line with exOilers member Tyler Pitlick and centre Radek Faksa.

BIG MATCHUP

It’s Dallas’s Jamie Benn vs. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid. Benn has 17 goals and 29 points in 27 career games against the Oilers. Thirteen of those goals are even-strength, so it’s not like he’s feasting on the Oilers on the power play. McDavid is shooting 41 per cent with seven goals in 17 shots in six games against Dallas. Six of his goals are five-on-five, and he’s got 10 points in those six games. It’s not an entirely fair comparison because McDavid is a centre and Benn a left-winger, but both lead the teams in their own way.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Oilers: PP 18-114 15.8 per cent, (24th). PK 39-132, 70.5 per cent (31st)

Stars: PP 26-127 20.5 per cent (11th). PK 28–147, 81 per cent (18th)